Esther Franklin

The Others at Monticello- Volume II Esther Franklin

"What do you know about the ?others? who lived at Monticello? How would it have felt to be part of the Hemings family, wondering about your physical features and why you were treated differently from many other slaves? Volumes of history and biography have recorded Thomas Jefferson?s life and works. Countless persons have visited his unique home, heard of his daughters, their children. Numerous scholars understand the importance of his huge collection of books. More people are learning about his second home, the Natural Bridge, and the Peaks of Otter. Many know of his slave, Sally Hemings, and recently about her descendants; few are aware of her parentage. Nor have many been informed of the contributions of her brother, John Hemings - his great talent as an artisan in wood. Virginia law decreed that slaves should not learn to read and write, yet there is tangible evidence they did. Would Sally have taught her children these skills - the French she had learned in Paris? Could one son, Beverly, have explored many of his Master?s books and ultimately aspired to work at the growing Library of Congress?
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