Annette Gordon-Reed

Annette Gordon-Reed

Professor of Law, New York Law School

Annette Gordon-Reed is a professor of law at New York Law School and a professor of history at Rutgers. She earned a place in history with her first book, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy, which had an acclaimed but stormy reception when published in 1997, and which The New Yorker described as “brilliant.” She is recognized as one of our country’s most distinguished presidential scholars.Gordon-Reed spent her early career as an associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, and as Counsel to the New York City Board of Corrections. She speaks or moderates at numerous conferences across the country on history and law-related topics. Gordon-Reed is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, daughter, and son.

5mins
Annette Gordon-Reed unpacks 18th century and contemporary racism.
2mins
Annette Gordon-Reed noted that analyses of slavery and slave ownership were missing from the bulk of Jeffersonian scholarship.
1mins
Annette Gordon-Reed says despite the popular notions of Jefferson, he had a big heart.
1mins
The Charlottesville community was certainly aware of their relationship Annette Gordon-Reed says.
8mins
Though Jefferson was by any objective standard a racist, Annette Gordon-Reed discovered his relationship with Sally Hemmings was immensely progressive.
4mins
Annette Gordon-Reed wanted to fill in the holes in the Merchant Ivory film.
1mins
Annette Gordon-Reed read about Jefferson in the third grade but noticed something missing from the narrative.