Historical Figure
Elizabeth Hemings
1735 – 1807
Elizabeth Hemings was an enslaved woman and the mother of the notable Hemings family, intimately connected to the history of Thomas Jefferson, with whom she had a relationship. She played a pivotal role in shaping the economic and social dynamics of the plantation system in early America and was a key figure in the lineage of a family that would impact the narrative of African American history.
Related Places & Museums
Highland
Charlottesville, VA
James Monroe's plantation estate adjacent to Monticello. The site has been actively researching its enslaved community and working with descendants to...
Monticello
Charlottesville, VA
Thomas Jefferson's plantation estate where over 600 people were enslaved across five decades. The Getting Word oral history project, launched in 1993,...



