Martin Hemings facts for kids

Martin Hemings was an American man who was enslaved, meaning he was forced to work without pay and was not free. He worked for Thomas Jefferson, who later became a President of the United States. Martin was a butler at Jefferson's home, Monticello.

Martin Hemings' Early Life

Martin Hemings was the oldest son of Elizabeth "Betty" Hemings. We do not know who his father was. Martin was the half-brother of Sally Hemings and James Hemings. This means they shared the same mother but had different fathers.

Martin was born in 1755 on a large farm called "The Forest." This farm belonged to a man named John Wayles.

When John Wayles' daughter, Martha Wayles Skelton, married Thomas Jefferson, Martin Hemings and many members of his family moved with Martha to Jefferson's home, Monticello. Martin was about 17 or 18 years old at this time.

Life as a Butler

Martin later became the butler at Monticello. A butler is a main servant in a large house, in charge of other servants and managing the household. He lived and worked at Monticello for many years. When Thomas Jefferson became the governor of Virginia, Martin Hemings traveled with him to the governor's homes in Richmond, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia.

Martin's jobs at Monticello included handling money and buying things for the house. He was also once sent to find an enslaved person who had run away.

Martin's Personality and Bravery

Thomas Jefferson wrote in his letters that Martin Hemings had a strong temper. Jefferson's granddaughters also said that Martin could be moody and would get angry if anyone other than Jefferson gave him orders.

Protecting Monticello's Treasures

During the American Revolutionary War, British soldiers attacked Monticello. Martin Hemings bravely hid valuable silver dishes and forks under the floorboards to keep them safe. Another enslaved man, Caesar, hid with the silver and could not leave for three days.

The British soldiers beat Martin, but he refused to tell them where the silver was hidden. Jefferson's granddaughters told a story about a British officer pointing a gun at Martin and demanding to know where Jefferson had gone. Martin bravely replied, "Fire away, then."

Some people who wrote about this event said it showed Martin was loyal to Jefferson and his country. However, historian Annette Gordon-Reed suggests that Martin might have simply disliked being told what to do, especially by someone trying to hurt his home.

Later Life and Freedom

Thomas Jefferson was often away from Monticello, especially after his wife died. He lived in Paris for several years while he was the United States Ambassador to France. When Jefferson was away, the enslaved people in the Hemings family were sometimes allowed to move around more freely. The Hemings men, like Martin, could find other jobs and keep the money they earned, almost like free men.

When Jefferson came back from Paris, he wanted Martin Hemings to stay at Monticello as his butler. But Martin had gotten used to living more independently. He tried to leave Monticello many times. Sometimes he would be gone for months, working another job somewhere else. He was always caught and brought back.

A Difficult Decision

In 1792, Jefferson wrote about a disagreement he had with Martin. He did not say what the fight was about. Jefferson told one of his managers at Monticello that he and Martin had agreed that Martin would be sold to someone else. Martin was about 36 or 37 years old at the time.

Jefferson told his manager that Martin could choose his new owner. He also said he did not care how much money he got for Martin, as long as Martin was gone. Jefferson also made it clear that he did not want to free Martin, even though he later freed Martin's half-brothers, Robert and James.

Jefferson's letters do not mention if Martin was ever sold. However, they do show that Martin was still at Monticello in 1795. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed thinks that Martin might have died naturally before Jefferson and Martin could find a buyer.

See also

• Sally Hemings
• Monticello