James Hemings
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James Hemings was born in 1765 in Virgina. At just 8 years of age, he became a slave to Thomas Jefferson through his wife’s inheritance – slaves were considered property and the status of ‘slave’ was made hereditary due to a law passed in Virginia in 1662. Hemings was the half-brother of Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha, through their father.
At roughly 19, Hemings accompanied Jefferson to Paris.
There, he began training in French cooking. He spent 3 years apprenticing with pastry chefs, caterers and restauranteurs before becoming the head chef at Jefferson’s residence in France, the Hôtel de Langeac. It was in Paris that James Hemings created “macaroni pie” – which has since evolved and is now referred to today as macaroni and cheese.
It was until 1796, at the age of 30, that James Hemings became a free man after having negotiated freedom on the condition that he would train a new chef for Thomas Jefferson. Several years later, Jefferson extended an offering of “employment” to Hemings at the White House. Hemings declined.
