Giving Thomas Jefferson the Business: The Jefferson-Hemings Hoax

A Different Drummer/Middle American News ^ | December, 2003 | Nicholas Stix

[Servant of the 9]

It matters. The truth always matters. Something is or it isn't, and dissemblers and liars shouldn't be given a pass on manipulating a COUNTRY!

Yes, but we will never know what the TRUTH of this matter is. The 'facts' in the article above are no more definitive than the claims of the other side.

Neither side has anything but allegations and vague statistics.

Does either position make Thomas Jefferson less of a great man, indeed a Renaissance Man, and patriot?

So9

[elbucko]

I think there is a third side: one that neither seeks to elevate TJ to sainthood, nor to morph Hemmings into the image of some fictional character, but rather hopes to have the historical record left intact without politically correct revisionism.

I agree. I would prefer provable fact in place of the ongoing speculation. However it turns out matters not to me. If Tom and Sally were an item, I hope they both enjoyed the relationship. It is not right that a great man or a humble slave be lonely. OTOH, if Jefferson was true in life to Martha, let it be known. It won't make him a saint. Those of us who have spent the time to read about Jefferson know he was just a man. As remarkable as he may be to our history and Republic.

[CatoRenasci]

I think your professor was undoubtedly right. I think the solid preponderance of the evidence establishes Thomas Jefferson is not the father the Hemmings children. I'm not sure why you see it as an open question when an historian you respect, who dislikes Jefferson but looked at all the evidence carefully, concludes Jefferson could not have been the father.

What I find interesting is that our actual understanding after the Blue Ribbon Commission, hasn't really advanced much from what Dumas Malone wrote some 50 years ago: it was a Jefferson male, but almost certainly not Thomas.

[cyborg]

A little known fact is when Sally went to Paris she could have stayed behind. France had a law that any slave who landed on french soil was free, sort of like our wet foot-dry foot policy. To me she had to love him to go back to America and being a slave.

[Servant of the 9]

In short: this is useful as a smear on a great American.

I don't see that.

At the time this may have occurred, Sally Hemmings was Thomas Jeffersons Property.
Anything he may or may not have done was neither illegal nor immoral in that context.
That it may be illegal or immoral today is irrelevant.
It did not happen today.
Therefore there can be no smear.

So9

[Ancesthntr]

How him possibly sleeping with Sally Hemmings in any way voids his contributions to this country is beyond me. (Ironically these same people would argue that the Monica Lewinsky scandal didn't matter because it was only about sex.) :)

That certainly bears repeating!

2 key ideas are here: First, that what Jefferson did on behalf of this country stands on its own as the product of his intellect and his character. The words and warning that are his real legacy to this country and the world are true no matter what he may or may not have done in his private life. Second, one must ALWAYS look to the motivation of those who seek to tear down an individual. In this case it is clear that smearing so revered a figure as TJ is the perfect way to excuse allegedly similar behavior by WJC.

[ffusco]

The Jefferson buckled shoe in black patent leather. Simple, elegant without making a big fuss about it. Men's sizes 7-14.

[cyborg]

LOL... actually his shirt was more like a little dress on me.

[Clodia Pulcher]

It is all VERY silly and merely a reflection of the worthless level of academic games these days.

One can't even blame it on Black Americans. They may be this age's reigning criminal class (it has been Irish and Italians at other times), but academia is forever trying to lower the standards for them down to whatever level allows them to crawl into college, having been cheated out of a decent public education.

So why not spread sheer nonsense like this as received history? Good for their self-esteem.

[CatoRenasci]

The story about Jefferson having mistresses in Paris (this was after the death of his wife) is almost certainly true: he was celebrated in France and moved in the highest social circles and most elite salons, and many attractive aristocratic women wanted him.

An interesting comment on Sally comes, as you may recall, from Abigail Adams, who met Sally in London as she accompanied Jefferson's daughter to France (sometime after Jefferson). Adams thought she was an immature teen-aged child, hardly able to act effectively as Miss Jefferson's servant. Sally apparently was given the opportunity for some education during her time in Paris. (That would be consistent with her being Jefferson's wife's half-sister). Those who knew her and knew Jefferson at the time found the notion of an affair (alleged by Callendar) risable.

[elbucko]

The phenomenon of interracial progeny in was, if not common, then frequent enough for commentators of the day to note it.

Why constrain the phenomenon to times past. Why, even now, I'd rather be the bastard son of Jefferson and Hemmings, than the legitimate offspring of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

[HenryLeeII]

Thomas Jefferson ping. What are your thoughts re: Reply No. 10?

[AmericanVictory]

Excellent summary. But, as you see, even from postings here, no proof is all proof for those who want to or are predisposed to believe the fable regardless of the lack of any incontovertible proof.

[cyborg]

ABC anyone but clinton

[elbucko]

LOL..

[centurion316]

Ping, pass to the Jefferson cousins

[mrustow]

Ping!

[CatoRenasci]

I agree, and am very glad I am not in academia any more. (Though, sometimes I feel guilty at having left and deserted the field to the likes of these leftist scum!) My specialized field was the Enlightenment, so I have spent more than a fair amount of time on the Founding Fathers, especially Jefferson, and did some research in respect of his sojourn in France. IMHO, there is no way TJ was involved with Hemmings when he had his pick of the beauties of the French Court. But, you can't tell the truth to people who don't understand how to evaluate historical evidence and expect them to believe you.

[mrustow]

Heads-up!

[petitfour]

Hubby and I are usually inclined to agree with our dear, distinguished professor. However, I do not buy the Jefferson was an old man theory and incapable of carrying on with the nanny. After visiting Monticello, we had a different sense of Jefferson. I could certainly use with more study, however.

Speaking of Monticello, I would recommend to anyone who wants to know about American history to go there. Jefferson's vision for this new nation came from the vision he could see atop his mountain. Beautiful place. And that is an understatement.