Was Thomas Jefferson Actually Married?
Yes, Thomas Jefferson was married. He wed Martha Wayles Skelton on January 1, 1772, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Their marriage lasted a decade until Martha’s death in 1782 at age 33, shortly after giving birth to their second daughter. Jefferson never remarried, but his personal life remains a subject of historical debate due to his decades-long relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello.

The Marriage of Martha Wayles Skelton and Thomas Jefferson

Martha Jefferson was the daughter of John Wayles, a prominent planter and lawyer, and his first wife. Known for her musical talent and lively intellect, she inherited significant wealth and enslaved people after her father’s death in 1773, strengthening Jefferson’s financial and social standing. The couple had six children, though only two daughters, Martha and Mary (later called Maria), survived infancy. Jefferson’s grief after Martha’s passing was profound; he reportedly avoided social life for years, carrying a violin—her favorite instrument—into seclusion.

The Sally Hemings Controversy

Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings, who was 25 years his junior and enslaved at Monticello, began in the early 1790s. Hemings, who was Martha’s half-sister through their father John Wayles, bore four of Jefferson’s children between 1795 and 1808. Historians widely agree that the relationship was non-consensual, given the power imbalance of enslavement. DNA evidence from a 1998 study supports Jefferson’s paternity of at least one of Hemings’ sons, though debates about the nature and frequency of their relationship persist.

Jefferson never publicly acknowledged his children with Hemings, and their existence was long suppressed. Today, Monticello’s exhibits and scholarship reflect this complex history, highlighting both Jefferson’s Enlightenment ideals and the realities of his participation in slavery.

Chat with Thomas Jefferson on HoloDream
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