Table of Contents
Which US president had a black wife?
| Sally Hemings | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sarah Hemings c. 1773 Charles City County, Virginia, British America |
| Died | 1835 (aged 61–62) Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Known for | Enslaved woman who had children by Thomas Jefferson |
| Children | 6, including Harriet, Madison, and Eston |
Did Thomas Jefferson like his wife?
Jefferson loved his cheerful, resilient and striking wife Martha deeply and promised her on her deathbed that he would never marry again. They had two daughters who lived to maturity.
How old was Martha Jefferson’s father when he died?
Martha’s father, John Wayles, died at age 58 in 1773. He left substantial property, including slaves, but the estate was encumbered with debt. Upon Wayles’ death, Betty Hemings and her six children with John Wayles were moved “without hesitancy” to Monticello to prevent the Hemings from being separated.
What did Martha Wayles Jefferson look like as a child?
There are no known portraits of Martha Wayles Jefferson, and descriptions of her appearance are scant. In his Memoirs of a Monticello Slave, Isaac Granger Jefferson described Mrs. Jefferson as small and said the younger daughter, Mary, was pretty, “like her mother.”
What did Isaac Granger Jefferson say about Martha Jefferson?
In his Memoirs of a Monticello Slave, Isaac Granger Jefferson described Mrs. Jefferson as small and said the younger daughter, Mary, was pretty, “like her mother.” 2 Granddaughter Ellen Randolph Coolidge voices the family’s oral history by describing her grandmother as “… a very attractive person a graceful, ladylike and accomplished woman.”
What did Scharff ask Jefferson at the end of his talk?
At the end of her talk, Scharff was asked what one question she would ask Jefferson. Smiling, she said, “How’s the family?” Walking on my way, I reflected Jefferson’s fall from the pedestal was a healthy thing all around and should be noted for readers of our blog.