[justshutupandtakeit]

Whatever. Jefferson was the father of Sally's children.

[Ohioan]

The evidence that Jefferson had anything to do with the conception of any of Sally Hemings' children is highly suspect. (See Civil War, Reconstruction & Creating Hate In America Today.)

As kin of his wife, and a trusted house servant of his daughter, Jefferson would naturally have wanted to see Sally Hemings and her children treated well. That is no evidence of paternity. The one (not seven) shown to have a possible DNA connection to Jefferson's father, may well indicate an involvement with a male Jefferson, but the probability is that such male Jefferson was not Thomas.

William Flax

[SarahW]

There isn't enough physical evidence to prove that, or even circumstantial evidence. There *is* evidence that "Uncle"Randolf always visited Monticello when Jefferson was home, and spent a good deal of time entertaining himself with the slaves. There are contradictory (hemmings descendant) family tales of who fathered Hemming's children too.

The case for Jefferson's paternity of Hemming's children is weak and there is an equally if not more plausible Jefferson relative for her children. Until the matter is beyond dispute, they should not be considered Thomas Jefferson's direct descendants.

I don't much care one way or the other about Jefferson being the father but I do care that the evidence has been overblown as "proof" when that is absolutely NOT the case.