Given the end of abortion rights in America, the story of Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha Jefferson bears repeating.

Martha Jefferson bore seven children. All told, five of her children would die before age 3.

11 months after Martha bore her first child, her husband died. And their son son died at age 3. Six months later, Martha married her third cousin, Thomas Jefferson.

Martha took the 121 slaves she inherited, including her half-sisters and brothers, with her to Monticello. During their 10-year marriage, Martha had six more children. Three died in infancy. Martha died, four months after she bore her seventh child. She was 33 years old.

2 years later, Thomas Jefferson went to Paris and took his 11-year-old daughter, Martha, with him. When Jefferson received news, that his youngest child had died, Abigail Adams helped make arrangements to send Jefferson’s daughter, Polly, to Paris.

None other, than the future first lady of the United States describes 14-year-old Sally Hemmings who accompanied Jefferson’s youngest daughter to Paris.

On June 27, 1787, Abigail Adams wrote: "The Girl [Sally Hemmings] who is with [Polly] is quite a child, and Captain Ramsey is of opinion will be of so little Service that he had better carry her back with him. But of this you will be a judge. She seems fond of the child and appears good naturd."

On July 6, Abigail wrote to Jefferson again, "The Girl [Sally Hemmings] she [Polly] has with her, wants more care than the child, and is wholy incapable of looking properly after her, without some superiour to direct her."

In Paris, Jefferson began raping his sister-in-law Sally Hemmings. Within a year, Sally Hemmings was pregnant. While Sally Hemmings would bear six children, by Thomas Jefferson, only four survived to adulthood.

Wait, this story is far from over. To keep money in the family, family often married to family. For example, Thomas and Martha Jefferson, were second cousins. Thomas Jefferson’s second cousin, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. had one son, who married Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, Martha – and one of his daughter’s, Ann, was close friends with her cousin Martha Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson’s daughter).

In the summer of 1792, 19-year-old Ann, began gaining weight. That fall, Ann woke the house with screams. The next morning, Ann was confined to bed, bloody sheets were removed from her room, and a dead white baby was found in a pile of old shingles.

In April 1793, the local prosecutor accused Richard Randolph of murdering the baby born to Ann. Prominent lawyers John Marshall (soon to be Supreme Court Justice) and Patrick Henry (of give me liberty, or give me death” Fame) defended him.

During the trial, Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha, stated that she had obtained gum guaicum, which she believed could be used to abort a baby, and had given it to Ann.

Thomas Jefferson, wrote a letter to his daughter, Martha, saying: “For her [Ann] it is the moment of trying the affection of her friends, when their commiseration and comfort become balm to her wounds. I hope you will deal them out to her in full measure, regardless of what the trifling or malignant may think or say. Never throw off the best affections of nature in the moment when they become most precious to their object; nor fear to extend your hand to save another, lest you should sink yourself. You are on firm ground: your kindnesses will help her and count in your own favor also.”

— Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Martha Jefferson Randolph, dated April 28, 1793

In Thomas Jefferson’s mind, abortion for white women was necessary and morally understandable. Years earlier, Jefferson had described abortion among Native America women as necessary to the survival of their already born children. However, the job of black women, was to increase their owner’s wealth and having an abortion, was stealing white men’s property.

For every American alive today, the story of Thomas Jefferson, and his family serves as a warning. To import the traditions of the place you fled, the place that failed you, is to condemn the place you seek with the same failures.

As usual I went on too long. But I am not sorry. The sexual behaviour and morals of people like Thomas Jefferson, sicken me.