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James Hemings

Biography

United States

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Biography

James Hemings (c. 1765–1801) was the first American to train as a chef in France . Three-quarters white in ancestry, he was born into slavery in Virginia in 1765. At eight years old, he was purchased by Thomas Jefferson at his residence of Monticello.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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