Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy

by Gayle Jessup White

A Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings’ family explores America’s racial reckoning through the prism of her ancestors—both the enslaver and the enslaved.

Gayle Jessup White had long heard the stories passed down from her father’s family, that they were direct descendants of Thomas Jefferson—lore she firmly believed, though others did not. For four decades the acclaimed journalist and genealogy enthusiast researched her connection to Thomas Jefferson, to confirm its truth once and for all.  After she was named a Jefferson Studies Fellow, Jessup White discovered her family lore was correct. Poring through photos and documents and pursuing DNA evidence, she learned that not only was she a descendant of Jefferson on his father’s side; she was also the great-great-great-granddaughter of Peter Hemings, Sally Hemings’s brother. In Reclamation she chronicles her remarkable journey to definitively understand her heritage and reclaim it, and offers a compelling portrait of what it means to be a black woman in America, to pursue the American dream, to reconcile the legacy of racism, and to ensure the nation lives up to the ideals advocated by her legendary ancestor.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Race, Biography, Biography Memoir, Family

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked more direct discussion about the conflict White obviously feels about Thomas Jefferson. On the one hand, she seems to be attached to the idea of being related to him. She works at Monticello. She wants the perks, like the ability to be considered part of FFV (First Families of Virginia), and be buried in the Monticello cemetery. She still seems kind of dazzled by Jefferson as American royalty. On the other hand, she talks about how seemingly genuine relationships between Jefferson and his enslaved servants didn't stop him from selling their kinfolk and how his sexual relationship with Sally Hemings seems to have begun when she was 14 and how she was probably a half-sister of his late wife. But she doesn't address these contradictions directly, which seem to me to lie at the heart of the matter of being his Black descendant. She speculates that Sally Hemings "exercised her limited agency to improve the lot of her descendants" but she doesn't really talk about how she feels about Sally Hemings either. Disappointing. I still think it could be an interesting conversation, though.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gayle Jessup White has written a uniquely American memoir. In an effort to chase down family lore that her father’s family was related to Thomas Jefferson she became obsessed with finding her roots and tracking down the family that her father had never known. If you love history, more specifically Presidential black history, this book will join others like A Slave in the White House, the Hemings of Monticello and The Other Madisons as a must read. I highly recommend.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly readable and well-written, Gayle Jessup White's memoir of both her own life and the search for her family's roots is a brilliant page-turner from start to finish. I was riveted from the beginning, and found it hard to put down, often stealing time to read a few paragraphs or pages whenever I could.

I was fascinated by how White's journey to discover her family's lost history became more than just proving that the family's lore about their connection to Thomas Jefferson was true, focusing more on the rest of the family line and how the various pieces fit together, as well as the people themselves. The letter involving the description of Sally Robinson's terrible beatings at the hands of Martha Jefferson Randolph was one I was actually familiar with before reading this book, thanks to a women's history podcast that I listen to. The first time I heard about the contents of this letter, I was both sickened and horrified, and learning more details about it here added to those feelings even more. However, I also enjoyed learning more about Sally, and her efforts to rise above the fate her enslavers tried to consign her to over the course of her life, and the legacy she left for her descendants.

Again, this was such a brilliant book, a memoir that well and truly highlights both the good and the terrible of the American story. Definitely worth your time.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Wow! I think "emotional" is an overused word to describe books, but it is an apt description for Reclamation. I had chills reading about the author's first meeting with Ruth and then their subsequent trip to the family cemetery.

The author does a great job of explaining that she feels a kinship with Monticello more because it is where her enslaved ancestors lived and worked - and less so because it is the iconic home of Jefferson (also her ancestor, but a racist man who owned human beings). I am glad I was reading this book while visiting Monticello, as it added a lot of color to my trip there!

[Cathy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always a little in awe of people who don't set out in life to be authors but yet end up publishing a beautifully-written book that makes an important contribution. Gayle Jessup White has my highest respect for this achievement. Bravo!

This book starts out as a deeply felt memoir of one woman's personal journey to learn the truth of her family's history. Hers is an extraordinary genealogy, and how she puts it together is riveting. I was completely drawn in as she describes her parents and siblings, her early memories of them, and their individual responses to what she was uncovering. Her best gift to us, however, is not just in the thoughtful chronicling of one family story and her journey to discover it. No, her gift is in the effort she put in to place her family story into historic context. Her research sheds light on a part of America's story that sometimes generates more heat than light.

White is descended from Thomas Jefferson and from people who were enslaved by Thomas Jefferson. The truth of that is proven and highly revelatory of the miasma from which America itself was born. Our Founders didn't drop from the Heavens, deities speaking Truth from on High. They were ordinary men, intelligent and well-educated, deeply flawed and self-interested, visionary as well as myopic. They were both-and, not either-or. In my view, we can't understand America itself if we don't understand the painful messiness.

The beauty of Reclamation is in being a family story from Jefferson's time to the present. White helps us understand how slavery has affected all of American society from the Founding to today. From 3X great grandfather Peter Hemings, down through the generations to White herself, racial inequities showed up in hundreds of big and little ways. These are the insidious social and economic injustices which perhaps ebb and flow across decades but certainly persist. White's generous telling of her family story helps us see how far we have to go as a country before we reach the promise of "all men are created equal."

We have a lot of work to do. I challenge anyone who disagrees with me on that to read this book.

[Gary Anderson]

In Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant’s Search for Her Family’s Lasting Legacy, Gayle Jessup White tells the story of her life from a Black middle-class upbringing to a successful career in journalism and public history. Intertwined with interesting, poignant childhood memories of her immediate family, Gayle is also aware that hazy Jessup family lore says that she is a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, arguably our most problematic founding father. Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was also the owner of more than six hundred slaves, including many who he treated harshly, and one who was the mother of some of his children.

Jessup White’s father is not keen on talking about his childhood family memories. He doesn’t remember the people all that well because most of them died young, which is a source of pain for him. But Gayle delves into every clue that comes her way from old photos, fragments of memory, historical research, and DNA evidence. When historians prove that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings, Jessup White assumes that she is descended from one of those children, although the family names and circumstances don’t align with what she knows about her own family. Hmmm.

Although Reclamation is fascinating, it is sometimes confusing because Jessup White works her way backwards through time as she discovers new family connections. I wish Reclamation included a straightforward short chapter or maybe even a long paragraph told in “begat” fashion to take readers step-by-step from Thomas Jefferson to Gayle Jessup White.

Readers of Reclamation will be reminded of Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed, one of the best books of 2021. While Smith’s book focuses on how the history of slavery is presented at several historic sites, Reclamation relates not just how the Monticello story is told but how it was uncovered given the challenges of Black genealogical research, and especially when it involves a revered American president.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to be approved to read Reclamation. Stories like this are like me eating a bag of chips, I simply cannot stop nor get enough. White tells her family’s history while also researching the family lore they were descendants of Thomas Jefferson. It’s a mesmerizing read as the author plumbed different relatives and resources to ascertain the truth. I loved all the sleuthing, connections, and finds. The author discovered answers but also a new career. It’s a great addition to the cultural history of America as well as a great family history mystery story. Thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for the advance read.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, well written memoir by journalist and Washington DC native Jessup White, who tirelessly uncovers the truth about her family’s connections to Thomas Jefferson and his family with Sally Hemings. This book is not only the story of how she determined she is a direct Jefferson descendant, related to two families enslaved at his Monticello estate, but also a memoir of growing up as a Baby Boomer black child in the 1960’s and 1970’s as America wrestled with its racial issues in the workplace, media, academia, and urban and rural settings. 3.5 - 4 stars

[Linda Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Reclamation by Gayle Jessup White from NetGalley. I was looking forward to this story of one woman’s search which spanned over forty years, for her family history and legacy going back to Thomas Jefferson, architect of our Declaration of Independence and Sally Hemings, a slave.

I knew that Thomas Jefferson had slaves at the time of writing the Declaration of Independence with the ringing phrase, “all men were created equal… all white MEN, that is. I also knew that slave owners fathered children by slaves and these children would begin life as a slave. What interested me was the methodical approach, tedious process, and tenacity this author had to find her roots. It literally took years of research chasing down ambiguous clues.

I do think there is way too much filler in the first half of the book. It read more like an autobiography and was more of a distraction than helpful for me. There were a few points that were well made, however, I feel these could been brought into the story of her journey in a shorter and more subtle way. I almost DNF (did not finish) the book at that point. I’m glad I didn’t as that would have been a mistake. Her personal journey shines brightly and proudly. I cannot fathom this woman’s search for self growth and her own identity. Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amistad and to author, Gayle Jessup White for allowing me to read this poignant book. My review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads Barnes&Noble, BookBub and posted on Instagram.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story of one woman’s search for the truth of her heritage, spurred on by a relative’s casual remark that they were related to Jefferson. I was interested in both the process of finding relatives and tracing family ties, and the way that research is hampered by the grim reality of slavery. Particularly moving were the sections in which Jessup White learned about how relatives of hers, enslaved by other relatives, were abused or sold, their families broken apart, even when one might have been a favorite of Jefferson (or, indeed, related to him). This is the story of America in microcosm, as the author navigates black and white spaces, mixed ancestry, and our still roiled present-day relationship with race. People like Jessup White are instrumental in telling the fuller version of our history that has been omitted from the textbooks, in which slaves were sold to pay off Jefferson’s debts, where Hemings bargained for her children’s freedom, where a hill of unmarked graves represented the lives lost to unpaid toil by enslaved laborers.

Full disclosure: I know the author.

[Judie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Gayle Jessup White heard that her father’s family was descended from Thomas Jefferson, she dreamt she had to tell their stories. It was not an easy task. There were few written records and the white descendants did not want to acknowledge them.
Born in 1957, Gayle Jessup grew up in an upper, middle-class Black suburb of Washington DC. Her father, who hoped to become a doctor, had to drop out of college when his wife became pregnant to help support their family. Her mother, who expected to be married to a doctor, never forgave him and continued try to live the life she had dreamed about.
In RECLAMATION, Gayle discusses the changes in DC during the 60s and 70s as Blacks were driven from their neighborhoods.
Gayle was, by ten years, the youngest of five children. She had a very comfortable childhood, going to private Catholic schools and a summer camp, and getting a Mustang when she was in high school, It wasn’t until she was thirteen years old that she encountered racism. On vacation at a hotel in Las Vegas, a new friend’s mother would not allow the two girls to swim together because Gayle was Black.
Gayle didn’t know much about her family history. Her father’s mother and his sisters all died from tuberculosis when he was five years old. His father did not provide much care or information to his two remaining sons. But Gayle had heard that they were direct descendants of Thomas Jefferson.
Gayle was very active in her community and worked at the New York Times and as a television news anchor, among other positions, both paid and volunteer. Some of them were the result of the connections her parents had with influential people.
But for more than forty years, the story about her ancestors continued to draw her. She dreamt that she had an obligation to tell the stories of her ancestors
She became an International Center for Jefferson Studies Fellow.
The first time she went to Monticello, she saw the lack of Black employees and mention of the Black slaves who worked the plantation. While there was a large cemetery for Thomas Jefferson’s white family and descendants but nothing for the Black slaves. (Eventually she found their unmarked graves.)
Her interest in genealogy and then the availability of DNA testing enabled her to learn about some of her ancestors as well as living, but unknown, relatives. In 2016, she was able to get a job at Monticello at a time when the Black slaves who served there during Jefferson’s time and were being recognized.
In the process, Gayle was able to connect with many of her current relatives and tell the stories of the Black slaves at Monticello, including the children and relatives of Sally Hemings, the mother of several of Jefferson’s children.
RECLAMATION is an interesting read about the author and the times and places she lived as well as the effort to expose the history of the Black Americans who lived on Monticello as well as others who helped build the Capitol and houses of Congress.
There is some repetition.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessup's book is a bit more autobiographical than I expected. Part 1 gave many more details about her life than felt necessary given the overall focus of the book. 


Part 1 aside, I truly enjoyed Part 2 & 3 that focused more on her genealogical discoveries and personal growth as an employee at Monticello. The revelations that Jessup is able to uncover from her and Cinder's research is nothing short of amazing. The continued findings with the DNA analysis helped put more pieces of the puzzle together and paint the picture of her ancestors. It was interesting that she was able to also find what duties her ancestors held while being enslaved. I also thought it was amazing she is desended from Jefferson and Hemmings but not from their union. It was something to wrap your head around.


Overall, I enjoyed hearing Jessup's voice and point of view. However, she tends to be repetitive and also some facts appear to change slightly when she repeats thing (for example she repeats Jefferson owed 600 people over the course of his life, but in a speech claims it was 400… still insane)


Things I would have appreciated:

-Recommended Reading

-Full family trees including all the relationships mentioned. Some people were left out and it was occasionally difficult to figure out where they belong. The family trees were constructed in reverse of typical trees which made it hard to figure out at first.

-More detail about Monticello and a typical day for enslaved people

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly drawn into Ms. White's personal story and those of their ancestors. She is down-to-earth and honest with her emotions, both negative and positive. She wasn't afraid to reveal the pain of her parents' marriage and of her own failed first marriage. I admired her perseverance to find her ancestors at Monticello. I was especially fascinated how Ms. White connected with her distant cousin, Andrew Davenport, and how he lived as a white man because his previous ancestors had passed as white. His black roots were quite a revelation to this historian. I live in Northern Virginia and have visited Monticello many times for day visits, over the past 20 years. In the earlier days, nothing was mentioned about the large role slaves played in the building and running of the plantation. It was all about Jefferson and his family. However, the last time I visited in 2018, I was surprised and gratified to see that the historians and docents opened up and acknowledged Sally Hemings and the roles of other slaves at Monticello. I saw the room which was supposed to be Sally's and also the exhibit, which didn't try to depict how she looked, but the clothes she wore and her tasks around Monticello. I think it was left to our imaginations to conjure up how she would have looked.

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A combination memoir, genealogy, and history by Gayle Jessup White reads fast as fiction unless you take time to absorb the impact slavery and family secrets have on American families, black or white. Those of us who are not black can never fully experience the impact of systemic racism. Even economically comfortable families of color eventually have to have “the talk” with their children at a tender age to successfully navigate school, the workplace, and society at large. The irony, of course, is that many people who identify as black have a greater percentage of European ancestry than African, at least in part because of white owners using female slaves for sex. Ms. White researched her own biological connections to Thomas Jefferson through one of his white grandsons and discovered a relationship to Sally Hemings through her brother Peter, who had been enslaved by the Jefferson/Randolph families, all as a result of an older relative saying “you are related to Thomas Jefferson, but I am not”. In addition to a study in race and ancestry detective work including DNA sampling, this highly readable memoir is a fascinating look at the effect one comment can have on a person’s life work.

[Sarah Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is White's account of how she comes to her "second career" working at Monticello as an expert on Jefferson's legacy both as "father of the country" and as slave-holder. She is African-American, and traces her descent from him first through oral history and then, with the help of a historian, through records of her ancestors in census reports and death certificates and so forth, and through the family's habit of passing Christian names down the generations. Most recently she is helped by DNA analysis.
The book gets off to a very slow start. Once she is employed by Monticello she shares some of her frustration at the racism of her colleagues, and the resistance of the Monticello foundation (which is international, and extremely wealthy) to perceiving Jefferson as a slaveholder, and partially a bad guy. She does however persist, and become entrenched.
On a personal note, I was glad to discover that Jefferson actually did free James Hemmings, Sally Hemmings' older brother, when he had taught his brother Peter the fine French cooking Jefferson took him to France to learn. Both James and Sally could have gone free in France, so this was James' negotiating point. Sally's point was freedom for her children, which they did, indeed, obtain. Other slaves were treated a lot worse.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, which amplifies what the casual reader may already know about the relationships between enslavers and enslaved in the Jefferson family. As a young girl Gayle Jessup heard that her father was descended from Thomas Jefferson, but no one was sure specifically how. Intertwined with her interest in Monticello she developed an obsession with solving the mystery and it turned out that her great grandmother was descended from not only Jefferson but from a brother of Sally Hemings.
The research angle of course fascinated me, but the story of White's family, her marriages, and her childhood in DC also grew on me as I went along although at the outset I had not expected essentially an autobiography.
White now works at Monticello doing programming around the role of enslaved people in the life of the place. Sometimes I got tangled in the names of ancestors but there are genealogical charts to refer to in keeping them straight. An accessible story that has me wanting to reread Annette Gordon Reed's book about the Hemings.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family histories, when structured with passion for the research and eagerness for the truth, are so much fun to read. Reclamation is one of those books. Gayle Jessup White is not trying to make a statement or rewrite history, but tell the story of her own family and her path to prove the truth in a family rumor she overheard as a child.

The story of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings is one well-known in historical circles, but the struggle to prove African American ancestry beyond 3 generations remains one of the greatest challenges in genealogy. The author talks quite a bit about this issue in relation to her years of searching for her family line.

I can only imagine what it must be like to have delved so far into historical research that she now has the opportunity and honor to help others with the same research and in the same family. What a great read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read a memoir or a non-fiction book, so I pick this up to try it out. I enjoyed learning about her life and some of the work that is being done to uncover lost family histories of African Americans. I am happy that she was able to piece together much of her family history. I got a little bogged down in some of the details of her searches and who belongs to which family, but overall it was worth the read. It is nothing that most people don't know, but still very hard to hear about the sufferings of African Americans who were slaves. I am glad to have read it and would recommend to anyone who would like to learn more about the descendants of Thomas Jefferson, both the black and the white.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed White’s exploration of her childhood and her parents’ marriage, I don’t know if it was necessary for telling the story of her discovery of her ancestry. This book felt a little disjointed to me. In isolation, each of the pieces was interesting, but they didn’t quite flow. I think I was expecting the book to cover more of the public controversy surrounding Monticello’s portrayal of Thomas Jefferson his role in forcibly enslaving people. White did touch on that, but this was definitely more about her relationship to discovering and reckoning with how this affected her family lineage than the general conversation about it. An interesting story overall but not my favorite read by any means.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the duality of this book: it is both personal and historical. At first, I was a little confused by the amount of space White devotes to her youth, which seemed to bely the focus on her ancestry. As the search for her connection to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, though, the importance of all of the stories from her childhood and family become clearly relevant.

While the author's search for her own legacy and history is important, there are clear overarching themes of how history is told and remembered and the validity/importance of oral history. I think this book would interest those interested in history and lovers of autobiography or genealogy.

[Kristin Perrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tells an interesting story of her immediate family's history, her own life story, and the investigation into her distant family history. The book raises many important points of discussion about race, class, gatekeeping, and tradition. At times I struggled to follow as so many names were being introduced so quickly. I wanted to like this book more than I did. There were several places where it was just information how desperate the author was to be seen as having made it. She put down others and went out of her way to promote herself. But it is still a worthwhile and important story.

[Ellenh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, thought provoking read! White tells of her search for her family connections to President Jefferson. Any geneologist can appreciate the difficulty of search; her beginnings were from family stories that they were descended from Jefferson! Her search included the records roadblock of her black family being slaves of the family. One of those stories that could have been a dull plodding through records, but she tells this as a well documented story so well.
I know other geneologists who struggle with what to do with the knowledge of slavery in their white family history. This family story can serve as a voice of those affected and guide in our searches.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gayle White tells the story of how she traced her ancestry to discover finally that she is a descendent of Thomas Jefferson through a great grandson of his daughter, Martha, who had a relationship with a servant descended from Peter Hemings, the brother of Sally Hemings. Her persistence in pursuit of the truth is a fascinating story. Part of my enjoyment of the book may well stem from its focus on Monticello and Charlottesville, where I live, and my familiarity with the setting and events described. However, I found the story to be quite uplifting in any case. Kudos to Gayle White!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, the fact that I read this entire book in one day should speak volumes about how beautifully well done the book was. I was blown away by the author's attention to detail and her desperate search for her family history. As someone who enjoys doing genealogy I really loved reading about someone who was able to trace their ancestors, especially when that is so difficult for Black Americans.
I appreciate her view on her famous grandfather though my own feelings are not as generous as hers. I would be honored to meet this fine woman one day.

[Carolin Ringwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

SALLY

I really enjoyed this book, but as a genealogist, I expected more emphasis on the research. About 35 years ago a white haired docent told our group that the Sally Hemings stories were just that. 15 years ago during another visit our docent who was a history professor at UVA said the opposite. I have since read Annette Gordon Reed s books and heard her lecture and am a true believer. Sally's son Eston lived in Madison., WI at the same time as our ancestor 1860, listed as white in the census and went by Eston Heming Jefferson.

[Anna Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging story

The narrative of Ms Jessup White’s search to understand and confirm the family rumor of being descended from Thomas Jefferson is part memoir and part manual into how to research one’s family history. Beginning with the scant but intriguing claim of the relationship to the third US president, she is able to uncover more details that seem to support the rumor, eventually finding scientific confirmation through DNA testing that links to known descendants. A well-written story that will engage the reader and illuminate the paradox of Jefferson’s life and legacy.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching the History Channel's series on Jefferson, which featured the author of this book who is one of his descendants, I decided to study his second family a little more. This book was interesting--a little long for my taste of the author's life and experiences--and gave some basic information about Sally Hemings' life. I would have liked more about Hemings but that may come in another book I have about that side of Jefferson's family. And I would love to visit Monticello as it sounds very intriguing.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is half-memoir and half-"a descendant's search for her family's lasting legacy." Having just come from my own visit to Monticello, all the references to it were picturable and fresh in my mind, but it does take half the book to get there. Jessup White lived an interesting life as the youngest of the family (and the different experience she had of family than that of her much older siblings), but she surpassed them all in unearthing and expanding the knowledge and borders of family to encompass past and present, black and white, enslaved and free.

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently visited Monticello so was interested to read this story. I appreciated White's desire to learn her family history and to discuss her experiences with race in America. I appreciated the opportunity to hear her story and her feelings of an important founding father who held slaves. We cannot change the past, but we should learn it, recognize it, and talk about it so we can change what we do today.

[Ian Feavearyear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book and a great read

As a white British-born man with a great interest in American history, genealogy, and having recently visited Jefferson's Poplar Forest retreat, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only was it fascinating, it was well-written and easy to read. I couldn't put it down. I actually saw the book in the Poplar gift store and decided to get a copy for Kindle.