Allegations that Thomas Jefferson had an affair and fathered at least one child with slave Sally Hemings have been discussed for two centuries. In this Article, the authors summarize a "mock" trial defense of Jefferson, concluding that the allegations are unproved by the greater weight of the evidence.
Download the article from SSRN here.
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I agree the issue has been a nightmare and misunderstood by the public. Please check web pages: www.tjheritage.org and www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruth for full details. Here you may link to the Scholars Commission Report (13 top professors), headed by UVA Law Professor, Robert Turner. They concluded there is NO proof of a Jefferson-Hemings connection.
The tests and media handling were all efforts to confuse the public into beleiving it was Thomas Jefferson instead of his brother, Randolph, who fathered Eston Hemings. Even Monticello participated in this and continues to do so. The DNA completely obsolved the old rumors that TJ farthered Tom (Hemings) Woodson....there was NO match on two tests.
The John Weeks Jefferson match was made for Eston Hemings knowing that the family had always claimed that "a Jefferson uncle". a reference to brother Randolph, and thus there WOULD automatically be a match. In my opinion, this is irresponsible and non professional research and especially when this was not revealed to Nature Journal, the media, etc. PRIOR to the release of the results.
Another "reliable" research tool used by Monticello researhers was the Pike Co. newspaper article of Madison Hemings, whose claims were absolutely unverified and in fact, some were downright LIES. Monticello "swept under the rug" a Minority Report" disagreeing with their reporting methods and conclusions. Madison claims that he was named by Dolley Madison for her husband at his birth at Monticello on Jan. 19, 1805, when in fact, the Madison Papers indicate that the Madisons NEVER traveled to Va. from Washington in the wintertime.
Political correctness, historical revisionism and "pay back" for owning slaves are the motivations to degrade Mr. Jefferson at this time. Your descendants history books are being revised to indicate this FALSE and biased information.
Herb Barger
Jefferson Family Historian
301-292-2739
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