Known as a Renaissance man, Thomas Jefferson across the span of his life excelled in a variety of fields, from politics to architecture to historical linguistics. Here he is depicted in his domestic role as the father of six White children (two of whom lived to adulthood); the grandfather of twelve White grandchildren; and the father of five Black children by Sally Hemings (four of whom lived to adulthood). In 1782, Jefferson's wife Martha Skelton Wayles died after they had lived what he called "ten years in unchequered happiness." Following her death, he attempted to perform both parental roles for his two surviving daughters. For more than three decades Jefferson developed an extraordinarily close relationship with his grandchildren. Participating intimately in every aspect of their childhood, he played games with them and gave life advice by engaging them in deep conversation and revealing correspondence through the exchange of hundreds of letters. Unfortunately, this rich record of written evidence does not exist for his shadow Black family. The grandchildren and their mothers dined at the table with Jefferson and his guests, dazzling visitors with their conversational skills. They lived privileged lives and were provided opportunities for learning few others received, as Jefferson facilitated their education. His involvement with his Black children was much more restricted, although they were treated quite differently from other enslaved children, and he ultimately freed them. Jefferson knew that slavery was immoral and spoke against it, but like most Whites of his time and region, he failed to see a way to escape his dilemma while supporting his White family.