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A review by jazzypizzaz
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
5.0
(listened to via audiobook)
This is a stunningly creative and eye-opening work of history.
What fascinated me most was the extent to which I learned almost as much about how to glean historical facts from primary sources as about the subject matter. There is more known about the Hemingses than almost all other enslaved people of the era, mostly because of their association with Jefferson, but still far less is known about the actual thoughts and personal lives of many of the Hemingses than people like Jefferson. Most (except notably Madison Hemings) did not leave personal written records or letters to shed light on their reactions to events in their life. Rather, the author does the exceptional feat of giving voices and agency to this notable American family by creative triangulation. She weaves together letters from people associated with the family, laws and customs of the era, historical context, similar experiences from other people, farm records, in-depth psychological deduction, etc, to methodically detail exactly what we can and cannot know about the family-- what we can infer based on left unsaid, as well as what we should not assume and will never know for sure. For example, a recurring theme is how laws of the era do not prescribe behaviour-- actual social practices regularly occur outside what the law dictates. Any conclusions she makes, while speculative, the reader knows exactly why and how she came to this conclusion. She also expertly dispels many assumptions of (white) historians that take agency away from the stories of the enslaved people or make them seem less complicated or intelligent than white/male people of the era.
While never pulling any punches about the abuse that slavery wrecks on those enslaved nor forgiving even the most (in their minds) well-meaning of slave holders, the author also creates a more complicated picture of slavery-- and the "relationships" between master and slaves-- than I've read before. This is particularly relevant to the Hemingses, who were mixed race (some of whom later even went on to live as white) and therefore treated differently than other enslaved people, as well as to Jefferson, a hypocritical and very complicated man who wanted to treat his slaves fairly and well while also reaping the benefits of holding them under his control.
This is an incredibly compelling piece of historical scholarship, and I recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in the American Revolutionary period.
This is a stunningly creative and eye-opening work of history.
What fascinated me most was the extent to which I learned almost as much about how to glean historical facts from primary sources as about the subject matter. There is more known about the Hemingses than almost all other enslaved people of the era, mostly because of their association with Jefferson, but still far less is known about the actual thoughts and personal lives of many of the Hemingses than people like Jefferson. Most (except notably Madison Hemings) did not leave personal written records or letters to shed light on their reactions to events in their life. Rather, the author does the exceptional feat of giving voices and agency to this notable American family by creative triangulation. She weaves together letters from people associated with the family, laws and customs of the era, historical context, similar experiences from other people, farm records, in-depth psychological deduction, etc, to methodically detail exactly what we can and cannot know about the family-- what we can infer based on left unsaid, as well as what we should not assume and will never know for sure. For example, a recurring theme is how laws of the era do not prescribe behaviour-- actual social practices regularly occur outside what the law dictates. Any conclusions she makes, while speculative, the reader knows exactly why and how she came to this conclusion. She also expertly dispels many assumptions of (white) historians that take agency away from the stories of the enslaved people or make them seem less complicated or intelligent than white/male people of the era.
While never pulling any punches about the abuse that slavery wrecks on those enslaved nor forgiving even the most (in their minds) well-meaning of slave holders, the author also creates a more complicated picture of slavery-- and the "relationships" between master and slaves-- than I've read before. This is particularly relevant to the Hemingses, who were mixed race (some of whom later even went on to live as white) and therefore treated differently than other enslaved people, as well as to Jefferson, a hypocritical and very complicated man who wanted to treat his slaves fairly and well while also reaping the benefits of holding them under his control.
This is an incredibly compelling piece of historical scholarship, and I recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in the American Revolutionary period.