relations with slaves

This title gives us fascinating portraits of cooks, overseers, valets, farm hands, and more--the slaves George Washington called "my people"--interwoven with an examination of the conscience of the Father of Our Country.

Describes Thomas Jefferson's partnership with his slave James Hemings in which the slave accompanied the new ambassador to France to train in the art of French cooking while Jefferson learned about French agriculture in order to bring the traditions back to the United States.

Explores how President James Polk sought to hide from public knowledge the fact that, while he was president, he was secretly buying as many slaves as his plantation revenues permitted.

Explores the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings from the perspective of descendants of Thomas Woodson, the first-born son of the Jefferson-Hemings liaison, traces the genealogy of the Woodson family, and discusses their efforts to be recognized as relatives of the third U.S. president.

Chronicles the life of Sally Hemings, discussing her life as a slave, her connections to Thomas Jefferson, and the late-twentieth-century debate over her children's lineage.

Discusses George Washington's beliefs about slavery, the lives of George Washington's slaves, his relations with them, and how his beliefs about slavery changed over his lifetime.