| Episodes |
Always go to the primary sources first. So, instead of just reading about Callender, read several of his articles in the Richmond Recorder, especially Sept. 1, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Sept. 29, Nov. 17, and Dec. 8. Selected articles from the Recorder are available here on the JHC website and in Rebecca L. McMurry and James F. McMurry, Jr., Jefferson, Callender and the Sally Story: The Scandalmonger and the Newspaper War of 1802 (Toms Brook: Old Virginia Books, 2002).
Callender will no doubt will be hard to follow. You won't recognize his topical references, he will talk of himself in the 3rd person sometimes, and he includes pieces from other papers, and on other subjects. And, as he dishes as much dirt as he can, he talks not only about Hemings, but an "affair" Jefferson had with another woman (Mrs. Walker), and an incident concerning repayment of a debt with "bad" money. So the content may be confusing. Persevere. Look especially for the way Callender refers to Hemings and sense his hall-of-fame animus against Jefferson.
What do you make of Callender? Should what we know of him as a person affect what he says? What rhetorical strategies does he use? What's his "style"? How does he characterize Jefferson? How especially does he characterize Hemings? (How about the way he labels her in particular.) And, most of all, how does he characterize their relationship? What does he say of his goals? What -- intriguingly -- do you see about HIS views on race and slavery? Is he an authoritative source of information on and judgments about Jefferson? What evidence does he have? How does his tone and methodology affect his message? Again, what's his style? What kind of effect do you think such attacks had? What kind of audience would be moved by such strategies? How does seeing this kind of stuff make you feel about Callender, about Jefferson, about Sally? Does he remind you of anybody today? (Who would you cast to play him in a movie?)
