Annette Gordon Reed Books in Order

Annette Gordon-Reed examines how historians evaluated evidence about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Testing citations, timelines, and assumptions, she argues that prejudice and selective interpretation prevented the Hemings family's testimony from receiving a fair historical hearing.

Edited by Annette Gordon-Reed, this collection examines race through significant American legal cases. Essays by historians and legal scholars consider how trials reflected racial attitudes, shaped law, and reveal wider changes in American society and culture.

Annette Gordon-Reed examines Andrew Johnson’s unexpected presidency after Lincoln’s assassination. His hostility toward formerly enslaved people and battles with Congress undermined Reconstruction, leading to impeachment and a missed opportunity whose consequences continued long after his term.

Annette Gordon-Reed reconstructs the history of the Hemings family across generations, examining their lives under enslavement and their connections to Thomas Jefferson. Their experiences reshape the story of Monticello, family relationships, and the early American republic.

Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter Onuf explore Thomas Jefferson's intellectual development and self-image through family, travel, religion, and slavery. The study examines contradictions between his Enlightenment ideals, public ambitions, and the personal world he created at Monticello.

Annette Gordon-Reed combines historical essays with memories of growing up in Texas to explore Juneteenth's origins. Family experience and the state's history illuminate emancipation, its aftermath, and the enduring struggles surrounding race, freedom, and belonging.