AMST 384 1st Edition Lecture 11Outline of Last Lecture II. Definitions Outline of Current Lecture III. Thomas JeffersonIV. MonticelloV. Video NotesLecture: Texts: “Heroic Slave” by Fredrick Douglass and “Beloved” by Toni MorrisonThomas JeffersonImages of him today:- President, Democratic Republicans, founded UVA and library, Monticello, Monuments, LouisianaPurchase, Declaration of Independence “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” Story of Jefferson that were Submerged:- Story of family he fathered from slave, Sally Hemmings (also half sister of his wife)Video: “Jefferson’s Blood”- Jefferson wanted to end slavery and equal rights for man- Free his slaves and have them live with whites- The need for money caused Jefferson to keep selling slaves- Sally Hemmings was 14 years old slave who tended to Jefferson’s wife on her death bedo Only thing left is bell that was given to her as gift from helping wife Material Memoryo Attractive, ¾ white with black hairo Remains property of Thomas Jefferson, 40 year old widowo Pregnant by Jefferson, relationship started in Paris, traveled back to US together 4 grown children - Scandalo Poems and songs rushed into print : “Yankee Doodle”o Never answered accusations o All of the children were named after important people in Jefferson’s family-significant These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Monticello o Mountainous home of Jefferson, privateo Jefferson returned to Monticello after Paris and was done with politics, wanted to just work on farm and take care of his “outdoor family” aka slaveso Monticello was Jefferson’s vision of a perfect world, didn’t want slaves to taint it Had underground slave basement so that they were out of view Very dark slaves out of the way and far out in the fields Lighter skins still out of sight but closero Jefferson’s children with Sally were 7/8 white, but still considered slaves Cant sell them because they would talk Cant acknowledge them as his own without ending his career and being publically talked about- American’s primitive culture- Racist issue in society o Martha-all white, now has to deal with new siblings that were slaveso In Monticello, they acted like family. But could not be in publico Won presidency after 2 years of his son with Sally were born o Trying to get children between Hemmings and Jefferson buried thereWhy didn’t Jefferson Get Kicked out of office?- Able to maintain his prominence and fame because a lot of southern slave owners did this- Not uncommon for there to be slave mixing with whites o Mixing might have been accepted because it was a practice that happened- Representation of Jefferson as icon or figure of power for American peopleo Iconicity was still preservedo Jefferson is on the quarter and two dollar bill- The fact that he didn’t acknowledge it, he was able to continue his identityo “cultural code of silence”- If he had treated her or the children with a status like whites, it would have been preceded as Transgressive and ruin the relationship with his white daughter, Maratha.- Kept his social life and professional life separateImagined Community- constituted through allegiance and family stories- To what degree is our imagined community challenged - Because we think white family tree is all white but if we really saw the family trees, therewould be genetic mixing of blacks and whites Only material remains were left from Monticello, no written works preserved. Jefferson-“ I never wished them to be answered...the man who fears no truths has nothing to fear from lies. I should have fancied myself half
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