Thomas Jefferson Did Not Father Sally Hemings's Children, Author Claims in New Book

[Verðandi]

More evidence that the father was brother Randolph.

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[Siebenbürgerin]

Hmm, for me the story about Thomas Jefferson and Sally is like a warning about bringing coloured slaves into a white community. Maybe it's true and he didn't father coloured children, but many other slave owners did, and used the black slave women for sexual relations. Sooner or later some got pregnant and had mixed children. It's why I'm against the slavery process.

[flemish]

I have also heard that Thomas Jefferson's sons or nephews(I don't remember which) could have fathered her children. It's said she was one-quarter black(quadroon), and was the paternal half sister of his wife. She bore a striking resemblance to her, had long straight black hair, and very light skin. She was supposed to be the pretty, hot, little vixen on his estate.
From what I understand, most of her children passed for white. One of them, (I'm quite sure his name was Madison) was quite Caucasian looking by our societies standards today, but couldn't pass for white back then due to his olive skin coloring which was too dark to be considered Anglo-American in tone since most of the people living in the U.S. at that time were of Northern European extraction. This man very likely had an Italian appearance.
The whole Jefferson story is quite interesting. It's said that Thomas Jefferson was an agnostic which is surprising to me given the time and place he lived in. Our nation is and has always been quite religious. The story of his taboo romance with his young slave makes his life story even more interesting. I may not be pro-miscegenation, but that aspect of his life has made his saga even more curious.

[Æmeric]

I have also heard that Thomas Jefferson's sons or nephews(I don't remember which) could have fathered her children. It's said she was one-quarter black(quadroon), and was the paternal half sister of his wife. She bore a striking resemblance to her, had long straight black hair, and very light skin. She was supposed to be the pretty, hot, little vixen on his estate.

Thomas Jefferson's only son died shortly after birth. The nephews in questions were his sister's sons, surnamed Carr. They were eliminated as the direct paternal ancestors of Eston Jefferson's family by Y chromosome testing. The DNA testing only showed that one of Sally Hemings children, Eston, was fathered by a male Jefferson. There is no way of establishing if Sally Hemings children all had the same father or if all had different fathers. I would bet there was more then one. Madison Hemings left no direct male decendents & his family has refused to allowed his body to be exhume for DNA testing. The descendents of Thomas Woodson, allegedly Sally's son, did not have the Jefferson Y chromosome. Based on census records, Thomas Woodson was probably born before 1785 & not in 1790 as alleged by his family. Hemings would have been 10-12 at the time of his birth & possibly not his mother.

From what I understand, most of her children passed for white.

I doubt it. 1/8 (12.5%)would still be dodgy looking. Puerto Ricans are on average 18% Negro & it is pretty obvious in most of them.

One of them, (I'm quite sure his name was Madison) was quite Caucasian looking by our societies standards today, but couldn't pass for white back then due to his olive skin coloring which was too dark to be considered Anglo-American in tone since most of the people living in the U.S. at that time were of Northern European extraction. This man very likely had an Italian appearance.

Madison could have had White status if he could pass for Indian. 1/2 breeds, 50% White - 50% Indian, had legal status as Whites if they were settled down & payed taxes. If Madison was viewed legally & socially as a Negro it was because his Negro ancestry was apparent in his taxonomy. Much of the evidence for Sally's descendents being Jeffersons is based on hearsay. A hundred years from now there will probably be hundreds of Negro families, descendent from illegitimate Negro children born in the late 20th century, claiming they are the great-great-great-grandchildren of Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan. If you don't know who the daddy of great-grandma's baby was, why not just pick someone famous?

The whole Jefferson story is quite interesting. It's said that Thomas Jefferson was an agnostic which is surprising to me given the time and place he lived in. Our nation is and has always been quite religious. The story of his taboo romance with his young slave makes his life story even more interesting. I may not be pro-miscegenation, but that aspect of his life has made his saga even more curious.

The South was not that religious during the greater part of Jefferson's life. It was New England & Pennsylvania that were founded as refuges for religious freedom. (Maryland was founded as a colony for English Catholics but they were alway a small minority even in Maryland during the colonial period.) New England - which is now very secular - was probably the most religious part of the 13 colonies. The South was official Anglican (Episcopalian) & we know how devout they are . The Ulster Scots brought Presbyterianism to the back country of the South & Wesleyan (Methodist) & Baptist missionaries (from New England!) prostyletized among the great numbers of unchurched, turning the South into the most religious part of the US.

[Rodskarl Dubhgall]

Æmeric is correct. Also, Jefferson was a proud Anglo-Saxonist like Franklin. Then again, both were involved with Versailles and the radicalism there. Don't know what to believe.