How Sally Was Living
“This discovery gives us a sense of how enslaved people were living. Some of Sally’s children may have been born in this room,” said Gardiner Hallock, the director of restoration for Jefferson’s home. “It’s important because it shows Sally as a human being — a mother, daughter, and sister — and brings out the relationships in her life.” It’s now believed that part of Sally’s decision to return to the U.S. was because Jefferson promised that her child would be free when they came of age. The proof? The Hemings were the only family that Jefferson freed among his slaves during his life (along with three other individuals).