Letter from James Hemings to Sally Hemings

My dearest Sister,

I am writing to you in strictest confidence regarding our present circumstances in France with Master Jefferson. It is evident that here, unlike in the Americas, slavery is illegal. The African men and women here are treated as servants, not slaves. They are technically free to do what they wish, though it clearly does not keep them exempt from the indignity we face because of our skin, our hair, our features. We, on the other hand, are bound to our Master. What I am conflicted about is that he has been, on the whole, kind to us—giving us more money than most servants here earn. He has made me the head chef of his kitchen. And I am unsure that I can achieve such a position of power by gaining freedom.

These are the bounds of our captivity. At one end, I cannot stand to think that I am enslaved to a white man—a man who came to France as an American minister looking like a simple plantation worker. How, morally, can we subject ourselves to this position of lower class just because of our origins? On the other hand, we need to eat and feed ourselves—at least here, as slaves in France, we are earning ample to wield some power. But the way he tells everyone that we are his servants....how can we stand to hear the lies? You heard what her told Bentalou, no? That French man living in the Americas who wanted to bring his 8 year-old Negro with him to France? Our Master is spreading his art of deception. He uses the respect people here give him to hoard his secret about our circumstance.

So you understand the dilemma. If we want freedom, this may be our only chance. We can hire a lawyer for no cost—and they will fight for us. Word is that the courts nearly always support the slave, they always gain their freedom as the law allows. And these lawyers gain money by supporting us from the losing side. So it is not as if they care about us—but it is, to them, an economically beneficial enterprise. Of course, because our Master’s hold a large amount of power, we may lose the case. We may remain his slaves, but without pay. And then we will be worse off than we currently are! Without freedom, and without our relative luxuries. But when else will we have this chance again?

I know our Master is especially fond of you, and the thought of leaving him may seem difficult for you. But consider what it will feel like to be free. Consider what it will taste like—we have enough money saved. We can do this.

I will await your thoughts,

James

Questions:

1) In what ways did the promise of financial gain influence the decisions of Europeans and/or Anglo-Americans in occasionally supporting African slaves/servants?

2) How does Jefferson’s relationship with Sally and James Hemmings compare to his declarations about the capabilities and capacities of slaves in Query XIV? What do his actions and words say about the status of mixed-race versus black slaves?