Randolph Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson's Younger Brother
Most Famous For What He Didn't Do
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, had three brothers, only one of whom, Randolph, who lived to be an adult. There are no known images of Randolph, and to be fair, there aren't any images of Sally Hemings either, only portraits made from descriptions. I mention Randolph and Sally together because Randolph has often been accused of fathering Sally's children. It is generally accepted that Thomas Jefferson was their father, though some are vehement in their objections.
Randolph inherited Snowden Plantation from his father. Snowden is located about twenty miles from Monticello, where his older brother Thomas spent decades building the home now visited by over half a million people annually.
While Randolph didn't father any of Sally Heming's children, it wasn't that he was against the behavior; Randolph fathered several children with enslaved women both at Snowden Plantation and Monticello. It was likely access that kept him from Sally; big brother Thomas didn't share.
Randolph was much more a free spirit than Thomas. He brought his violin to the slave quarters at his home and his brother's. He played, drank, and danced into the night. Eventually, bedding an enslaved girl that had no right to refuse…
