It shows the importance of recognizing that the accounts of enslaved people’s descendants, like Madison Hemings, can serve as extensions of the voices of the enslaved individuals themselves.

It reflects a shift away from using direct evidence in historical research, favoring more interpretative approaches.

It demonstrates a trend of prioritizing the perspectives of those who recorded the histories rather than the individuals who lived them.

It implies that historians should treat all narratives about enslaved people as equally reliable, regardless of source.