Despite the whitewashed story, concocting a romantic relationship, Sally's story also serves as a marked example of the "One Drop Rule" (research "hypodescent"), served to assign slave status to babies of enslaved women when assaulted & impregnated by the men who owned them. /2

Sally was 14 when Jefferson acquired her. [Grotesque side note: Jefferson's own daughter Polly was 9-years-old at the time. Witnesses have described young Sally's relationship with Polly as one of both caretaker and playmate—a sort of sociopathic convenience for Jefferson.] /3

Back to the One Drop Rule. By his own words, Sally's physical features were Jefferson's main attraction to her. Sally Hemings was 1/4 Black. To be clear, it was her proximity to whi.teness, yet his retained ability to own & order her movement that attracted Jefferson to her. /4

At 16, Sally (who was 1/2-sister of Jefferson's late wife, btw) became pregnant as the horrifically predictable result of Thomas Jefferson's ongoing sexual abuse. Sally bore 6 of Jefferson's biological children, that we know of, all of whom were seven-eighths (7/8) whi.te. /5

Guests have recounted the children's uncanny resemblance to Jefferson, even as the girls passed busily from kitchen to dining room, serving the guests dinner as part of the enslaved house staff. "One Drop" of Black blood was all that was necessary for "Black"-ness to attach. /6

Legally, this rule formally dictated newborns with any degree of ancestry "mixing" were assigned slave status. This not only gave slaveowners license to abuse the women they owned without fear of inheritance challenge, but allowed them to produce more humans to enslave. /END

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@JohnathanPerk Outstanding thread. Thank you.

@QasimRashid 🙌🏽✊🏽

@JohnathanPerk I think Jefferson was a man of his times. Not uncommon in the slave owning states for this to happen. Think how many Afro-Americans are light skinned compared to Africans today. 14 then was not a child as well. That said, it was horrible and wrong. We rightly condemn it today.

@vtmoderate No. Even this was frowned upon at the time. As this was Jefferson’s dead wife’s half-sister..

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@JohnathanPerk I think you a wonderful job of writing to persuade on this subject, Jay. I found it to be very well-written, informative, and persuasive. It motivated me to read more about Sally & her children. Thank you.

@Hopefulinterest Hey, thanks!

@JohnathanPerk @kateneuropsych How will Ron DeeSintis get the Florida "education system" to unwoke this?

@rt5552309 @kateneuropsych Right. And this history isn't even taught in the first instance..

@JohnathanPerk These terrible events need to be taught in school. Jefferson DID NOT have an "affair" with a teenage Sally Hemmings. He was molesting and RAPING her. It is one reason I won't spend or keep a nickel to this date. I throw them in the street. The nickel has Jefferson's likeness

@JohnathanPerk @ScottAdamsSays Give it enough time and as long as you’ve achieved greatness (founding father in this case), history will forgive the true monster you really were. I remember @HardcoreHistory talking about this point in reference to Genghis Khan.

@JohnathanPerk That’s a Democrat for ya. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@JohnathanPerk Absolutely no proof that it was Jefferson. And lots of proof it was a nephew. But go ahead.