Thomas Jefferson: (Henpecked) Jewish President

That Thomas Jefferson had an African-American lover is by now common knowledge. Few, however, realize he had a Jewish grandmother, a fact too often neglected by chauvinistic historians. This situation is likely to change, given a recently found trove of notes Ethel Finebaum Jefferson left for her grandson over the course of their lives, usually on scraps of parchment tacked up around Monticello, where she lived in a small garret apartment which she found to be entirely too drafty. A few of those notes are reproduced below, courtesy the Library of Congress.

"I don't care if you designed it. No ball-playing in the house." "If you get powder from your wig on the sofa clean it up. I'm not your slave." "Don't you think you'd be more comfortable in a sweater?" "You can work on your 'Declaration' just as soon as you've finished your kreplach — and not one second earlier." "You may be the president, but you're still not the King of England." "Martha hates me. And you could fire her matzoh balls at the British, they're so heavy. " "I've told you a thousand times that Tuesday is mahjong night in the North Octagonal Room." "You spent WHAT on Louisiana? They don't even have a Loehmann's."

|

Share This Story

Comments

Design Observer encourages comments to be short and to the point; as a general rule, they should not run longer than the original post. Comments should show a courteous regard for the presence of other voices in the discussion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not adhere to this standard.
Read Complete Comments Policy >>

|

Share This Story

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Lamster is a writer on the arts and culture. He is Associate American Editor of The Architectural Review, and is currently at work on his third book, a biography of the late architect Philip Johnson. Follow: @marklamster.
More Bio >>