SALLY HEMINGS: AN AMERICAN SCANDAL {PART 2 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
The second installment in this two-part historical miniseries about the decades-long clandestine relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. In this portion, Jefferson's family members strongly urge him to deny gossip journalist Callender's exposé and sell Sally, though he refuses. When Jefferson departs for Washington D.C., Patsy furiously burns Sally's letters from him and bans her from the house, determined to uphold his father's "righteous and honorable" reputation. In D.C., Jefferson is shocked when Sally arrives to serve in the White House, and Dolley Madison privately urges her to "adapt" to the situation as best she can. Jefferson is startled to learn of his daughter's cruel actions and vows not to sell her, and he and Sally have a romantic night together before she departs for Virginia. Along the way, she runs into Callender and coldly refuses his offer of an interview, ignoring his salacious comments about Jefferson. At home, Sally gives Patsy a pointedly-worded note from her father and moves back into the house, and a drunken and furious James confronts Callender and his cronies for their slander against his sister. They laugh off his attempts to "smite" them, however, and James takes his own life in despair.
Sally speaks at her brother's funeral, saying that he longed only for basic respect, and she later meets with a mysterious occultist, seeking a way to curse her enemies. Overseer Gabriel Lilly is fired for striking Sally, and he seeks revenge by entrapping her with the help of a "runaway" slave and whipping her soundly. Elsewhere, Jefferson's nephews complain about Sally's "dangerous" presence, but Carr hurriedly rushes to Sally's aid. Jefferson, unaware of the incident, writes happily to Sally about the successful Louisiana Purchase, assuring her that their "foes" will plague them no longer. Sally's "curse" appears to work when Callender is found drowned, and Jefferson returns to Virginia in the autumn. One of his nephews corners Sally and attempts to assault her, but Jefferson intervenes and throws the young man from his home. He questions Sally about the incident, but she angrily quotes his own infamously racist comments from "Notes on the State of Virginia" back at him and shows him the scars from Lilly's attack, and he begs her forgiveness and restates his love for her, stating that he was wrong in his former views of blacks.
Over the years, Betty and Polly both pass away and Sally has several more of Jefferson's children as he officially retires from politics, though drought and other woes then push him into debt. Despite his money troubles, Jefferson gathers his extended family to celebrate the completion of the Monticello dome and announce his intention to construct the University of Virginia next. Batiste and Bacon arrive to discuss the financial issues and Randolph grows angry at Jefferson's lack of concern, though Jefferson assures them that God – or possibly Pierre DuPont – will provide. DuPont arrives with his son and nephew in tow and happily greets Jefferson and Sally, whom he has not seen in decades, and Sally's adult daughter Harriet reacts with embarrassment at having to serve their elegant guests rather than join them at the table. William Alexander takes an interest in her and Harriet quickly tells him that she is a Randolph, though Sally cautions her against denying her true self, aware that Jefferson will never openly acknowledge her as his daughter. Jefferson then learns that DuPont actually seeks an investment from him as well for gunpowder, and the old friends are amused to realize that they are "beggars both." Alexander is outraged to learn the truth about Harriet, but Sally firmly defends her daughter and orders him escorted away from Monticello.
As Jefferson ages and grows ill, his debts mount further and he is forced to sell his many belongings, including thousands of his beloved books to the National Library. When even this proves insufficient, a heartbroken Jefferson admits to his "servants" that he must sell them because of his own mistakes and fears, and Sally is crushed by the departure of her many friends and relatives. Jefferson then bids farewell to Harriet and her brother Beverley, giving them what little money he can, and Sally notes that she will likely never see her children again, as they can pass for white and escape the scandal. However, she is then overjoyed by the return of Thomas Jr., now an adult with ten children of his own. He invites her to come and live with his family and introduces himself to Jefferson as "Thomas Woodson," though Jefferson seems to immediately know his own son. Sally tells him that she cannot leave Monticello, as it is her true home, though the property is soon foreclosed upon. Jefferson dies on July 4th, 1826 with Sally and Patsy by his side, and Patsy soon finds that he had nothing to leave either of them in his will. Sally then reveals that she has, in fact, been free since returning from Paris many years ago, but chose to say by Jefferson's side rather than embrace freedom elsewhere. Patsy departs to live with her adult daughter, and Sally remains in Virginia with her children, wondering what legacy Jefferson and his non-traditional family will leave behind. The program concludes by noting that Patsy tended his grave until the end of her life, and that their relationship, more or less confirmed by DNA in 1998, is still the subject of debate. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:24:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:84273
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama, historical; History - American
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 2000
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Craig Anderson … Executive Producer
- Wendy Kram … Co-Executive Producer
- Tina Andrews … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Marty Eli Schwartz … Supervising Producer
- Gerrit van der Meer … Producer
- Ric Rondell … Line Producer
- Charles Haid … Director
- Joel McNeely … Music by
- Gwendolyn Glenn … Choreographer
- Sam Neill … Cast, Thomas Jefferson
- Carmen Ejogo … Cast, Sally Hemings
- Mare Winningham … Cast, Martha 'Patsy' Jefferson Randolph
- Diahann Carroll … Cast, Betty Hemings
- Mario Van Peebles … Cast, James Hemings
- Rene Auberjonois … Cast, James Callender
- Zeljko Ivanek … Cast, Thomas Mann Randolph
- Kevin Conway … Cast, Thomas Paine
- Amelia Heinle … Cast, Harriet Hemings
- Klea Scott … Cast, Critta Hemings
- Kelly Rutherford … Cast, Lady Maria Cosway
- Peter Bradbury … Cast, Samuel Carr
- Jefrey Alan Chandler … Cast, Adrien Petit
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson … Cast, Young Tom Hemings
- June Gable … Cast, Madam Dupre
- Larry Gilliard Jr. … Cast, Henry Jackson
- Mark Joy … Cast, Gabriel Lilly
- Paul Kandel … Cast, Pierre Du Pont
- Kweli Leapart … Cast, Sukey
- Kathryn Meisle … Cast, Dolley Madison
- Reno Roop … Cast, James Madison
- Chris Stafford … Cast, Peter Carr
- Jessica Townsend … Cast, Maria 'Polly' Jefferson
- Zachary Knighton … Cast, William Alexander
- Sean Pratt … Cast, Tom Hemings (Woodson)
- Alex Draper … Cast, Jean Michel Salveaux
- Anthony Hamilton … Cast, Versailles Announcer
- Duke Lafoon … Cast, Jack Eppes
- Trudy Lancaster … Cast, Female Runaway Slave
- Ed Sala … Cast, Slaver
- Kevin Grantz … Cast, Sheriff Clenon
- Randell Haynes … Cast, Reporter #1
- Richard Fullerton … Cast, Reporter #2
- Elisabeth Harmon Haid … Cast, Margaret Bayard Smith
- Shaun Depriest … Cast, Rufus
- Newton B. Miller … Cast, Mr. Batiste
- Rachel Johnson … Cast, Virginia Randolph
- David Bridgewater … Cast, E.I. DuPont
- Brian Franklin … Cast, Beverly Hemings
- Owen Valentine … Cast, Auctioneer
- James M. Peerman … Cast, Mulberry Row Man