CONVERSATIONS ON JEFFERSON AND JEFFERSONIAN POLITICS
Sally Hemings Subject of Gender Bias?
From the H-SHEAR, subject: "Hemings-Jefferson: a new approach":Thomas A. Chambers:
I hesitate to contribute to what is already a weary subject, but as Eyler Coates, Sr. speaks of "unconscious bias" toward race in his post, I feel the need point out a bias toward gender in his writing. Below is a list of direct references to the protagonists in Coates's post (yes, I counted):Sally Hemings/Hemings's: 7
Sally/Sally's: 24
Thomas Jefferson/Jefferson's: 8
"the President": 1
Thomas/Thomas's: 0The pattern is one that privileges one historical actor over another based upon gender. While I hope that Coates's usage was inadvertent, style and accepted practice indicate that all historical figures be referred to consistently, preferably by full or last name. To refer to Sally Hemings by her first name without also doing so when mentioning Thomas Jefferson strikes me as both inconsistent and possibly derogatory. While there are instances where using first names is appropriate, as when discussing multiple members of the Hemings family in the same sentence or paragraph, Coates appears to use "Sally" more universally and in cases where the meaning of "Hemings" would be clear. I impugn no motives, only point out the need to treat all of our subjects equally.
Originally posted on H-SHEAR, May 30, 2001.
Eyler Coates
Mr. Chambers misunderstands the reason I often referred to Sally Hemings as "Sally" and yet not once did I identify President Thomas Jefferson as "Tom" or "Thomas." It had nothing to do with gender bias at all. Had we been discussing Abigail Adams or Dolly Madison, I most likely would not have referred to either simply by their first name. Nor was my use of "Sally" intended as a slur because Sally had some African-American blood and/or she was a slave. I referred to "Sally" because I assumed that all of my readers would know to whom I was referring. To write "Sally Hemings" or "Thomas Jefferson's slave Sally Hemings" more than 30 times in a posting would serve primarily to waste the time of my readers.
I tend not to use "Jefferson" in discussing the issue of the paternity of Sally Hemings' children because it is clear to me that there were no less than half-a-dozen men named "Jefferson" who are serious suspects for the paternity of Eston Hemings. Thus, the name "Jefferson" would be ambiguous and might confuse some readers. "Which Jefferson?" I do, however, often (after having once given his full name) refer to Thomas Jefferson's younger brother, Randolph, as "Randolph" in discussing this issue--even though, I guess, there is some risk that a reader might confuse "Uncle Randolph" Jefferson with a member of the Thomas Mann Randolph or Thomas Jefferson Randolph families, though that does not seem likely.
I do not generally refer to President Thomas Jefferson as "Tom" or "Thomas," nor do many people of my acquaintance. I might explain this in the current context by noting there were other men named "Thomas" who were "players" in the Sally Hemings saga--such as Thomas Gibbons. But my own explanation is more fundamental.
I believe that all citizens should be equal before the law in their rights and responsibilities. But, beyond that, I don't believe that all people are "equal." I've known many men whose only claim of equality to anything above a snake was their inalienable human rights. I share Thomas Jefferson's sense that there is a "natural aristocracy" among men, based not upon wealth or privilege but upon virtue and talent. And by that standard, I believe that Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, Abigail Adams, and Dolley Madison have earned a special respect. I don't object to Mr. Chambers if he wishes to refer to everyone as "Citizen Hemings" and "Citizen Jefferson"--or just "Jefferson" and "Hemings"--but my own preference is to the contrary.
I've noted that the subject of this thread is Hemings-Jefferson: a new approach, which may be arbitrary, but appears to be an effort to put Hemings before Jefferson in a kind of retaliative effort to "get" Jefferson, or to "put him in his place." Whether it is or not, of course, is difficult to tell, because we rarely can accurately identify peoples' motives. But it certainly appears to be the fashion nowadays to denigrate all those regarded with honor by previous generations, and uplift those previously thought less of.
If Mr. Chambers had accused me of violating the current trends of political correctness by suggesting that Thomas Jefferson may have contributed more to the world than did Sally Hemings, I will happily confess my "guilt." But to extrapolate from this narrow sampling of two that I have some dislike or lack of respect for "women" or any other group of individuals is unwarranted. More importantly, it is wrong. I routinely refer to James Thomson Callender in my writings as "Callender"--because I think he was a low-life slug of a man, devoid of any sense of honor. In contrast, I refer to "Randolph" Jefferson and "Sally" Hemings by their first names not because I have any negative feelings about either of them, but because I assume my readers will understand to whom I am referring in each case. I refer to Thomas Jefferson often as "President Jefferson, " "the President," or "Mr. Jefferson," both because I think he earned a special respect and because those were terms commonly used at the time (and by historians since) to identify him. I will also often use "President" before George Washington, James Madison, John Adams, and many other American chief executives (including President Clinton). But if I am discussing an interaction involving several such individuals, I may well adopt the shorthand of "Jefferson," "Washington," and "Hamilton," confident that my readers will understand to whom I am referring.
July 23, 2001
Jeanette S. Brickner
Personally, I would not call a former President of the United States by his first name alone -- save for perhaps 'Ike' Eisenhower -- simply out of respect. It's been my observation in recent years that, when the first name of a President or former President is used in a document, it is generally considered derogatory. I think that, out of a simple matter of respect to a man who did a number of great things for his country, it is improper and disrespectful to refer to President Thomas Jefferson as 'Tom' or even 'Thomas'.
With that said, it is probably for convienience that Sally Hemmings has been refered to so often as 'Sally.' To refer to her as 'Hemmings,' although more proper, can be very confusing because of the various Hemmingses involved in the case. While the same would hold true for 'Jefferson,' President Jefferson is the most prominent amongst them and is the obvious subject.
Perhaps we ought all to be somewhat more clear in the future, referring to the parties as 'Sally Hemmings' and 'Thomas Jefferson.' Of course, freudian slips have been known to occur. While I cannot speak for anyone but myself, I certainly have no intention of being derogatory should I use the name 'Sally.'
November 19, 2001