Posted on 10/09/2024 9:14:29 AM PDT by Starman417
In the efforts of the Progressive Left to destroy the legacy and monumental contributions of Thomas Jefferson, a centerpiece has been the focus on his presumed relationship with Sally Hemings, a slave at Monticello. The charge goes that Jefferson had a long-term relationship with Sally Hemings, and had six children with her. In spite of the fact that there is very little evidence to support this rather dubious hypothesis, the tours at Monticello and the University of Virginia state this as a fact. As it turns out, this is probably not at all true.
One of the problems with the fact that the Progressive Left has taken over the tours here, as at many other historic sites, is that instead of celebrating the phenomenal achievements of the Founding Fathers, every detail, no matter how inconsequential, is often twisted into negative criticism and character assassination.
It does seem as though the Progressive Left is willing to go to any length in order to attack Jefferson’s character. For example, recently a modern bathroom was torn out at Monticello and revealed a small room behind, that had not been previously known. This was immediately interpreted by the Left as a secret bedroom for Sally Hemings to be able to carry on her liaison with Thomas Jefferson, although there was not a single vestige of objective evidence to suggest that this was so. Cooler heads prevailed, however, and it was eventually understood to be simply another slave room.
The one piece of objective evidence is as follows: in 1998, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation ran a DNA study and found that there was a match between the Jeffersonian DNA and that of the line of Sally Hemings. They concluded that Thomas Jefferson was likely the father of her six children.
However, the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society stated almost immediately that “they had skepticism to the convictions of this untruth.”
Next was a 1998 article in “Nature”, citing the DNA evidence. However, there was a retraction by the same magazine two months later. “The title of our study was misleading in that it represented only the simplest explanation of our molecular findings”, as they put it.
Then, “DNA testing by the Thomas Jefferson Society in 1999 suggested that TJ’s younger brother Randolph, rather than Thomas, was the most likely father of Sally Hemings’ sons.” There was considerable evidence that Randolph had been having relations with some of the female slaves.
In 2001 and again in 2011, the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society also reached different conclusions from the 1998 article. Based on contemporary witnesses, they concluded for one thing, that Hemings was a “minor figure” to Thomas Jefferson, and it was very unlikely that he had fathered any of her children. They suggested that, in, fact it was much more likely his younger brother, Randolph, who was the father of at least some of her children.
Herbert Barder, a Jeffersonian scholar, after exhaustive research, concluded that Jefferson was “NOT the father of Easton Hemings or any other of Hemings’ children. The DNA study along with historical information indicates that Randolph is possibly the father of Easton and maybe the others.”
Pulitzer Prize Historian James Truslow Adams wrote- “Almost every scandalous story about Jefferson—can be trusted to be lies.”
Professor Andrew Holochak also agreed that evidence supports the conclusion that Randolph is most likely the father. Three of the Hemings’ children were given names from Randolph’s family. Randolph, as it turns out, was a notorious alcoholic.
Danielle Darling, a former Monticello slave, Isaac Jefferson, recalled in 1947 that Randolph Jefferson “used to come out among Black people and dance half the night.” By contrast, there are no reports that Jefferson had any social interaction with the slaves, either at Monticello, or elsewhere.
Paris
Another “proof” put forth by the Progressive Left is that, during the five years Jefferson served as Ambassador to France, he had Sally Hemings come with him to Paris, as his mistress.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net ...
I have always believed that if a Jefferson man was involved with Hemings, it was Randolph. It’s in character for him, but not at all for Thomas.
I don’t believe that.
I do believe that Thomas may have sometimes facilitated Randolph’s relationship with her.
Whether he did or didn’t the relentless obsession with the subject gives lie to the gaslighting notion that the private lives of public figures don’t matter.
I don’t understand how leftist historians can use sexual dalliances as a smear against anyone, when they simultaneously hold all such activities to be sacred. Maybe Jefferson was just polyamorous, if not also some other letters of the alphabet.
Oh yeah, double standards. Forgot about that. Nevermind. Sexual dalliances are only sacred when they are undertaken by those on the left. Otherwise they are symptomatic of bad moral judgment and should subject the participants to cancellation, etc.
If it weren’t for double standards, some people wouldn’t have any standards at all.
In politics if there are not true stories to tell, they’re made up anyway.
This has much more to do with race, than with sex.
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Nevertheless the claim was made that all 6 of Sally's children were by Thomas Jefferson.
Madison Hemings, one of Sally's sons, told a newspaper in Ohio about 1873 that Jefferson was his father (but never treated him as a son). He also told the census taker in 1870 that he was the son of Thomas Jefferson and the census taker wrote that in the margin--I have seen the census record.
So Sally may have told him that (he could not know on his own, of course). But we have to credit Madison Hemings with being truthful (and not trying to claim famous ancestry).
If you were in Sally’s position, who would you claim as the father of your child/children - the illustrious Thomas, or the relatively simple-minded Randolph?
The truth is also that he did so after the death of his wife and that by law he was forbidden to marry Sally Hemming.
Sally Hemming was, in actuality, the first Black FLOTUS.
bkmk
Please walk us through the “great weight of evidence” that TJ conducted a long-term relationship with Sally Hemmings.
The DNA evidence is not definitive (and portions of the results are removed from consideration by the privacy desires of one “descendant”). The “family tradition” evidence is hearsay by people who likely believed it, but didn’t know, and was recorded by a black journalist with bias against TJ. Bacon’s refutation of the charge is usually dismissed. James Callender’s screeds are easily explained as the fruit of politics and personal animus. Etc. Though I am not a Jefferson worshipper who thinks him incapable of being guilty of the accusations, a “great weight of evidence” is something I’m eager to see.
She wasn’t ‘FLOTUS’ as she wasn’t married to him; he had no official FLOTUS, but his daughter, Martha, served as his unofficial one in the White House.
So the left openly admit that they have a problem with interracial sex... They openly admit that they are racists....
“The real truth is that the great weight of evidence is that Thomas Jefferson...”
Nope. Not even close. I’ve taken the time to read several books and look at the arguments pro and con, and it is very UNLIKELY that TJ had sex with Sally Hemmings.
Jefferson was in debt when he died and couldn't have freed all of his slaves if he had wanted to, but did manage to free Sally's close relatives--but not Sally herself. Maybe the understanding was that she would live with one of her children and would not be required to work for any of the Jeffersons.
The personal correspondence between Thomas and Randolph is also a useful source, and gives itself to some interesting subtextual study.
I think Jefferson would have wanted to free the slaves if he could have done; while living he was known to ‘look the other way’ when slaves went missing, as soon as he knew that they were doing alright on their own.
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