Jefferson's Daughters

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The remarkable untold story of Thomas Jefferson's three daughters—two white and free, one black and enslaved—reveals their divergent paths in a newly independent America. Jefferson had three daughters: Martha and Maria with his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, and Harriet with his enslaved mistress, Sally Hemings. Catherine Kerrison, a scholar of early American and women's history, recounts the journeys of these women and how their struggles reflect the possibilities and limitations of the American Revolution. While Martha and Maria enjoyed a fine education in Paris, their options diminished upon returning home due to the restrictive laws and customs of early America. In contrast, Harriet Hemings escaped slavery, reportedly with Jefferson's assistance, embarking on an uncertain future. Kerrison's groundbreaking biography uncovers never-before-published documents from the sisters' teenage years and letters from both the Jefferson and Hemings families. She has also engaged with Hemings family descendants and initiated DNA testing to trace Harriet's lineage. The lives of Jefferson's daughters offer a unique perspective on the complex legacy of the American Revolution, highlighting their fight for autonomy and shedding light on the ongoing movement for human rights in America, as well as the political legacy of one of the nation's most controversial Founding Fathers.