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What Is The Sally Hemmings Statement Of Equality

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The Constitution of the United States, which was written in 1787, is a document that outlines the structure and function of the federal government. One of the most notable aspects of the Constitution is its inclusion of the phrase “all men are created equal,” as stated in the Declaration of independence. However, despite this statement, the Constitution also allowed for the continuation of slavery, which raises questions about the true meaning of the phrase and the intentions of the Constitution's authors. Sally Hemmings is one example of how the Constitution's allowance for slavery contradicts its statement of equality. Hemmings was an enslaved woman who belonged to Thomas Jefferson, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and a signer of the Constitution. Hemmings was also the half-sister of Jefferson's wife and had several children with him, all of whom were enslaved. This story illustrates the hypocrisy of the Constitution’s statement of equality, as Hemmings and …show more content…

In 1787, Rutledge stated that “the true question is whether the Southern States will or will not be changed to confederate otherwise… the Southern States will not be confederate at all”. This quote shows that the issue of slavery was a significant factor in the formation of the Constitution and that the authors were willing to compromise on the principle of equality to form a cohesive union. It is important to note that the Constitution did not explicitly mention slavery, but it did include clauses that protected the institution. The Three-Fifths Compromise, for example, counted each slaved person as the three-fifths of a person to determine representation in Congress. This compromise gave Southern states more representation in Congress, which allowed them to maintain a balance of power and protect their interests, including the continuation of

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He explains how his father promised his mother her children’s freedom, and how he was granted his freedom when his father later passed. Hemings continues to explain his family heritage and brushes on how it was growing up as a child of a slave and a slave owner. Life during at that time is extremely different than it is now. Now, it is not deemed necessary to hide their lineage from his or her spouse or their community just because of who their parents are or what their status in society was at that time. Though there remains uncertainty on the severity of the treatment his children faced because of their status as slaves, the children of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson were still able to be free during a time were freedom was a gift, not a privilege, for African-Americans and slaves of other any

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Heming’s story is deeply intertwined with Jefferson’s, but it is often left out as she is stated on multiple occasions to have been his concubine rather than his slave who he had raped to the point of multiple pregnancies in her teenage years. With Kaphar’s emphasis on Jefferson almost completely covering Hemings it is evident that he is making a political commentary on how her history has been covered up time and time again by the man who

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