Date: November 10th, 2025 10:45 PM Author: glittery ultramarine temple
He “inherited” her when his father in law died. She looked a lot like his beloved wife too. On her deathbed his beloved wife begged him not to remarry out of fear for the wellbeing of their children together. He agreed he would not.
Sally was the closest connection he had to his dead wife.
He could not free her because his father in law died with a lot of debt which he chose to honor. Dissolution of assets of the estate given his assumption of his father in laws debt would signal insincerity to family creditors.
Date: November 10th, 2025 9:18 PM Author: Appetizing claret rehab
wikipedia suggests she could've stayed in Paris free, but she decided to return to Virginia with TJ. She was like 14-16 at the time and he was 44-46:
According to her son Madison's memoir, Hemings became pregnant by Jefferson in Paris. She was about 16 at the time. Under French law, Sally and James were free and could have petitioned to stay; a return to Virginia meant a return to slavery.[38] She agreed to return with him to the United States in exchange for his promise to free her children when they came of age (at 21).