Jefferson's hidden slave legacy

[dipsydoodle]

It is one of the great contradictions of Jefferson's life, of his age, and of the America that he and the founding generations conjured into being.

Jefferson's wife, Martha, died in the tenth year of their marriage.

Present in the room at the moment of her death, with Jefferson himself, was Martha's half sister, a young slave girl called Sally Hemings. She was the daughter of Martha's own father and a slave called Elizabeth.
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Years later, in Paris, Jefferson began a relationship with Sally. Together, they had six children.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7689734.stm

[dipsydoodle]

1. Help !

I think this is a really good article but need to know - when such articles are posted do they remain subject to the 4 para fair use rule or would more be permissable as it's otherwise difficult to make sense of which paras to use.

[unhappycamper]

2. Unfortunately copyright rules are hard and fast.

Sorry. :shrug:

[dipsydoodle]

4. Advice appreciated

Had never been quite sure if that rule had applied to LBN only.

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. They are very short sentences, just set out as paragraphs. Does that matter?

It's common in newspapers columns.

[T_i_B]

3. From what I've read of American history....

...it was not uncommon for slave owners to dally in the servant quarters so to speak, and Jefferson's State was in time to become a State who bred slaves for sale to the rest of the slave states.

And of course Jefferson was not the only President to own slaves, Washington, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Tyler, Polk and Zacharay Taylor all owned slaves if memory serves me correctly. (Americans are more then welcome to correct me on any point of history)

Let's just be glad that the whole sordid episode of slavery is behind us.

[raccoon]

11. It was quite common for slaveowners to fool around in the servant quarters.

Oprah said on her show that white people seem to be surprised by that, but to black people, "it's a GIVEN."

I think she's absolutely right.

[jacksonian]

5. another of the contradictions of slavery is

that in a time and place where it is the norm, to not participate in the economy built on free labor is to not compete economically.

Slavery when permitted forces even those who would not otherwise do so to participate. It compromises all. Something we forget today.

[Faygo Kid]

7. Jefferson was an astounding study in contradictions.

A truly great man, yet a very human one. He was a towering figure in his own time; at 6'2" he only looked up to Washington.

Fascinating, great, a paradox. Fabulous architect, had no sense about money.

Would love to have dinner with him, that's for sure.

[Fearless]

8. This isn't new. It's been known for years.

[dipsydoodle]

9. No one said it was new

It was in connection with radio broadcast tonight :

Allan Little's programme on Thomas Jefferson will be broadcast on BBC World Service radio on Sunday 26 October.

[T_i_B]

10. Also, there's Simon Schama's BBC2 programme

which is being shown in the run-up to the US elections.

Any other DUer's being watching that BTW? And if so I'd be interested to hear what the rest of you think.