Thomas Jefferson's Role as Slave Owner Explored 

She who? There are no descendants of Jefferson in this film. The African-American lady's Monticello ancestor was Mr. Jefferson's head gardener. The other women shown are staff and researchers.

I concur. Slaveholding and the laws surrounding it were thornily complex and varied state to state. And Jefferson was a complex man - he hated slavery and was frustrated yet enriched by it. He certainly had children with several of his slaves, which is exploitation no matter how you look at it, even if he dearly loved each of those women and their children. We in the 21st century think we're so much better - but the horrid exploitation continues with the for-profit supermax prison industrial complex that uses prisoners for slave labour (or at the very least practically slaving for pennies-a-day labour), plus the globalized companies that have simply removed their labour largely to other continents where the laws are lax or nonexistent on human rights and fair wages. To say nothing of the global sex slave trade. Yet because that suffering is hidden or far away, it's easier to bury our eyeballs in our screens and forget about it.

@@DataLal Sally Hemming told one of her sons President Jefferson was his father. DNA testing (published in Nature) confirmed that a Jefferson was the father but not necessarily Thomas Jefferson. I’m not aware of any other of the enslaved people at Monticello claiming to have had ‘relations’ with him. Jefferson died deep in debt, partly for supporting the Revolution and focusing on postRevolution nation building and because he inherited large debt. He inherited land which made him ‘wealthy’ but Monticello farming was poor and Jefferson uninterested, I’m unaware of what else, if anything, Jefferson , asked of the enslaved living there. One slave was quoted as saying ‘you could live your whole life at Monticello and not know you were a slave.’ To my knowledge, Jefferson never referred to the Monticello men or women as slaves, but as ‘his family’ or by their Christian names. After his death, much of his land including Monticello and sadly the slaves were sold to pay his enormous debt. This is just what I’ve read. I’m no expert.

I,just noticed some of the various coins...

@Pup Pup Man nobody said ban anything....people are just insisting on the truth being exposed and told....then people can decide on their own..not lies that lean towards everyone revering slavers and rapist ..and nobody knows if there ever was a muhammed, just like jesus.....

Yes it's called downplaying, sounds better that way, blacks outnumbered whites by a huge percentage, could have said 95% of blacks were enslaved. This is all about minimising and downplaying his part

She's not related to Thomas Jefferson. She's related to one of his slaves.

@GG - Kiddo Ah I see. He loves his slaves so much that he keeps them in bondage. Anyone with 1% brain matter buys this argument?

@GG - Kiddo Well you can't win against arrogance either which used insults to back up claims....

@GG - Kiddo this is the truth, good job

@Vxlitile The man was a hypocrite, if he was so against slavery then he shouldn't have any slaves simple as that

@Vxlitile You're defending a racist nonce

It's terrifying isn't it. I'm British.

"Us" there is no us about it. If you want blame anyone, then look into history where slavery began. It started in Africa, where they traded their own people for goods that they needed. Most people, that were inslaved in South America and the Bahamas. North America only had 5% of the slaves from Africa.

I hope you do know that slavery was a worldwide phenomenon for thousands of years. Wow, idiots like you should not be able to reproduce. 🤡

Jefferson lobbied against slavery multiple times.

@@christiemmaschrader6375 slavery was an exclusively American thing and America didn't invent slavery but American chattel slavery was different because it was race based

When I saw that big Jefferson statue I was disappointed

Same here its also a whole section in there for the kkk

I know for a fact you did not go to that museum because the National Museum of African History is free. But it was a nice try anyway!

@@Pat4ever. Yep, it was free. Your point? But when I say pay, I'm not making reference to a fee. WE (Black folk) "PAY" in more ways beyond what's collected at the door. So, the "FREE" admission is of no homage to our ancestors, of relevance to me as to the way that museum was put together, and no excuse to have a statue of a rapist (and a host of other things) in a museum of that was built to focus on African "American" experience/contributions. They can sell all the expensive soul food they want in that museum. It's fancy indeed. And seeing the Parliament Mothership was dope, but I still feel, TJ need not be there. That was not the best way to capture and high light the uniqueness and triumphs of the African American experience/contributions. And versus starting the visit off at the bottom in a elevator showing some chains from slavery behind a glass then riding up, a depiction of a slave revolt would have been really nice because that is another narrative to our ancestors fight against what was being done to them. 🤜🏾💥🤛🏾 When they showed Emmit Til, they should have added the names and faces of ALL the black men killed by cops to show what continues to happen to Black men when white men feel threatened. And showed who was convicted and not convicted. That definitely would have connected the past to the present. I could go on for days about that "interesting" museum. I didn'tike it. Trust me, I went. 🤬🤬🤬😭😭😭 The explanation via the "interpretation" of why the statue is in there because he indeed was controversial but yet did some good? 🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ I'm at a lost for words. He did many horrible things in addition to violating, disrespecting, and misleading Sally Hemmings; not to mention all those children he fathered. Come on man. 🤬🙁 I don't rely on RU-vid and responses in a chat to inform me about American history and I don't read and believe everything certain folk of a certain persuasion write and put in a book about TJ. In my opinion, the Dude was scumbag who did atrocious things as a slave owner. 😵‍💫 He need not be in that museum under any interpretation. That's is a American History fact, just like all of slavery. But like I said, it ain't my museum. But my and many Black DOLLARS went towards the FEDERAL funds to pay for it. Not to mention all that money we spend in Walmart and buying Oprahs magazines. Oh, we certainly PAID to get in that place. Ain't nuthin free in America. Now, the one in Detroit IS. It is for us by us annnnnnnnnd WE don't mind PAYING. 🤜🏾💥🤛🏾 Seriously though. If you haven't been, go check it out.

How about you get off of welfare first before whining about how people shouldn't pay for things

African Americans seem to forget...it was other black men that also captured and helped to bring slaves to the United States.

@@ronaldkeller3793 i wonder do you think the africans thought the whites would degrade them, erase their african heritage names, language and cultural connection to their homeland forever, and force them and progeny to centuries of abuse in their wildest imaginations, by the more civilized white men (lol), or do you think africans thought they would do as they did for ions with slaves they ended up with as the result of a battles, integrate them into the tribe they were now in? and the do you think few blacks that aided whites were worse than the volumes of white people making exorbitant wealth, still accruing wealth for whites off the misery and degradation of a people, no really an entire continent of people that fell as a result....or the people today who knows the financial backbone, the building of the sub stratus of the country, can be directly attributed to those slaves, whose descendants now remain locked out the very same society their ancestors toiled and sacrificed greatly to help build? so lets get this straight...you want blacks to remember the couple hundred blacks who aided whites, while not mentioning the millions of whites the slaves efforts benefited that are still alive today???

@Nogent interesting take however the focus is on Jefferson bro.

@Monsoon completely unnecessary, if he knows what he's talking about so be it, stop assuming that he's Asian so he doesn't know anything about U.S. History and Jefferson

Did you just try to justify slavery?

Through his marriage to Martha Wayles in 1772 and inheritance from his father-in-law John Wayles, in 1773 Jefferson inherited two plantations and 135 more slaves. All together Jefferson owned 600 slaves.

@@jeremiahdauphinais7186 yup

Vengeance is mine says the lord!!

That's EXACTLY What You Did. I Assure You That NONE Of US Are "Grateful" For Being Enslaved and Discriminated Against In This Country. We Just Made The Best Out Of A HORRIFIC Situation. Your "amerikkkan dream" Is Our Nightmare. For You and Your Ancestors Sake,You'd Better Pray That There's No Such Thing As KARMA. I Sincerely Believe That There Is. Enjoy Your Time While It Lasts. "The Last Shall Be First". We've Been "Last" For A Long Time In This Country.

@@hermanhitt5055 Quit grouping all our ancestors together, please.

Yeah umm sounds like you forgot Jefferson was a slaver while you were writing that wishful paragraph.

@@pluckybellhop66 I would sincerely appreciate it ; if you would bring me some clarification on how I'm "grouping all our ancestors together", and are you offended by my statement?🤔🧐

Like sameeee

please stop nobody cares

@@trayofsteel dude this comment was 6 months ago lmao

@@EaglesPro I dont care i'm just sick of these type's of comments

@@trayofsteel literaly 6 months ago

Is that really what happened or just your opinion?

timmeyspankey- i think now is the time to cleanse our country from the lies that still shield their inhumanity...did jefferron or his creditors release the slaves at the time of his death? it was jefferson...do you think was more principled to yield to his financial situation or his personal beliefs??? i am quite sure their were internal fights within the man, because he loved the slave sally hemmings...but he didnt free any of them until his death bed, so it looks like his dark nature won out...we can go back and forth with this guys, because he did write towards the end of his life thats gods judgement was sleep in regards to the country, and that the country one day would have to pay...and hes right...the day is today......and the first thing is for the country to not be paying its highest honors to slavers, while fighting to not compensate the slaves ancestors with some of the wealth they laid the basis to....

With all due respect, any morally and mentally healthy human being knows that slavery is wrong and does not need the bible to learn that. In the bible there is more written about slavery than what you find in Revelation 13:10 and in fact it contradicts itself. There are other passages that condone slavery and it even instructs the reader how to treat slaves and it's not pretty. We don't need any religious book to tell us what is right and wrong.

APTTMH!!!

@Jimm Crowe You sir are a complete idiot!! The Bible is our history which was stolen by your people.

Again brainwashing at its core

Have another glass of your own self righteousness Tammy. 😊🍷

Remember slaves were "cattle." They didn't deserve to be treated like humans and sons of God.

If you are really surprised about that then you know very little about slavery in the U.S.

joshua yeager They did rebel,slavery could sustain itself that why they were freed .They would never put that info into textbooks!

John Green did a really solid analysis of why any slave rebellions in America were suicidal and they instead rebelled by delaying/slowing work or breaking things. And of course, joining the Civil War en masse as soldiers, nurses and saboteurs helped the North, so make no mistake - As soon as they had their chance, these brave Americans threw everything they had at it, and they won.

Get a grip. Africans sold their own into slave trade 💰

People justify what ancient Rome and Alexander the great did in his time even more. Why would they not try it for american slavery or today

We hear about it all the time, I remember my history teacher made it clear jefferson had many slaves, i remember my history teacher told us he had over 500+ slaves

James McCluskey Part of your statement isb true, Yes that is correct, he had a slave worked for him, it is said he was going to free him, but some whites stole him, and Johnson took them to court to get his slave back and won. After he died, THE STATE SEIZED HIS LAND AND PROPERTY, (basically stole it) without leaving his money, land or anything to his heirs.

Africa.

Grammar God damn it

@@leethompson2555 why does it matter you see what i said damn!!

@@Iceis_Phoenixwheres the proof?

@@Iceis_Phoenix Africa has MANY Different Countries within so she means Exactly where the 600+ came from ...

Stop I'm a Floridian there's no way in hell you attended school in Florida with that spelling. Holy shit.

Yeah Sally Hemings had either 6 or 7 children by Him in the early 2000s they had a doctrinery on his descendents.

A slave owner falls in love with a slave. No way this happens naturally, they would have had no means to say no

Yes, I just finished reading a very long book about him. On her deathbed, Jefferson's wife made him promise he would never marry again. BUT, he is believed to have had a relationship with Sally Hemings, a slave in his household (and his deceased wife's half-sister). What's interesting is that Sally was in France with him for a fair amount of time and, by French law, could've stayed there and been free. But she chose to come back with him. It does appear that they cared for each other and he did father a number of children with her. At the time though, it would have been illegal for them to get married. I can't imagine living back then!!

Marco Deo Exactly.

He could have freed his slaves or at least paid them, if all men were truly equal in his view. He didn't because he was enjoying the luxury he got off their backs and hard work. Although he did good things for his country, that alone should not defend him from any criticism towards his character

@@fornax5798 Agreed. Thomas Jefferson didn't exactly made smart choices when it came to slavery.

Really, please stop that. Evil. If you have land, take care of it yourself. That me means you are not taking credit of hard work .Period

@@adaezeokafor4331 slavery ended in 1865 dude. You're 155 years late. But in the case you're referring to us defending slavery, none of us were defending it.

Obviously you are proud of that or should you be? 🤔

Helloooo, if you don't mind me asking... Was it through oral history or dna?

SAD

Sweet.

Danggggg

he raped them.

@@stormyuwu1287 No, there's no evidence for that. He had a relationship with one though.

@@donbarzinitut The jefferson foundation says otherwise, so ..."But you don’t have to believe me. You can read the January 2000 official report by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation’s Research Committee, which concluded, based on DNA studies, primary and secondary documents, oral histories of Jefferson and Hemings descendants, and nationally renowned scholars, that there is a “high probability that Thomas Jefferson fathered Eston Hemings and that he most likely was the father of all six of Sally Hemings’ children appearing in Jefferson’s records.” Sally was a child, and jefferson didn't like black people. He wrote a lot about how they were inferior. Painting this as a relationship is such a disgusting sugary approach to a grown man molesting a child who was his property. That's not a relationship.

Brainwashing at its finest

@@donbarzinitut But yet he had children with them even if the slaves didnt want children with him.

well except for the fact that he was instrumental in the american revolution, a liberal revolution that inspired centuries of revolts elsewhere, and wrote the delcaration of independence, arguably the most important document of said revolution. Does that absolve his life as somebody who hypocritically used slave labour to boost his own wealth? no, not really. but to say theres nothing complex or deep about jefferson is really dumb.

Couldn’t agree more

This is history not a musical lol

@@cleanj3ans okay but Hamilton was a very prevalent and important person as a founding Father.

Because it’s not true.

@@staceystrukel1917 100% true, people just like to acknowledge what they want to about a person. It's hard to think of a founding father as cheating child molester but he would be both in 2023.

Sharona Levg How in the duck it wasn't that bad it's wrong and you try it

Sharona Levg fuck

Thema Hathor It just was what it was. Hopefully, we’ve come some distance since those times. Jefferson set freedom in motion in America with the Declaration of Independence. It’s a work in process.

Not as big a disgrace as your ugly duck face Talanda.

Jimm Crowe so what did he do ill be waiting

Peter Morton Wrote the Declaration of Independence, bought the Louisiana Territory, he was the 3rd president, started the movement for true religious freedom, etc.

@@petermorton301 they were his wife's slaves he owned 0 he also fell in love with one of the slaves

The Bible promotes slavery OT and New. See Exodus 21 and Leviticus 25. Jesus nor Paul condemned it EITHER so let's not say it's just OT. Slaves obey your masters. - J.C.

Get a grip.

No he freed them/let them run away

They probably would have gone north like other free blacks

Y’all are some dumb motherfuckers...fr!

We are still in it! What are you talking about?

@@theaword270 i dont agree with you as life goes on God is revealing what should know. In this season he has tevealed that King James that wrote the KJV of the bible was a black man. That the reason America is great is because the slaves and after biilt and invented so much from within. I thank God for revelation knowledge. Black wall street etc. We are blessed inspite of our boundage. But God will deliver hix people. If you rightly divide the Word of Truth you will see that he is working it out for our good for th hose t hv at love him and are called

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.Rom 8;28.

I could go deeper but just know tgat it is time to get your heart set toward God (Yah!) So thst you can know who Jesus (Yeshua) is and in doing so he will reveal who you are for these last days are coming fast, eith us being so disobedient.

You expect likes on this?

@Max Power it’s a joke chill

Yes he did

Fuck those devilz

Slaves could be flayed, maimed and killed along their families if they rebelled, or even tried to escape. So is their fault most of them just kept obeying as their freedom-loving masters ordered them to. You are a special kind of asshole, aren't you?

Oh yes and I’m sure you have such an angelic sinless nature that there’s no possible way you would have been moved by the doctrinal winds of the intellectual climate of your time had you lived in that generation eh? Get off your high horse you self-righteous Communist puke. 😊

Slavery existed long before the federal implementation of capitalism in the United States or any country for that matter. Peasants under a feudal lord were slaves. The people of Russia were slaves to the USSR.

Six babies

Yup so

That's only if you believe in a book that has major contradictions written to enslave you!!!

No one may have told you before Elie Elis ... but it appears you're an idiot.

Tammantha Shaw i love you sister for this one this was well worded i can go the sleep now

I encourage you to read Henry Wiencek's book on Jefferson as a slave master. He was not the worst but physical punishment was employed. At least as deplorable was his evolution in thinking away from the more progressive ideas of his youth to focus on the economic benefits of slavery, particularly that of breeding people for profit, much as a farmer would breed livestock today. It was deplorable and a terrible weight on the balance scale of his good and evil. Yes, it's necessary to evaluate history in the context of its time and culture but there is no question that Mr. Jefferson had the capacity for better.

Does lunacy run in your family or is it just you?

Elie Elis that doesn't make it right.

That's only if you believe in a book that has major contradictions written to enslave you!!!!

There are no descendants of Jefferson in this short film. There is a Monticello families descendant -- of the head gardener. There were many families at Monticello and most were not Jefferson descendants.