Thomas Jefferson - An Innocent Man: DNA Part 2 of 2

Examines the widely held belief that Thomas Jefferson fathered a child with his slave, Sally Hemings. Part I provides a history of the politically motivated allegation and presents evidence for an alternate paternity candidate. Part II discusses Jefferson's health, the DNA study, the Jefferson-Hemings Scholars Commission Report, Paris, Madison Hemings and Jefferson's overseer. To request a higher res copy of this video go to www.lightandliberty.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• An Innocent Man
• Thomas Jefferson
• Sally Hemings
• Eston Hemings
• James Callender
• Eric Petersen
• lightandliberty
• Light and Liberty
• slave mistress
• slave liaison
• slave child
• Jefferson-Hemings Controversy
• Hemingses
• fathered slave
• Sedition Act
• DNA
• freedom of speech
• Randolph Jefferson
• newspaper smear
• accusation
• allegation
• affair
• presidential scandal

[Lightandliberty]

TJ went to Monticello approximately 20 times during Sally's child bearing years. She conceived 5-6 times during that time. When he was there, it makes sense that his family would visit. His younger brother Randolph and his sons lived only 20 miles away. Randolph was known to fraternize with the slaves. Randolph was 52, while TJ was 64 when Eston Hemings was conceived. DNA tests proved that TJ did not father Tom Woodson, the child in Callender's charges and purportedly conceived in Paris.

[bryansipho]

Pretty much every slave-owning man in those times took a slave as a mistress. Why wouldn't TJ do the same? Especially since his wife died young and he never remarried. Moreover, TJ was the only Jefferson who was at Monticello every time that Sally Hemings conceived a child. It will never be proven whether TJ did in fact father her children but the evidence, oral and scientific, seems too overwhelming to overlook.