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Primary sourceNewspaper articleSeptember 1, 1802

"The President Again" in the Richmond Recorder

James T. Callender · September 1, 1802

A 1802 newspaper article by James T. Callender that first publicly accused President Jefferson of a relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello.

This article made public the allegation that Jefferson had fathered children with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman he owned.

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Scan of a newspaper column headed 'THE PRESIDENT AGAIN' in old-style printed type, with a paragraph beginning 'IT is well known that the man, whom it delighteth the people to honor, keeps, and for many years past has kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves.' The text names Sally and describes her features and sons.
First paragraph of James T. Callender's newspaper editorial, titled "The President Again," which first exposed the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, one of Jefferson's teenaged slaves.

About this source

What it is

This is a newspaper article published in the Richmond Recorder on September 1, 1802, written by journalist James T. Callender, who ran the paper with Henry Pace. It is held in newspaper collections such as the Library of Congress.

Why it matters

Callender's article publicly alleged that President Jefferson had a long-term relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello, and that they had children together. It is a key example of the harshly partisan press of Jefferson's presidency, and it brought into public view a relationship that connects Jefferson to Hemings and her family.

Look closer

  • Why might Callender, a political enemy of Jefferson, have chosen to publish this claim?
  • What does the language used about Sally Hemings in the article reveal about how enslaved people were spoken of at the time?
  • How might a historian today check whether a partisan newspaper's claim is accurate?

This newspaper article is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Jefferson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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