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Ties That Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves
Behind every great man stands a great woman. And behind that great woman stands a slave. Or so it was in the households of the Founding Fathers from Virginia where slaves worked and suffered throughout the domestic environments of the era, from Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier to the nation’s capital. American icons like Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson, and Dolley Madison were all slaveholders. And as Marie Jenkins Schwartz uncovers in Ties That Bound, these women, as the day to day managers of their households, dealt with the realities of a slaveholding culture directly and continuously, even in the most intimate of spaces.
Unlike other histories that treat the stories of the First Ladies’ slaves as somehow separate from the lives of their mistresses, as if slavery should be relegated to its own sphere or chapter, Ties That Bound closely examines the relationships that developed between the First Ladies and their slaves. For elite women and their families, slaves were more than an agricultural workforce; instead, slavery was an entire domestic way of life that reflected and reinforced their status. In many cases slaves were more constant companions to the white women of the household than were the white men themselves, who often traveled or were at war. Thus, by looking closely at the complicated intimacy these women shared, Schwartz is able to reveal how they negotiated their roles, illuminating much about the lives of slaves themselves as well as class, race, and gender in early America.
By detailing the prevalence and prominence of slaves in the daily lives of women who helped shape the country, Schwartz makes it clear that it is impossible to honestly tell the stories of these women while ignoring the slaves in the background. She asks us to consider anew the embedded power of slavery in the very earliest conception of American politics, society, and everyday domestic routines.
Unlike other histories that treat the stories of the First Ladies’ slaves as somehow separate from the lives of their mistresses, as if slavery should be relegated to its own sphere or chapter, Ties That Bound closely examines the relationships that developed between the First Ladies and their slaves. For elite women and their families, slaves were more than an agricultural workforce; instead, slavery was an entire domestic way of life that reflected and reinforced their status. In many cases slaves were more constant companions to the white women of the household than were the white men themselves, who often traveled or were at war. Thus, by looking closely at the complicated intimacy these women shared, Schwartz is able to reveal how they negotiated their roles, illuminating much about the lives of slaves themselves as well as class, race, and gender in early America.
By detailing the prevalence and prominence of slaves in the daily lives of women who helped shape the country, Schwartz makes it clear that it is impossible to honestly tell the stories of these women while ignoring the slaves in the background. She asks us to consider anew the embedded power of slavery in the very earliest conception of American politics, society, and everyday domestic routines.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2017
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329 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 26, 2020
I am disturbed to read other reviews of this book that suggest the tired idea that the founding fathers really did *want* to end slavery but just couldn’t because... reasons?? That is not what I read at ALL. To me, Schwartz makes it abundantly clear that presidents and First Ladies alike knew exactly what they were doing. They had a choice: to do the right thing, or to climb the social ladder, and they most certainly chose the latter (hah).
Schwartz OFTEN takes the time to point out individual moral failings, such as the time that Burwell Colbert (an enslaved man) was praised for coming to work the day after his wife died: “Apparently it did not occur to [...] any member of the Jefferson family to tell Colbert that he could take time from his duties to mourn his wife.” How can you read these things (and this is a tiny, TINY example) and not come away from the book realizing that people like Thomas Jefferson are not good people?? They are not victims of their times or social etiquette. They could have, and should have, done better.
My hesitation in recommending this book lies in a philosophical difference between Schwartz and myself. To the question “Can a prisoner consent to sex?”, my answer is “no” and Schwartz’s is “maybe.” She says that of course, we cannot know what Sally Hemings thought or wanted, but definitely finds it *possible* that Hemings consented in at least part to the relationship with Jefferson, and her (Schwartz’s) language, when it comes to discussing sex, consistently reflects that. This language will offend those who don’t believe consent is possible under such circumstances (it could definitely ruin the book).
Schwartz OFTEN takes the time to point out individual moral failings, such as the time that Burwell Colbert (an enslaved man) was praised for coming to work the day after his wife died: “Apparently it did not occur to [...] any member of the Jefferson family to tell Colbert that he could take time from his duties to mourn his wife.” How can you read these things (and this is a tiny, TINY example) and not come away from the book realizing that people like Thomas Jefferson are not good people?? They are not victims of their times or social etiquette. They could have, and should have, done better.
My hesitation in recommending this book lies in a philosophical difference between Schwartz and myself. To the question “Can a prisoner consent to sex?”, my answer is “no” and Schwartz’s is “maybe.” She says that of course, we cannot know what Sally Hemings thought or wanted, but definitely finds it *possible* that Hemings consented in at least part to the relationship with Jefferson, and her (Schwartz’s) language, when it comes to discussing sex, consistently reflects that. This language will offend those who don’t believe consent is possible under such circumstances (it could definitely ruin the book).
February 4, 2018
A challenging and thoughtful book about the slave holding Presidents, Washington, Jefferson, & Madison. The lives of the slaves are developed through the records of production. Each plantation had its records of items produced and slave assignments. There are also financial transactions of who was bought, traded, given away as presents, and who was sold. There are a few personal accounts of slaves, but they are few and far between. There are some letters and comments by their masters.
Schwartz is forced to speculate on some points, based on what is not in the records. The Jefferson children disappear from the plantation record and are not hunted down, the slaves who are able to buy their freedom, and the pain that any family would feel when separated.
Academic and footnoted, but very readable.
Schwartz is forced to speculate on some points, based on what is not in the records. The Jefferson children disappear from the plantation record and are not hunted down, the slaves who are able to buy their freedom, and the pain that any family would feel when separated.
Academic and footnoted, but very readable.
October 14, 2020
Friction to Freedom
I read this book primarily to update my own book "George Washington's Liberty Key," especially in light of criticism in some quarters as to how Washington attempted to free his slaves. I thought the book did a wonderful job of explaining the constraints laid on by the color-line social contract between owners and slaves, constraints which came from not only family members (differing views of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, their respective, surviving first ladies, and other relatives), but communities, states, and even other countries. One comes to understand how virtually everything related to manumission or granting freedom to slaves was easier said than done. The author gave many supporting examples based on surviving letters; in other cases, implied logic chains and Sherlock-Holmesian deduction were brought to bear to allow one to fairly comprehend the complexities and nuances of how things happened.
In my particular area of interest (Washington), I learned how George arrived at his will and the manner in which he freed his slaves, how Martha, though generally following George's will, had her own, diverging ideas, how her children and grandchildren had theirs, and how Martha's great-granddaughter wound up marrying Robert E. Lee, the man who martially championed the cause of states' rights and slavery while dividing the Union, which George had seen as the prime enabler of freedom. BTW, I have elsewhere learned that while George is said to have opined to Edmund Randolph that should a civil war come because of divisions over slavery, he would move to the northern part of the country. Of course, as is often said, Lee was not Washington and chose his own, differing path, dramatically illustrating the practical difficulties of implementing Washington's preferred choice of universal freedom.
In the case of Jefferson and Sally Hemings, one learns that Virginia law proclaimed that people with no more than one black grandparent (and three white grandparents) were NOT black. This, however, was complicated, as it obviously led to "white" people such as Sally being enslaved. Jefferson and his daughter (first lady) Patsy helped finesse this relationship, unofficially granting freedom to Sally's children, who were by any definition not only white but resembling Jefferson. Officially granting freedom would have confirmed the politically damaging suspicions that Jefferson had carried on the affair with his slave Sally after his wife Martha's death. To some extent, the affair was natural, given that Sally resembled her half-sister Martha, and that Martha had gotten Tom to pledge he wouldn't remarry. Supposed relationship-denial falsehoods were concocted and spread by the Jefferson family after Thomas' death so as to put the whole problem behind them. At any rate, the author offers DNA analysis and convincing argument to support her views.
In the case of Dolley Madison, one learns how one circumstance of high living after another, while in the face of rising expenses and declining revenues, led to the "impossibility" of Dolley making good on James' desire to have their slaves freed. Willful negligence for a lady who was brought up to be a slavery-hating Quaker?
While one mulls the more or less grand concepts of freedom covered in the above paragraphs, one also learns interesting details about how masters and mistresses (but primarily mistresses in the form of founding first ladies) dealt with their slaves and the ties that bound them in various settings: farms, kitchens, wartimes, etc. And speaking of details, if the author revises her book, I would suggest correcting several errors of detail: 1. page 18. Washington was 67, not 69, when he died. 2. page 56. Mount Vernon claims its mansion has twenty-one rooms, not twenty.
Bottom-line with everything considered and as a fellow author, I highly recommend this book! Well done!
I read this book primarily to update my own book "George Washington's Liberty Key," especially in light of criticism in some quarters as to how Washington attempted to free his slaves. I thought the book did a wonderful job of explaining the constraints laid on by the color-line social contract between owners and slaves, constraints which came from not only family members (differing views of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, their respective, surviving first ladies, and other relatives), but communities, states, and even other countries. One comes to understand how virtually everything related to manumission or granting freedom to slaves was easier said than done. The author gave many supporting examples based on surviving letters; in other cases, implied logic chains and Sherlock-Holmesian deduction were brought to bear to allow one to fairly comprehend the complexities and nuances of how things happened.
In my particular area of interest (Washington), I learned how George arrived at his will and the manner in which he freed his slaves, how Martha, though generally following George's will, had her own, diverging ideas, how her children and grandchildren had theirs, and how Martha's great-granddaughter wound up marrying Robert E. Lee, the man who martially championed the cause of states' rights and slavery while dividing the Union, which George had seen as the prime enabler of freedom. BTW, I have elsewhere learned that while George is said to have opined to Edmund Randolph that should a civil war come because of divisions over slavery, he would move to the northern part of the country. Of course, as is often said, Lee was not Washington and chose his own, differing path, dramatically illustrating the practical difficulties of implementing Washington's preferred choice of universal freedom.
In the case of Jefferson and Sally Hemings, one learns that Virginia law proclaimed that people with no more than one black grandparent (and three white grandparents) were NOT black. This, however, was complicated, as it obviously led to "white" people such as Sally being enslaved. Jefferson and his daughter (first lady) Patsy helped finesse this relationship, unofficially granting freedom to Sally's children, who were by any definition not only white but resembling Jefferson. Officially granting freedom would have confirmed the politically damaging suspicions that Jefferson had carried on the affair with his slave Sally after his wife Martha's death. To some extent, the affair was natural, given that Sally resembled her half-sister Martha, and that Martha had gotten Tom to pledge he wouldn't remarry. Supposed relationship-denial falsehoods were concocted and spread by the Jefferson family after Thomas' death so as to put the whole problem behind them. At any rate, the author offers DNA analysis and convincing argument to support her views.
In the case of Dolley Madison, one learns how one circumstance of high living after another, while in the face of rising expenses and declining revenues, led to the "impossibility" of Dolley making good on James' desire to have their slaves freed. Willful negligence for a lady who was brought up to be a slavery-hating Quaker?
While one mulls the more or less grand concepts of freedom covered in the above paragraphs, one also learns interesting details about how masters and mistresses (but primarily mistresses in the form of founding first ladies) dealt with their slaves and the ties that bound them in various settings: farms, kitchens, wartimes, etc. And speaking of details, if the author revises her book, I would suggest correcting several errors of detail: 1. page 18. Washington was 67, not 69, when he died. 2. page 56. Mount Vernon claims its mansion has twenty-one rooms, not twenty.
Bottom-line with everything considered and as a fellow author, I highly recommend this book! Well done!
March 15, 2020
Ties That Bound, Founding First Ladies and Slaves
is a book by Marie Jenkins Schwartz published in 2017. She wrote it for people interested in learning about the slaves that worked in the households of three of the first four American Presidents.
I am giving Ties That Bound 5 of 5 stars because it gave me, for the first time in my life, a feel for what day-to-day life was like back then. It also helped to demythologize these founders in my mind, enabling me to see them more as real people with all too real flaws.
Slavery is a serious subject, and I was never very comfortable reading the book. My curiosity outweighed my discomfort, so I pressed on -- and I'm very glad I did!
The seriousness of the subject aside, I had to laugh at Martha and George Washington's disbelief when Martha's maid Oney Judge managed to escape. Because "the Washingtons' slaves in Philadelphia lived well in comparison to other bonded people," this was "shocking to them" [p. 106]. It's funny, but also a bit sad, to think America's first First Couple could be so clueless.
More enlightening is the author's revelations concerning Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Apparently these interracial relationships were common, but rarely acknowledged in public. By the time Jefferson became President, however, "aversion toward interracial sex had been growing" [p. 194], prompting the opposition press to pummel Jefferson for having this sort of relationship with his property.
At one point the vitriol got so bad that his daughter Patsy "confronted her father with" a very "offensive bit of doggerel penned by Irish poet Thomas Moore." Jefferson in turn "laughed and refused to discuss it," leaving her "humiliated by the gossip and unable to respond" [p. 199].
I have read several books about the founders, and this is the first one I can recall saying Jefferson found something humorous.
Dolley Madison's experience with slavery is even more interesting. When still a child, her parents gave up their slaves to become Quakers. Several years later, after losing her first husband and marrying James, she once again became a slave owner.
The story about her cousin Edward Coles, who "decided as a young man that slaveholding was immoral," [p. 306] is full of irony. He visited the Madisons frequently in an effort to get them to free their slaves, but "directed all of his powers of persuasion at James, not Dolley" [p. 348].
As it turned out, Dolley outlived James by more than a decade and, towards the end of her life, wound up selling some of her slaves piecemeal. In some instances this caused families to be separated, which was obviously -- to most people anyway -- very painful for them. Having been excluded from her cousin's pleas for empathy she remained "inclined to think of slaves in terms of what they did for her, rather than as sentient human beings" [p. 316].
I recommend Ties That Bound, Founding First Ladies and Slaves to anyone wanting to learn more about life in America in the mid 1700s to early 1800s. It may not necessarily be easy to read, but its revelations more than make up for any discomfort it may cause.
I am giving Ties That Bound 5 of 5 stars because it gave me, for the first time in my life, a feel for what day-to-day life was like back then. It also helped to demythologize these founders in my mind, enabling me to see them more as real people with all too real flaws.
Slavery is a serious subject, and I was never very comfortable reading the book. My curiosity outweighed my discomfort, so I pressed on -- and I'm very glad I did!
The seriousness of the subject aside, I had to laugh at Martha and George Washington's disbelief when Martha's maid Oney Judge managed to escape. Because "the Washingtons' slaves in Philadelphia lived well in comparison to other bonded people," this was "shocking to them" [p. 106]. It's funny, but also a bit sad, to think America's first First Couple could be so clueless.
More enlightening is the author's revelations concerning Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Apparently these interracial relationships were common, but rarely acknowledged in public. By the time Jefferson became President, however, "aversion toward interracial sex had been growing" [p. 194], prompting the opposition press to pummel Jefferson for having this sort of relationship with his property.
At one point the vitriol got so bad that his daughter Patsy "confronted her father with" a very "offensive bit of doggerel penned by Irish poet Thomas Moore." Jefferson in turn "laughed and refused to discuss it," leaving her "humiliated by the gossip and unable to respond" [p. 199].
I have read several books about the founders, and this is the first one I can recall saying Jefferson found something humorous.
Dolley Madison's experience with slavery is even more interesting. When still a child, her parents gave up their slaves to become Quakers. Several years later, after losing her first husband and marrying James, she once again became a slave owner.
The story about her cousin Edward Coles, who "decided as a young man that slaveholding was immoral," [p. 306] is full of irony. He visited the Madisons frequently in an effort to get them to free their slaves, but "directed all of his powers of persuasion at James, not Dolley" [p. 348].
As it turned out, Dolley outlived James by more than a decade and, towards the end of her life, wound up selling some of her slaves piecemeal. In some instances this caused families to be separated, which was obviously -- to most people anyway -- very painful for them. Having been excluded from her cousin's pleas for empathy she remained "inclined to think of slaves in terms of what they did for her, rather than as sentient human beings" [p. 316].
I recommend Ties That Bound, Founding First Ladies and Slaves to anyone wanting to learn more about life in America in the mid 1700s to early 1800s. It may not necessarily be easy to read, but its revelations more than make up for any discomfort it may cause.
October 31, 2022
Very well researched record of the three first ladies who owned slaves and their relationships with them. Thanks to Schwartz, I have very little respect left for Thomas Jefferson and Dolley Madison has utterly lost her shine. The author fills in the missing written accounts by slaves with historical facts and writings from the first ladies. She asks us to reconsider how slaves are remembered (or not) at some of our national tourist sites without being overly preachy or pretending to know the exact answer. This account carefully describes the conditions under which Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson and daughter Patsy, and Dolley Madison entered marriage and how they handled the slaves in their households. She also describes Oney, Betty and Sally Hemmings, and Sukey along with other slaves whose labor helped to build our country. Each woman's choices and lack of choices is examined and the words "All men are created equal" sound thinner and less sincere as a consequence.
September 2, 2018
The Founding First Ladies are icons. We know little about their daily lives, accepting them as women who stood by the men who shaped the United States and little else. This book introduces us to the day to day lives of Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson, and Dolley Madison, their families, and their interactions with their enslaved servants, but we get to know the viewpoints and attitudes of their husbands as well.
I enjoyed this read not only because I love to read history but because Ms. Schwartz drew me from page to page easily. The women she writes about are historical icons but also human beings. They are not perfect but as flawed as the times in which they lived. We gain some insight into the attitudes and actions of their husbands as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
I enjoyed this read not only because I love to read history but because Ms. Schwartz drew me from page to page easily. The women she writes about are historical icons but also human beings. They are not perfect but as flawed as the times in which they lived. We gain some insight into the attitudes and actions of their husbands as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
February 8, 2020
Questions from the Epilogue: Do Americans know how to reconcile the paradox of living in a nation founded on principles of freedom and democracy yet accepting of subordination and enslavement for particular people? Would Americans rather not see the ideas of slavery and gender inequality as foundational to our nation?
The author points out that she believed that the first ladies as well as the slaves were under represented in the house tours of Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier. The inattention to both First Ladies and slaves inside the homes seems at once to oversimplify and misrepresent life there. Slavery cannot be understood as a thing apart from owners. Slavery supported the Washingtons, Jeffersons, and Madisons economically and defined their day-to-day experiences.
Do we simply feel more comfortable celebrating our founders as champions of freedom than as exploiters of slaves?
The author points out that she believed that the first ladies as well as the slaves were under represented in the house tours of Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier. The inattention to both First Ladies and slaves inside the homes seems at once to oversimplify and misrepresent life there. Slavery cannot be understood as a thing apart from owners. Slavery supported the Washingtons, Jeffersons, and Madisons economically and defined their day-to-day experiences.
Do we simply feel more comfortable celebrating our founders as champions of freedom than as exploiters of slaves?
August 6, 2017
An important historical expose on slaves living with the founding fathers and their wives. Although I felt the writing tedious at times )and repetitive with many names to remember, the author makes you reflect on the incongruity of a founding nation based on the premise of freedom and equality, yet their leaders have slaves and slave concubines. The author's final chapter discusses the need to educate more on the role of the slaves on tours of these presidential homes as these men and women (and children) were an integral part of life there and enabled the elite class called the "grandees" to live the lives they did.
September 19, 2025
This book was very insightful on the complex relationships between slaves and slaveholders. Particularly, it explored the relationships in slaveholding in the Founding families. It’s extremely important to acknowledge that some of the Founders were not simply influential political figures, but that they were prevalent slaveholders. The relationships between them and their slaves was something particularly interesting to read about, and the educational value of this book is worth the heavy read.
September 21, 2017
A fantastic book that offers insight into a part of history that is underrepresented and perhaps ignored. Schwartz does a great job of crafting a book that weaves many aspects seamlessly. Not only does she highlight First Ladies and their slaves but also the time period. Many times I was disappointment in hearing that these women are not so idyllic. I hoped for more discussion of their actual relationships or treatment but that may be due to lack of material. A must read for history fans.
June 14, 2020
3.5
Solid look overall at some more intimate history of the nation's founding, slavery's fundamental role in the lives of the first presidents, and the role of their wives (and, by implication, elite white women in general) in profoundly upholding slavery, though there are a number of distracting typos.
Solid look overall at some more intimate history of the nation's founding, slavery's fundamental role in the lives of the first presidents, and the role of their wives (and, by implication, elite white women in general) in profoundly upholding slavery, though there are a number of distracting typos.
July 15, 2020
Alright. So I have kind of mixed feelings about this book. One, I like that the author is a professor at URI. Two, I just felt weird...like her research wasn't bad but I felt like it passed up the opportunity to continually note that while the title says Founding First Ladies and Slaves, she had seriously limited records to work with. Would only recommend to people with any additional pairing.
June 27, 2017
Ms. Schwartz certainly did her homework on this book. I enjoyed the book and appreciated her thoroughness. My only criticism would be is that some stories or circumstances were repeated too many times.
December 1, 2017
A fantastic account of the intricate relationships between first ladies & the slaves who served them. I learned so much from this book, and it was excellent research for the novel that I hope to write soon.
May 3, 2020
Marie Jenkins Schwartz did incredible research for this book. I loved the way that she wove in primary sources with her depictions of the lives of the enslaved and the First Ladies. She also did a really nice job explaining the complexities of the era and the men and women who helped to shape it.
February 25, 2019
about the intricate ties, social and financial, between prominent colonial American ladies and the slaves owned by their families.
November 18, 2022
Great read
August 8, 2018
A thoughtful book that created more questions about these women and US history than it answered. And I think that is good. Tremendous insights into what it was like to be a woman in the 18th century. Perhaps the greatest disappointment is learning about Dolly Madison's inability to control spending and to free her slaves. Definitely a worthwhile read.
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June 14, 2017A first rate work of history. Highly recommend.
December 3, 2017
Good read. Certainly changed my understanding of Dolley Madison, about whom I knew the least.
I have visited Mount Vernon and Monticello; really wanted to ask about Sally Hemings when our tour arrived in Jefferson's bedroom, but thought it prudent to keep quiet. At the time of my visit, in the mid80s, the Hemings relationship was just getting wider dissemination.
At any rate, this book is a most worthwhile read.
I have visited Mount Vernon and Monticello; really wanted to ask about Sally Hemings when our tour arrived in Jefferson's bedroom, but thought it prudent to keep quiet. At the time of my visit, in the mid80s, the Hemings relationship was just getting wider dissemination.
At any rate, this book is a most worthwhile read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews