Thomas Jefferson owned more than 600 slaves over the course of his life, and through research, a more complete picture is emerging of the third president of the United States.
Six additional individuals held in bondage were discovered since last summer: Moses, Nanny, Mary Ann Hern, Robert and two children whose names remain unknown, Monticello announced.
The six people have been added to a memorial erected in 2023 to remember those enslaved by Jefferson. The Contemplative Site features a 60-foot steel wall with names of slaves – and blank spaces for new names as they are discovered.
“What we know about Monticello’s enslaved community is constantly growing — especially on an individual level,” said Dr. Andrew Davenport, Monticello’s vice president for research. “Although Monticello is one of the most well-documented plantations in America, this research is far from complete.”
Unlike President Donald Trump’s attempt to rewrite history at Smithsonian museums in Washington, Monticello has used Jefferson’s own words, to “follow truth wherever it might lead” to tell a more honest and complicated account of its owner.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, tasked with overseeing Monticello, is a private, nonprofit organization. Monticello is not subjected to same scrutiny as its operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its mission of preservation and education.
Trump has demanded Washington museums focus less on how bad slavery is and focus more on the country’s successes and the future.
ICYMI
- Richmond museum to open exhibit on Black Virginians; Trump aims to rewrite history
- Trump screed blasts ‘woke’ Smithsonian for showing ‘how bad slavery was’
Despite writing that “all men are created equal” and calling slavery a “moral depravity,” Jefferson never used his power to end it, relying on future generations to do so. Throughout his adult life, he owned slaves, up to 140 at one time, and traded them as property to settle financial debts.
Sally Hemings, a household name for most Americans, bore at least six children fathered by Jefferson. Many female slaves had children fathered by white men, as they had no legal right to refuse sexual advances.
The discovery of six additional people are the result of ongoing work from Monticello’s Getting Word African American history department.
ICYMI
- Monticello receives $3.5 million grant to collect, share stories of enslaved families
- Monticello hosts gathering of descendants of enslaved families
Established in 1993, Getting Word records and preserves the family histories of the people enslaved by Jefferson.
“Tracking small details and reading between the lines is critical when researching Black history at Monticello,” said Auriana Woods, director of Getting Word. “Traces of evidence can come from anywhere or anyone, and it takes the effort of many hands — descendants, scholars, and interpreters — to bring those lives back into focus.”
2025 Contemplative Site additions
- Moses, born in February 1790
- Nanny, born in 1776
- Mary Ann Hern, born in late 1823
- Child, born in 1802
- Robert, born about 1815-1818
- Child, born about 1815-1819
Related stories
- Un/Bound book highlights Black Virginians, impact on state’s history
- New UVA athletics logos included detail paying homage to slavery on Grounds
- Clemson confronts slavery origin story: Maybe it’s time for UVA to do the same
Support AFP
Share
Crystal Graham
