How NOT to write your personal statement COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

How NOT to write your personal statement COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog One aspect of the application people stress the most about is the personal statement, or long essay question.  The topic varies  every year, but the advice never changes. Here are some things you should NEVER do when responding to your personal statement. Failing to answer the essay prompt The personal statement (or long essay) asks three or four questions, all around a central theme. This theme is valuable to the Admissions Committee because it allows us to determine, in part, how youll perform at the graduate level (and who youll be as a graduate student).  Oftentimes, applicants will only address the first question, or ignore the prompt altogether and submit a generic personal statement that resembles something from their undergraduate application. The Admissions Committee asks several questions in the prompt because we want to see how  effectively youll address it  within a limited amount of space. We also want to force you to examine your  objectives and narrate them in a  strategic and effective format. In short, answer every part of the prompt to give the Admissions Committee a comprehensive look at who are as an applicant. TIP: Limit yourself to one paragraph per prompt question, and flesh it out from there. Going over the word limit Its important for graduate students to write clearly and concisely in everything they submit to their professors (and beyond). The  personal statement is a good place to  practice this format before actually arriving on campus. So keep your sentence structure tight, and avoid posturing in your essays (i.e., close  the thesaurus app on your phone). While we dont mind if youre a word or two over the limit, we can definitely tell  the difference between 400 words and 800 words. Being vague about your interests We understand 200, 300 or 400 words isnt a lot of room to get your thoughts on paperand thats the whole point.  To reiterate the statement  above, we dont need to read a 20-page thesis on why youre applying to graduate school; thats just filler  text anyway. We want to read about what  makes you outstanding to the Admissions Committee and to your potential professors. Drill down on what you hope to accomplish at SIPA; how youll be an asset in the classroom; how particular classes, professors or SIPA initiatives  sparked your interest; where you want to work  after graduation, etc. TIP: If you want to join the foreign service, show us youve done your research on the cone/track youre interested in; or if you want to study with a certain professor, mention the research theyve accomplished and how it ties into your  academic interests. You dont have to be extremely detailed, but you do have to show youve done the legwork when it comes to your education. Which brings me to the next point Not doing your homework on the SIPA blog and website Theres nothing that upsets people more than when someone asks a question they couldve easily found the answer to with a 30-second Google search. You know what I mean: What time does that restaurant close? How long can a tweet be?  Or, in the Admissions Offices case:  Where is SIPA located? Are there any  information sessions?  Do you require the GRE or GMAT?  Graduate school requires you to be proactive and it is an opportunity for you to stretch your limits and find yourself. That all starts with researching the programs and institutions youre interested in learning these valuable lessons from. So try searching for the answers before contacting us. (Believe me, applicants feel pretty silly when they realize the answer was just one-click away under the Admissions tab.) For example, last years post on the essay questions in general offers some good advice. Read it:  its called 6 Quick-and-Dirty Tips For An Outstanding Admissions Essay. There are plenty of nuggets like these throughout the blog (and website), so do some  browsing to see what you can find to help bolster your  application. Forgetting to hit spell-check (and proofread in general) As you would (and should) with any other academic paper, job application, email, or Facebook post, spell-check your admission essay. The Admissions Committee reviews Every. Single. Aspect. of an application, and were suckers for details. Make sure you spell SIPA correctly, that your pronouns match the professor youve mentioned, and that you know where were located (hint: NYC). Now that youve read some advice on how  to prepare your personal statement,  give it a rewrite  before submitting your final application.  And dont forget, the MIA/MPA/MPA-DP fellowship deadline is January 5, 2016, and the final deadline is February 5, 2016. [Photo courtesy Florian Simeth, https://www.flickr.com/photos/hangout-lifestyle/ | Flickr (CC BY 2.0)]

What Was the Sino-Soviet Split

It would seem natural for the 20th centurys two great communist powers, the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) and the Peoples Republic of China (P.R.C.), to be staunch allies. However, for much of the century, the two countries were bitterly and publicly at odds in what is called the Sino-Soviet Split. But what happened? Essentially, the split actually began when  Russias working class under Marxism rebelled, while the Chinese people of the 1930s did not — creating a divide in the fundamental ideology of these two great nations that would eventually lead to the split. Roots of the Split The basis of the Sino-Soviet Split actually goes back to the writings of Karl Marx, who first put forth the theory of communism known as Marxism. Under Marxist doctrine, the revolution against capitalism would come from the proletariat — that is, urban factory workers. At the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution, middle-class leftist activists were able to rally some members of the small urban proletariat to their cause, in accordance with this theory. As a result, throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Soviet advisers urged the Chinese to follow the same path.   China, however, did not yet have an urban factory worker class.  Mao Zedong had to reject this advice and base his revolution on rural peasants instead. When other Asian nations such as North Korea, Vietnam,  and Cambodia began to turn to communism, they also lacked an urban proletariat, so followed a Maoist path rather than the classical Marxist-Leninist doctrine — to the Soviets chagrin. In 1953, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin died, and Nikita Khrushchev came to power in the U.S.S.R. Mao considered himself now the head of international communism because he was the most senior communist leader. Khrushchev did not see it that way, since he headed one of the worlds two superpowers. When Khrushchev denounced Stalins excesses in 1956 and began de-Stalinization, as well as the pursuit of peaceful coexistence with the capitalist world, the fissure between the two countries widened. In 1958, Mao announced that China would take a Great Leap Forward, which was a classic Marxist-Leninist approach to development at odds with Khrushchevs reformist tendencies. Mao included the pursuit of nuclear weapons in this plan and disparaged Khrushchev for his nuclear detente with the United States — he wanted the P.R.C. to take the place of the U.S.S.R. as the communist superpower.   The Soviets refused to help China develop nukes. Khrushchev considered Mao a rash and potentially destabilizing force, but officially they remained allies. Khrushchevs diplomatic approaches to the U.S. also led Mao to believe that the Soviets were a potentially unreliable partner, at best. The Split Cracks in the Sino-Soviet alliance began to show publicly in 1959. The U.S.S.R. offered moral support to the Tibetan people during their 1959 Uprising against the Chinese. The split hit the international news in 1960 at the Romanian Communist Party Congress meeting, where Mao and Khrushchev openly hurled insults at one another in front of the assembled delegates. With the gloves off, Mao accused Khrushchev of capitulating to the Americans during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Soviet leader replied that Maos policies would lead to nuclear war. The Soviets then backed India in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Relations between the two communist powers had completely collapsed. This turned the Cold War into a three-way standoff among the Soviets, Americans, and Chinese, with neither of the two former allies offering to aid the other in taking down the rising superpower of the United States. Ramifications As a result of the Sino-Soviet Split, international politics shifted during the latter half of the 20th century.  The two communist powers nearly went to war in 1968 over a border dispute in Xinjiang, the Uighur homeland in western China. The Soviet Union even considered carrying out a preemptive strike against the Lop Nur Basin, also in Xinjiang, where the Chinese were preparing to test their first nuclear weapons. Oddly enough, it was the U.S. government that persuaded the Soviets not to destroy Chinas nuclear test sites for fear of sparking a world war. However, this would not be the end of the Russian-Chinese conflict in the region. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up their client government there, the Chinese saw this as an aggressive move to surround China with Soviet satellite states. As a result, the Chinese allied themselves with the U.S. and Pakistan to support the mujahideen, Afghan guerrilla fighters who successfully opposed the Soviet invasion.   The alignment flipped the following year, even as the Afghan War was ongoing. When Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, sparking the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 to 1988, it was the U.S., the Soviets, and the French who backed him. China, North Korea, and Libya aided the Iranians. In every case, though, the Chinese and the U.S.S.R. came down on opposite sides. The Late 80s and Modern Relations When Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet premier in 1985, he sought to regularize relations with China. Gorbachev recalled some of the border guards from the Soviet and Chinese border and reopened trade relations. Beijing was skeptical of Gorbachevs policies of perestroika and glasnost, believing that economic reforms should take place before political reforms. Nonetheless, the Chinese government welcomed an official state visit from Gorbachev late in May of 1989 and the resumption of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. The world press gathered in Beijing to record the moment. However, they got more than they bargained for — the Tiananmen Square Protests broke out at the same time, so reporters and photographers from around the world witnessed and recorded the Tiananmen Square Massacre. As a result, Chinese officials were likely too distracted by internal issues to feel smug about the failure of Gorbachevs attempts to save Soviet socialism. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, leaving China and its hybrid system as the worlds most powerful communist state.

Essay on Color - 1378 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Color is sensed when white light bounces off an object and is reflected into the eye. Objects appear different colors depending on what colors were absorbed and which were reflected. Color is quot;seenquot; by the rods and cones in the eye. Cones detect color and rods detect black, white, and shades of gray. People who cannot see colors properly are colorblind. There are many different kinds of colors and they are classified in many different ways (The World Book Encyclopedia p 818, 819). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The eye consists of many parts. The part of the eye you can see when you look at someone consists of four parts. The colored part of the eye where the light†¦show more content†¦172). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Color perception varies from place to place. Some cultures have only a few colors that are distinguished from one another. Some cultures do not separate green from blue and yellow from orange. Other cultures have more specific names for things that are important to them. Eskimos have seventeen words for white because of all the snow. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What cultures think about colors also varies. In America, the color black is usually perceived to be bad. Other cultures have white meaning bad. Sometimes, colors are perceived differently by what they are associated with. Things like apples are usually red, bananas are usually yellow, and oranges are orange. If these colors were slightly off color a person probably would not notice because they know what that color should be. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Say there was a banana, and it was more yellow-green than yellow. Most people would not think anything of it. If there was an area of yellow-green color on a piece of paper and a person was to identify it, they would most likely notice that it was not yellow. Color can show things about people. People with similar personalities tend look at colors in a similar way. Psychologists also use color as a form of therapy. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Colors considered to be warmShow MoreRelatedColor Of Color And Color Essay2168 Words   |  9 Pages Color chart- a brief explanation You must have heard of color charts by now! Today, most companies are making use of charts to represent different objects. Color is subjective, and each color represents different ideas. Basically, it is found that there are different shapes of a single color which are referred to with different names. With the help of a chart it is possible to describe the color of bromeliad parts. Now, there is no need of referring to a color as red or yellow, instead, you haveRead MoreThe Color White Is A Color Essay1659 Words   |  7 PagesThe color white is a great color to use when decorating the interior of the home. It brings a feel of cleanliness to just about any room. Unfortunately the color white can be a difficult color to decorate with if it is not used properly throughout the home. If the color white is not accented with some other colors and shades it can make a home feel very dull and boring. Follow these steps and your home can be decorated with the color white beautifully through out. The secret to the color white isRead MoreColor And The Color Of Color957 Words   |  4 PagesRed, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. The Colors of the rainbow, color shapes how we see our world. Color has been around before dinosaurs, and before that, and what ever was before that, so whenever that was color was there. There will always be an infinite amount of color because blending colors makes new colors and blending those colors makes, you get the point. But are we really seeing theses colors? Is our brains just misleading us? Those questions will be answered through thisRead MoreColor And The Perception Of Color1371 Words   |  6 Pages Color and the Perception of Color Cynthia Xu Stoller Middle School Perception. The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through one of the five senses (Kandel, Schwartz, Jessell, 2000). In other words, it is the process of interpreting and organizing sensory information. Perception must be understood according to figure-ground, similarity, proximity, continuity, and other organizing principles. At work in the interpretation of sensory stimuli are other perceptualRead MoreColor and Mood1595 Words   |  7 Pagesmanipulation of the color of questionnaire had no effect on mood. However, there was an effect of time of day on mood as well as an effect of gender on mood. The results did not support the main hypothesis that different colors would elicit different moods. 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It is because Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook is red-green color blind; blue is the color Mark can see the best. Do not believe it? Not highly scientific, right? That may not be the case for Facebook. In our daily life, colors actually affect our purchasing decisions. After all, sight is the strongest developed sense in most human beings. How do colorsRead MoreEssay on Color Psychology886 Words   |  4 PagesColor Psychology Like death and taxes, there is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Why are people more relaxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms? It is a well-known fact that color influences mood and feeling in common experience, however, the field of color psychology is still not well understood. 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Maybe color is used in the association of simply shadow work, used only in technical terms to create value and the curvature of a three dimensional illusion? Or maybe the use of color in artwork appears as simple as how one learned the use in childhood, gender identification: blue means male and pink means female. True, artists select colors to produce

Coors Case Free Essays

Using the Consumer Questionnaire Results, 62. 1% of consumers surveyed has consumed Coors in the past; also 48. 8% liked or strongly liked Coors. We will write a custom essay sample on Coors Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now We also learned in this questionnaire that 65. 2% bought their beer from supermarkets. From this consumer analysis, Larry could invest in Coors and make his main availability of product at supermarkets. According to the Retailer Questionnaire Results, Coors has the same taste as Miller and Miller Lite, but it is more expensive than the other brands of beer sold. B. Market Share: Using the Table C: The Market Share estimates for a five year span all stay at a constant 8. 7-8. 9%, with consideration there are only a select few brands that Coors is competing with this should not be a problem with growth in the future. C. Investment: Total investment would include the inventory, equipment, warehouse, and land is estimated at $800,000. Larry could also use his trust fund if needed, $500,000 to start an Owner’s Equity Account. D. Cost: (Fixed, Variable, Prices): Fixed Cost for Larry’s new adventure would be $240,000 that includes salaries, equipment depreciation, warehouse depreciation, utilities / telephone, insurance, maintenance / janitorial and miscellaneous expenses. Variable cost would depend on the production level. As for Prices, it is perceived that Coors is high priced but if they were to lower the price to the price of Michelob, there could be an increase of sales. E. Go or No Go: I would have to say Larry should go for Coors Distributorship. How to cite Coors Case, Papers

Strategic Management and Walmart free essay sample

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart has grown tremendously, enabling it to become one of the largest companies in the world. With more than 8,416 stores in 15 countries, close to $401 billion in sales and over 2. 1 million employees; it is clear that has been extremely successful at expanding its operations and expansion plans for over 300 new stores in the U. S and approximately 150 international stores in pre-existing markets (Walmart, 2010). Despite this success, Walmart must take into consideration increasing competition. As the domestic market reaches saturation, the main issue facing Walmart is how to sustain its extraordinary growth. To ensure that it maintain its growth at a rate equal to or better that its sales, it will have to implement a strategic plan that address internal and external opportunities and threats. Lastly, I will perform a SWOT analysis of the company’s strengths and weaknesses opportunities and threats. History: Walmart is a general merchandise discount retailer, which was incorporated in 1962. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management and Walmart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Walmart’s history is based on Sam Walton, who changed the way retail business is conducted. Sam Walton first entered retailing when he was a management trainee at J. C. Penny Co. in 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa (Walmart, 2010). After serving in the Army in World War II, Walton acquired a Ben Franklin variety store franchise with his brother James Walton in Newport Arkansas, until they lost the lease to the store in 1950. By 1962, the first Walmart Discount City was opened in Rogers Arkansas. Limited pricing, low gross margins, and high inventory turnover characterized these stores (Walmart, 2010). Walton’s focus in 1976 changed on to the emerging Walmart stores and he came to the realization that successful discount retailing did not just involve getting the best price from suppliers, but also meant passing those savings onto customers. In 1978, the first distribution center was built, followed by the first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1983 and a Sam’s Club in 1988 (Walmart, 2010). Strategic Planning: A vision statement presents the firm’s strategic intent that focuses their energy and resources of the company on achieving a desirable future. However, in practice, the mission and vision statements are frequently combined into a single statement. When they are separated, the vision statement is often a single sentence, designed to be memorable (Pearce, Robinson, 2009). Walmart does not have an official mission statement on their web page, but they do have a section that is titled about us. Saving people money to help them live better was the goal that Sam Walton envisioned when he opened the doors to the first Walmart more than 40 years ago. Today, this mission is more important than ever to our customers and members around the world. We work hard every day in all our markets to deliver on this promise. We operate with the same level of integrity and respect that Mr. Sam put in place. It is because of these values and culture that Walmart continues to make a difference in the lives of our customers, members and associates. Saving people money to help them live better was the goal that Sam Walton envisioned when he opened the doors to the first Walmart more than 40 years ago. Today, this mission is more important than ever to our customers and members around the world. We work hard every day in all our markets to deliver on this promise. We operate with the same level of integrity and respect that Mr. Sam put in place. It is because of these values and culture that Walmart continues to make a difference in the lives of our customers, members and associates (Walmart, 2010). Walmart has always been about low prices and saving the customer money every since Sam Walton started Walmart. Most companies have mission statements and like Pearce and Robinson (2009) state: â€Å"The company’s mission describes the company’s product, market, and technological areas of emphasis in a way that reflects the values and priorities of strategic decision makers†. Everything you read on their web page is all about low prices and customer satisfaction. A key element in Walmart’s long term objectives instilled by Sam Walton back when he started Walmart and still true to this date with Michael Duke CEO and President of Walmart Inc. Internal Analysis: A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environment factors internal to Walmart are classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and the factors external are classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T), otherwise known as a SWOT analysis (Pearce, Robinson, 2009). The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the company’s resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. Walmart’s SWOT analysis is below. Strengths: 1. Buying power 2. Reputation for keeping prices low. 3. Wide geographic distribution coverage and effectively use of logistic management techniques. 4. Walmart production skills result in reliable yet affordable Walmart brand products. 5. Combining retail shopping with groceries and a pharmacy and a optometry all in the same store. 6. Wal-Mart has grown substantially over recent years, and has experienced global expansion. . A focused strategy is in place for human resource management and development. â€Å" People are key to Wal-Marts business and it invests time and money in training people, and retaining a developing them†. (Stewart Brown, 2009) 8. Customer service. Under the ten-foot rule, any member of staff within ten feet of a customer must offer them assistance (Walmart, 2010). 9. Its labor relations are exceptional. Workers are not plain employees but associates, eligible for a share of the profits and stock options in the company (Walmart, 2010). Weakness: 1. No formal mission statement 2. Anti-union 3. Weak reputation due to various unethical problems such as unfair benefit retirement, health care, insurance policy, underage labor, illegal immigrants, discrimination, glass ceiling, etc. (Kummer, 2005) 4. Unsatisfied employees due to lower salary (Kummer, 2005). 5. Decline in sales growth, higher turnover rate. (Pearce Robinson, 2010) 6. Reputation for being a â€Å"bully†. For example: putting smaller business out of business and treating supplier with dropping their product if they don’t get what they want.

About Vipers, Family Viperidae

About Vipers, Family Viperidae Vipers (Viperidae) are a group of snakes known for their long fangs and venomous bite. Vipers include true vipers, bush vipers, rattlesnakes, pit vipers, adders and night adders. Venomous Fangs The fangs of vipers are long and hollow and enable the snake to inject venom into animals that it bites. Venom is produced by and stored in glands located at the back of the snakes upper jaw. When the snakes mouth is closed, the fangs recede into a thin membrane and fold against the roof of the snakes mouth. When a viper bites its victim, the bones of the jaw rotate and flex so that the mouth opens at a wide gape angle and the fangs unfold at the last moment. When the snake bites down, muscles that encase the venom glands contract, squeezing venom out through ducts in the fangs and into their prey. Types of Venom Several different types of venom are produced by the various species of vipers. Proteases consist of enzymes that break down proteins. These enzymes cause a variety of effects in bite victims including pain, swelling, bleeding, necrosis, and disruption of the clotting system. Elapid venoms contain neurotoxins. These substances disable prey by disabling muscle control and causing paralysis. Proteolytic venoms contain neurotoxins to immobilize prey as well as enzymes that break down molecules in the victims body. Head Shape Vipers have a triangular-shaped head. This shape accommodates the venom glands at the back of the jaw. Most vipers are slender to stout-bodied snakes with a short tail. Most species have eyes with elliptical pupils that can open wide or close down very narrowly. This enables the snakes to see in a wide range of light conditions. Some vipers have keeled scales- scales with a ridge in their center- while others have smooth scales. 26 Types There are currently about 26 species of vipers that are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. Some of the rarest vipers include the golden lancehead and the Mt. Bulgar viper. Like most snakes, vipers appear not to care for young after hatching. Most species of vipers give birth to live young but there are a few species that lay eggs. Vipers occur in terrestrial habitats throughout North, Central and South America as well as in Africa, Europe, and Asia. There are no vipers native to Madagascar or Australia. They prefer terrestrial and arboreal habitats. The range of vipers extends further north and further south than any other group of snakes. Vipers feed on a variety of small animal prey including small mammals and birds. Classification Vipers belong to the snake family. Snakes are among the most recently evolved of the main reptile lineages alive today. Their evolutionary history remains somewhat murky, though- their delicate skeletons do not preserve well and as a result, few fossil remains of ancient snakes have been recovered. The earliest known snake is Lapparentophis defense which is estimated to have lived about 130 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous. The viper family includes about 265 species. Vipers are classified into one of four groups: Azemiopinae: Feas viperCausinae: night addersCrotalinae: pit vipersViperinae: true vipers The Viperinae, also known as the Old World vipers, are short and stocky snakes. They have a wide, triangular head and rough, keeled scales. Their coloration is dull or cryptic providing them with good camouflage. Most members of this group give birth to live young. Pit vipers are distinct from other vipers due to a pair of heat-sensitive pits located on either side their face between the eyes and nostrils. Pit vipers include the worlds largest viper, the bushmaster, a snake native to Central and South American rainforests. The bushmaster can grow as long as 10 feet. Of all vipers, the rattlesnakes are among the most easily recognized. Rattlesnakes have a rattle-like structure at the end of their tail formed out of old layers of the terminal scale that do not fall off when the snake molts. When shaken, the rattle serves as a warning signal to other animals.

Sally Hemings Her Relationship With Thomas Jefferson

Sally Hemings Her Relationship With Thomas Jefferson An important note on terms: the term mistress refers to a woman who lived with and was sexually involved with a married man. It does not always imply that the woman did so voluntarily or was completely free to make the choice; women through the ages have been pressured or forced into being mistresses of powerful men. If it was true and examine the evidence outlined below that Sally Hemings had children by Thomas Jefferson, it is also undoubtedly true that she was enslaved by Jefferson (for all but a brief time in France) and that she had no legal ability to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship with him. Thus, the often-used meaning of mistress in which the woman chooses to have a relationship with a married man would not apply. In the Richmond Recorder in 1802, James Thomson Callendar first began to publicly allege that Thomas Jefferson kept one of his slaves as his concubine and fathered children with her. The name of SALLY will walk down to posterity alongside Mr. Jeffersons own name, Callendar wrote in one of his articles on the scandal. Who Was Sally Hemings? What is known of Sally Hemings? She was a slave owned by Thomas Jefferson, inherited through his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (October 19/30, 1748 - September 6, 1782) when her father died. Sallys mother Betsy or Betty was said to be the daughter of a black slave woman and a white ship captain; Betsys children were said to have been fathered by her owner, John Wayles, making Sally a half-sister of Jeffersons wife. From 1784, Sally apparently served as a maid and companion of Mary Jefferson, Jeffersons youngest daughter. In 1787, Jefferson, serving the new United States government as a diplomat in Paris, sent for his younger daughter to join him, and Sally was sent with Mary. After a brief stop in London to stay with John and Abigail Adams, Sally and Mary arrived in Paris. Why Do People Think Sally Hemings Was Jefferson's Mistress? Whether Sally (and Mary) lived at the Jefferson apartments or the convent school is uncertain. What is fairly certain is that Sally took French lessons and may also have trained as a laundress. What is certain is that in France, Sally was free according to French law. What is alleged, and not known except by implication, is that Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings began an intimate relationship in Paris, Sally returning to the United States pregnant, Jefferson promising to free any of her (their) children when they reached the age of 21. What little evidence there is of a child born to Sally after her return from France is mixed: some sources say the child died quite young (the Hemings family tradition). What is more certain is that Sally had six other children. Their birth dates are recorded in Jeffersons Farm Book or in letters he wrote. DNA tests in 1998, and a careful rendering of the birth dates and Jeffersons well-documented travels puts Jefferson at Monticello during a conception window for each of the children born to Sally. The very light skin and the resemblance of several of Sallys children to Thomas Jefferson were remarked upon by a good number of those who were present at Monticello. Other possible fathers were either eliminated by the 1998 DNA tests on male-line descendants (the Carr brothers) or dismissed because of internal inconsistencies in the evidence. For example, an overseer reported seeing a man (not Jefferson) coming from Sallys room regularly but the overseer did not start working at Monticello until five years after the time of those visits. Sally served, probably, as a chambermaid at Monticello, also doing light sewing. The affair was revealed publicly by James Callender after Jefferson refused him a job. There is no reason to believe she left Monticello until after Jeffersons death when she went to live with her son Eston. When Eston moved away, she spent her last two years living on her own. There is some evidence that he asked his daughter, Martha, to give Sally her time, an informal way to free a slave in Virginia which would prevent the imposition of the 1805 Virginia law requiring freed slaves to move out of the state. Sally Hemings is recorded in the 1833 census as a free woman. Bibliography Sally Hemings: Redefining History. A video from AE/Biography: Here is the complete story of the woman at the center of the first presidential sex scandal. (DVD or VHS)Jeffersons Secrets: Death and Desire in Monticello.  Andrew Burstein, 2005.  (compare prices)Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy: Annette Gordon-Reed and Midori Takagi, reprint 1998.  (compare prices)Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: History, Memory, and Civic Culture: Jan Lewis, Peter S. Onuf, and Jane E. Lewis, editors, 1999.  (compare prices)Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History: Fawn M. Brodie, trade paperback, reprint 1998.A President in the Family: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and Thomas Woodson: Byron W. Woodson, 2001.(compare prices)Sally Hemings: An American Scandal: The Struggle to Tell the Controversial True Story.  Tina Andrews, 2002.Anatomy of a Scandal: Thomas Jefferson and the Sally Story.  Ã‚  Rebecca L. McMurry, 2002.The Jefferson-Hemings Myth: An American Trave sty.  Ã‚  The Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, Eyler Robert Coates Sr., 2001 The Jefferson Scandals: A Rebuttal.  Ã‚  Virginus Dabs, Reprint, 1991.Jeffersons Children: The Story of an American Family.  Shannon Lanier, Jane Feldman, 2000.   For young adults.Sally Hemings: Barbara Chase-Riboud, reprint 2000. Historical fiction.