Why did Thomas Jefferson get romantically involved with Sally Hemings?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:He didn't just simply remarry another white because he was already in love. It was taboo at the time, his affinity for a black woman, but that doesn't mean it wasn't sincere. Goes to show despite whatever cultural traditions and ethical practices society puts in place to determine who can/should be with whom, love supersedes all policies and protocol.


"Love?" You're a bit naive.


Seeing how there's no conclusive evidence to prove the more popular belief that Jefferson saw Hemmings as just a "convenient companion", why do you say my supposition of him having sincere sentiments for her is naive when there is no no conclusive evidence to invalidate my theory? Perhaps my preferred romantic perspective simply objects with your cynical shallow sentiments - hmmm?


hmmm, I think people who want to romanticize this relationship have serious issues with perspective and I am not the poster you are quoting. If you want to believe owning someone is love, well then I feel sorry for you...
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:He didn't just simply remarry another white because he was already in love. It was taboo at the time, his affinity for a black woman, but that doesn't mean it wasn't sincere. Goes to show despite whatever cultural traditions and ethical practices society puts in place to determine who can/should be with whom, love supersedes all policies and protocol.


"Love?" You're a bit naive.


How do you know?


he owned her, and didn't free her or their children- you can't consent if you are someone's property so please don't buy into this "love" crap


+1
Anonymous
He did free her children
Anonymous
They had 6 kids together. If that ain't love then what is?
Anonymous
If he had freed her, couldn't another man have taken her as his own? Forcing her to leave, never see Thomas again or her children.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:If he had freed her, couldn't another man have taken her as his own? Forcing her to leave, never see Thomas again or her children.


huh? if she were free how could someone else "take her as his own"?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:He didn't just simply remarry another white because he was already in love. It was taboo at the time, his affinity for a black woman, but that doesn't mean it wasn't sincere. Goes to show despite whatever cultural traditions and ethical practices society puts in place to determine who can/should be with whom, love supersedes all policies and protocol.


"Love?" You're a bit naive.


Seeing how there's no conclusive evidence to prove the more popular belief that Jefferson saw Hemmings as just a "convenient companion", why do you say my supposition of him having sincere sentiments for her is naive when there is no no conclusive evidence to invalidate my theory? Perhaps my preferred romantic perspective simply objects with your cynical shallow sentiments - hmmm?


hmmm, I think people who want to romanticize this relationship have serious issues with perspective and I am not the poster you are quoting. If you want to believe owning someone is love, well then I feel sorry for you...


Speaking of perspective...what do you think the sensibilities of society as a whole were regarding blacks in Jefferson's time?
Speaking of perspective...what do you think the sentiments of slaveowners about slavery and about freeing slaves in Jefferson's time?
Speaking of persepctive...what do you think the attitude of Jefferson's peers would have been had he "outed" himself as a having affections for one of his slaves at a time when African-Americans were still considered 3/5ths human?
Speaking of perspective...what do you think the reaction would have been if Jefferson just shouted to the world the reason he never remarried when he became a widower at age 39 in 1782 and remained so until his death in 1826 was because he was genuinely and sincerely in love with a black woman?
Anonymous
Meant to type4. 4 kids.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If he had freed her, couldn't another man have taken her as his own? Forcing her to leave, never see Thomas again or her children.


huh? if she were free how could someone else "take her as his own"?


Similar to 12 years a slave, own her even if she were free.
Anonymous
THE REASON HE DIDNT FREE HER IS BECAUSE OF THE 1806 virginia LAW REQUIRING FREED SLAVES TO LEAVE WITHIN A YEAR OF BEING FREED. SO, HE KEPT HER A SLAVE SO SHE WOULDN'T BE FORCED BY LAW TO LEAVE.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:They had 6 kids together. If that ain't love then what is?

The children are proof that they had sex, not love. The kids plus his status as her owner point to the idea that he enjoyed it, but prove nothing about her feelings.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:THE REASON HE DIDNT FREE HER IS BECAUSE OF THE 1806 virginia LAW REQUIRING FREED SLAVES TO LEAVE WITHIN A YEAR OF BEING FREED. SO, HE KEPT HER A SLAVE SO SHE WOULDN'T BE FORCED BY LAW TO LEAVE.


so what is the excuse for not doing it in his will?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:THE REASON HE DIDNT FREE HER IS BECAUSE OF THE 1806 virginia LAW REQUIRING FREED SLAVES TO LEAVE WITHIN A YEAR OF BEING FREED. SO, HE KEPT HER A SLAVE SO SHE WOULDN'T BE FORCED BY LAW TO LEAVE.


so what is the excuse for not doing it in his will?


Sorry for the caps earlier. Good question. I dont have an answer. Apparently 2 of the children were freed in his will. 2 other children were allowed to leave the estate around their 21st birthdays where they blended into white society.
Anonymous
Didn't he promise his wife she would never remarry?
Anonymous
From Wiki:
"Hemings' strong ties to her mother, extended family and siblings likely drew her back to Monticello."

Freeing her would mean she would have to leave the place that held meaning for her. It's not like she would have been able to go wherever within the USA and build a mansion to spend her last days strolling lawns and gardening. She would have to face an uncertain world as a free woman in the USA. It was not the same as being free in France. Being free was amazing but being free had its share of restrictions and was not perfect.
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