No one knows what the relationship was between Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson. However, the fact that Jefferson appears to have had only children with his first wife and long after she died with Hemmings, suggested that their relationship was monogamous.

In addition, Sally was legally freed when Jefferson took her to Paris, but she returned with Jefferson and voluntarily re-entered slavery by returning. Jefferson did agree to set their children free as each child reached the age of majority.

Had Jefferson freed Sally upon returning, she would likely not have been able to stay on Monticello since mixed race marriages among the upper class were not acceptable.

Furthermore, Jefferson outlived his wife by over 40 years and could easily have taken another wife, so his decision not to take one, suggests he and Sally were quite content with one another.

Sally was 75% white, so while she was a slave, she was more white than African. A great example of mixing up the institution of slavery with race. In fact, once freed, Jefferson's children with Sally were 87% white and three of them identified as white along with their descendants.

So, Jefferson ended up having 3 "white" children and 1 "black" child with the same woman. Fascinating, isn't it? One of Jefferson and Hemmings descendants fought as a white general in the American Civil War on the side of the Union.

All of this points to the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings was one both were content with.

While it is common these days to argue otherwise, there is no evidence he coerced her into sex. Those who point to her young age, fail to realize girls routinely married at age 14 at that time. One of my ancestors married when she was 14 and that part of my family came from Barbados.

Not sure why Jefferson's relationship with Hemmings bothers you, I find it powerful as it points to my theory that over time mutual attraction does lead to biological integration... sadly to many people are focused at demanding mixed race people to declare themselves as one race or the other, rather than accepting them as individuals.