Sally Hemmings occupied a unique position in Jefferson's household. Thomas Jefferson's wife Martha Wayles Jefferson's father had three wives each of whom died. After the third wife passed away, he took a half white slave Betty Hemings who was as his mistress and went on to have six children with her, one of which was Sally. Which meant that Martha and Sally were half sisters. When her father died, Martha inherited substantial property including 11,000 acres and her half siblings. They occupied a unique role at Monticello. During the Revolutionary War, Jefferson was sent as the American ambassador to France. After two years, he sent for his daughter Maria (Polly) and fourteen year old Sally accompanied her as her ladies maid. Her affair with Jefferson probably started at the Hôtel de Langeac. Her brother James had gone earlier with Jefferson; he was learning French cooking. She learned French. She was free in France; it is said that she must have negotiated an extremely good deal because she returned with Jefferson to Monticello two years later. She was pregnant at the time.
