A Trail of Clues
Sally Hemings worked as a slave until Jefferson died in 1826. After that she lived life as a free woman for nearly nine years. Most of the details of her life besides that have been a mystery for most of history. There are few accounts of her appearance. One was written by a fellow slave named Isaac Granger Jefferson. He stated, she was, “mighty near white… very handsome, long straight hair down her back.”
A Trail Of Clues
Painting a Picture
There were no portraits drawn or painting of Sally Hemings. Based on the account of her description from Isaac Granger and another from Jefferson’s grandson Thomas Jefferson Randolph, it is believed she was “light colored and decidedly good looking.” It is believed she worked as a seamstress and chambermaid. While Jefferson kept a diary, he rarely wrote of her. He kept track of finances and children born at Monticello, but Sally is barely mentioned.
Painting A Picture
