Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy

( 9 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback (1 PBK ED)
$12.44
BN.com price
$17.95 List Price (Save 31%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.07
$17.95 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (47)  
Used (29)  
New (18)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 5
Showing 1 – 10 of 47 (5 pages)
$0.07
(Save 100%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.97
(Save 89%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition: Good
Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase ... benefits world literacy! Read more Show Less

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3924)

Condition: Acceptable
Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.00
(Save 89%)
abookheaven
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(22)

Condition: Acceptable
This book has some spine slant. Cover and book have curling/curve. This has normal wear & tear for being a used book that follows the market place's descriptive guidelines as ... only being in acceptable/fair condition. All items ship within 24 hours Monday through Friday. We do not ship to detention/prison type facilities. Read more Show Less

Ships from: descanso, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.49
(Save 86%)
Dream Books Company, LLC
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(250)

Condition: Good
1998 Paperback Good Used book with normal wear and tear and may contain writing. Stock photo may be different from actual book cover.

Ships from: Englewood, CO

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$3.94
(Save 78%)
Extremely_Reliable
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3210)

Condition: Good
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$4.24
(Save 76%)
Penntext
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(292)

Condition: Good
May have minimal notes/highlighting, minimal wear/tear. Ships same or next business day. Stay classy San Diego!

Ships from: Downingtown, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.24
(Save 76%)
Penntext
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(292)

Condition: Acceptable
Some wrinkled pages. Ships within 24 hrs of your order. Open Mon - Fri. May have some notes/highlighting, slightly worn covers, general wear/tear.

Ships from: Downingtown, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.50
(Save 75%)
ATeamBooks
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(407)

Condition: Good
Used books may not include access codes or one time use codes. Proven Seller with Excellent Customer Service. Choose expedited shipping and get it FAST.

Ships from: Conway, AR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$5.99
(Save 67%)
Patrico Books NY
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(3433)

Condition: Good
1998-03-22 Paperback Good Ships Out Tomorrow!

Ships from: Apollo Beach, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 5
Showing 1 – 10 of 47 (5 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

When Annette Gordon-Reed's groundbreaking study was first published,
rumors of Thomas Jefferson's sexual involvement with his slave Sally Hemings had circulated for two centuries. Among all aspects of Jefferson's renowned life, it was perhaps the most hotly contested topic. The publication of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings intensified this debate by identifying glaring inconsistencies in many noted scholars' evaluations of the existing evidence. In this study, Gordon-Reed assembles a fascinating and convincing argument: not that the alleged thirty-eight-year liaison necessarily took place but rather that the ...

See more details below
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

When Annette Gordon-Reed's groundbreaking study was first published,
rumors of Thomas Jefferson's sexual involvement with his slave Sally Hemings had circulated for two centuries. Among all aspects of Jefferson's renowned life, it was perhaps the most hotly contested topic. The publication of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings intensified this debate by identifying glaring inconsistencies in many noted scholars' evaluations of the existing evidence. In this study, Gordon-Reed assembles a fascinating and convincing argument: not that the alleged thirty-eight-year liaison necessarily took place but rather that the evidence for its taking place has been denied a fair hearing.

Friends of Jefferson sought to debunk the Hemings story as early as
1800, and most subsequent historians and biographers followed suit, finding the affair unthinkable based upon their view of Jefferson's life, character, and beliefs. Gordon-Reed responds to these critics by pointing out numerous errors and prejudices in their writings, ranging from inaccurate citations, to impossible time lines, to virtual exclusions of evidence—especially evidence concerning the Hemings family. She demonstrates how these scholars may have been misguided by their own biases and may even have tailored evidence to serve and preserve their opinions of Jefferson. This updated edition of the book also includes an afterword in which the author comments on the DNA study that provided further evidence of a Jefferson and Hemings liaison.

Possessing both a layperson's unfettered curiosity and a lawyer's logical mind, Annette Gordon-Reed writes with a style and compassion that are irresistible. Each chapter revolves around a key figure in the Hemings drama, and the resulting portraits are engrossing and very personal.
Gordon-Reed also brings a keen intuitive sense of the psychological complexities of human relationships—relationships that, in the real world, often develop regardless of status or race. The most compelling element of all, however, is her extensive and careful research, which often allows the evidence to speak for itself.
Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy is the definitive look at a centuries-old question that should fascinate general readers and historians alike.

Possessing both a layperson's unfettered curiosity and a lawyer's logical mind, Gordon-Reed writes with an irresistible style and compassion about Thomas Jefferson's sexual involvement with his slave Sally Hemings. Her fascinating and convincing argument: not that the alleged 38-year liaison necessarily took place but rather that the evidence for its taking place has been denied a fair hearing.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Gordon-Reed takes on the historians who would deny that Thomas Jefferson had a 38-year relationship with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves, and she does so both by presenting historical evidence of that relationship and by critiquing their denials. While her account is reasoned and logical, Gordon-Reed is a law professor (at New York Law School) who writes like a lawyer. She justifies this legalistic tone in her preface by pointing out that historians often use legal phrases when debating the controversy, but that doesn't make this dry presentation of the facts any more readable. Primary sources (Madison Hemings's recounting of his mother's relationship with Jefferson, in which he claims Jefferson as his father; the memoirs of Israel Jefferson, a former slave of Jefferson's who corroborated Hemings's story; and a pair of letters discussing the Jefferson-Hemings relationship) are the most lively reading, but they have been banished to an appendix. Gordon-Reed approaches the various players in this drama chapter by chapter and dissects the collective denial of traditional historians with regard to each. She not only handily refutes theories such as the idea that one of Jefferson's nephews, either Samuel Carr or Peter Carr, fathered Hemings's children, but points out the racism inherent in insisting, for example, that Madison Hemings's story of his life cannot be correct because the language is too sophisticated. Her contention that "Thomas Jefferson's racism was not extraordinary" is believable and intriguing, but too much that is of interest here becomes obfuscated by legal devices, including a chapter titled "Summary of the Evidence." History Book Club dual main. (Apr.)
Booknews
Explores evidence of Jefferson's involvement with his slave Sally Hemings, his wife's half sister, arguing that evidence for the alleged 38-year liaison has been denied a fair hearing. Chapters are based on key figures in the families involved. Includes a key to important names, the memoirs of Madison Hemings and Israel Jefferson, and letters. For general readers and historians. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780813918334
  • Publisher: University of Virginia Press
  • Publication date: 3/28/1998
  • Edition description: 1 PBK ED
  • Pages: 288
  • Sales rank: 196,076
  • Product dimensions: 5.83 (w) x 9.57 (h) x 0.79 (d)

Meet the Author

Annette Gordon-Reed is Professor of Law at Harvard Law School as well as Professor of History and Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Her book The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

Table of Contents

Preface
Genealogical Tables
Introduction 1
1 Madison Hemings 7
2 James Callender 59
3 The Randolphs and the Carrs 78
4 Thomas Jefferson 105
5 Sally Hemings 158
6 Summary of the Evidence 210
7 Conclusion 224
Appendix A Key to Important Names 239
Appendix B The Memoirs of Madison Hemings 245
Appendix C The Memoirs of Israel Jefferson 249
Appendix D Henry S. Randall to James Parton, June 1, 1868 254
Appendix E Ellen Randolph Coolidge to Joseph Coolidge, October 24, 1858 258
Notes 261
Bibliography 273
Index 281

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3
( 9 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(2)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 12, 2005

    My Review

    I picked this book to read for my American History class because I found the subject matter intriguing and after finishing the book I found that it really was quite fascinating. This is one of the first books that I have read on this matter and I thought it was a great book to start with. The author, Annette Gordon-Reed, did an impressive job showing and examining all the different sides and theories behind the controversy surrounding Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. What was really great is that she used solid facts and honorable sources to explain each point instead of just making a statement without explaining the reasoning behind it. She examined evidence that supported the theory that Jefferson was not the father of Sally Hemings children and then she would later prove and show evidence how Jefferson could indeed be the father of Hemings children, allowing the reader to make their own hypothesis, Gordon-Reed was unbiased with the facts. This book also introduces the reader to many different people who had interactions with Jefferson throughout his life. One in particular, James Callender, I found to be extremely interesting. He seems a little sketchy to me and this intrigued me, I fully intend to do some more research on him. Another thing that I really like is how Gordon-Reed investigates the character and different sides of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. I found this book to be extremely complex but all together fascinating, however it was a little repetitive. The book supplied a lot of good, factual, and remarkable information. It is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn all the facts behind the controversy of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 2, 2000

    Thorough Analysis

    Having an attorney analyze the evidence (pro and con) was perfect. She poked holes in all the theories that have been advanced. She also demonstrated why either based on an intense need to protect or due to the racism prevelant at that time, all the evidence that pointed to the existence of the relationship was ignored. Many of Ms. Gordon-Reed's predictions came true based on the DNA evidence. A must read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 20, 2012

    Exceeds Expectations

    The book appears to be brand new with no show of wear. As an avid reader who enjoys reading about our ancesters and tracing my ancestery, I'm very anxious to start reading this book.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 24, 2010

    We may now be ready to look a new at this issue

    In the book Thomas Jefferson and Sally Heming's An American Controversy by Annette Gordon-Reed, Ms. Gordon-Reed shows that she is a very capable lawyer. She explores this controversy from every side of the issue. This book is an argumentation document and should be view as such. The fact that this book has been written, shows that this is still both a topic debate among Historians, and within the public at large. From the point of one who has been working on Presidential genealogy, this both gives clues as to those related to the Jefferson family, and the permission to explore the Heming's family.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted January 10, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9780312561000

    Neither thorough nor persuasive

    "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts." Senator D. Patrick Moynihan

    This book deserves only 1 star but anyone interested in this subject should still read it, with a grain of salt.

    The only way to review an interesting story like this is to review the facts, all of them. Not just the ones that fit the theory we would like to accept. This book is incomplete and that should trouble people.

    Reviewer comments to the contrary, this book is hardly the end of the story. AGR wrote her book before the DNA testing was completed so we can't fault her for that. Still, we should be aware of the fact that the tests did not prove that the third president had children with Sally, only that some of those tested share a male ancestor with Thomas Jefferson. Maybe Thomas was in their family tree but the media mislead the public about the DNA test results swamping the true story that scientists tried to report.

    But we can fault her the huge gaps among the facts presented. According to the recently published "In Defense of Thomas Jefferson" by William Hyland there are more than two dozen genetically viable suspects, but only a three are mentioned in this book: Thomas Jefferson and two of his nephews, Peter and Samuel Carr.

    Why does Randolph Jefferson's name never appear between these covers? He was Thomas Jefferson's younger brother. He lived near or at Monticello for years, and he was known to "socialize" with his brother's slaves. He was claimed as an ancestor by the Eston Hemings branch of Sally's descendants for over 170 years. But his name is missing.

    There is no mention of the medical condition of Mr. Jefferson during the period of conception. People forget that he was already and old man for his times, 52 when the first child was born. Viagra was 200 years in the future. Some doctors believe that Thomas was already infertile by the time Sally began having children. Randolph was more than 10 years younger, the children began to be born after his wife died, and stopped when he remarried.

    I do not claim to have facts that prove anything one way or the other. Reading all the facts may not change your final answer but to reach a final answer, readers deserve all the facts. But in my opinion, this book is incomplete and should be only one of many books that any interested in this subject should read.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 16, 2009

    Great history; too much detail

    The author was too obsessed to prove the family relationships. This relationship is an exciting story that becomes a dull academic study when mired in facts more useful in a courtroom than in a book of history. Do we REALLY need all that detail?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 18, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 15, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit