Do you believe Thomas Jefferson did father Sally Hemings' children? Why or why not? Should this part of Jefferson's life have a bearing on the way we remember him? Explain. Be sure to respond to one of your classmates!
Thomas Jefferson is alleged to have had an affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, that produced several children. The controversy surrounding the alleged relationship has been ongoing since Jefferson was president. See the following website for more details tha will help you answer the 2-part question below: http://www.monticello.org/plantation/hemingscontro/hemings-jefferson_contro.html
Do you believe Thomas Jefferson did father Sally Hemings' children? Why or why not? Should this part of Jefferson's life have a bearing on the way we remember him? Explain. Be sure to respond to one of your classmates!
33 Comments
Bobby
11/5/2009 02:48:31 am
I believe that Thomas Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings' children. There are many indicators pointing to him as the father, most importantly the DNA testing proves a Jefferson male was the father of her children. Other major pieces of evidence are that Jefferson wrote down the names of the slaves born in a book with their parent’s names, but there is no father listed for Sally Hemings' children and that two of the children "ran away" but Jefferson told his workers not to give pursuit.
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Craig
11/5/2009 09:47:34 am
Thomas Jefferson was most definately the biological father to Sally Hemings' six children. So many points make this accusation logical. So much research was done to further prove this claim. I think the foundation of the rumor are some of the most compelling points. They were around eachother quit a bit seeing as he wned her as a slave. Not only were the children half white and half black, they even resembled Jefferson himself. The reason he made no comments on the matter says more than words. He knew his affair was found and gave it the silent treatment until it died down (which it never really did). There are a lot of fetishes out there, even back then. Tommy Boy wanted what he couldn't have and took it anyway. He paid the price for it by getting Sally pregnant and hurting his reputation.
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Craig
11/5/2009 09:51:24 am
I agree with Bobby. The DNA testing furthur proved the parents of the 6 children: Jefferson and Hemings. I also see where Bobby is coming from with the whole Clinton situation. He was a good president but is only seen as a cheating scum bag. But hey, he DID have sexual relations with Monica Lewinski and faced the consequences.
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Molly Gorczyca
11/5/2009 10:31:37 pm
I think Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings’ children. If there was no possible way that he was the father of her children, why were these rumors even started? In order for this to be such a controversy, even back then, there had to be some clear evidence that led people to believe Thomas Jefferson is Sally Hemings children’s father. Also the website states that Thomas Jefferson had children. There has to be a mother out there somewhere to his children. If it wasn’t Sally Hemmings then who was it? No other names have been mentioned, when it comes to the mother of Jeffersons children. All the evidence, of Sally Hemings children, points to Thomas Jefferson as the father.
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Molly
11/5/2009 10:33:34 pm
I agree with Bobby…
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Sarah Hopkins
11/6/2009 01:18:12 am
I think there is a high possibility that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings' children. DNA tests prove there is link between Jefferson's ancestry and the Heming's Ancestry. The children said to be fathered by Jefferson claimed that he was their father. Why would they say that if he was not a fatherly figure in their life? And why would he be a fatherly figure if he was not their father? The evidence points to him being the father of her children.
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Paige Luppo
11/6/2009 01:29:54 am
I strongly believe that Thomas Jefferson did father Sally Hemings' children. I believe this because even the DNA test showed that Jefferson and Hemings had a match among their desendents. Even Jefferson's neighbors believed he has. And the chilren had also were said to resemble Jefferson.
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Bobby
11/6/2009 03:08:58 am
I disagree with Craig about remembering Jefferson for this. Everyone is looking at this as a dirty secret or bad deed. In this day and age he might have married her, but the law prohibited the marriage of slaves at that time and it was looked down upon to even socialize with free blacks. If Jefferson were here today he may have lived a happy life with Hemings instead of hiding in secrecy.
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Paige Luppo
11/7/2009 10:01:35 am
I agree with Sarah when she says, "We should look back and be proud in fact, that their were people who disregarded race even when everyone else did. It also proves his timeless values about racism and slavery. He was obviously was not afraid of society and instead acted on his own behalf."
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Muma
11/8/2009 01:34:06 am
Jefferson was with out a doubt the father of Sally Hemmings' children. DNA tests prove it. It shouldn't affect how we remember at all. How is it our business who he did the dirty deed with? The mind and merit of a person should be the determining factor in how we remember them, not who they made love to, were associated with, or other such things.
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Muma
11/8/2009 01:36:39 am
I agree with Paige. He was somewhat of a champion of the abolition movement. The main reason he had slaves is because he inherited them from Sally and his wife's father. By the way, when he married his wife, Sally came with her as part of the marriage dowry.
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Taylor Dean
11/8/2009 05:45:44 am
I do think that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemmings's kids. I don't think he fathered all 6 of her kids, but I do think he fathered some. The DNA testing is enough to prove that he was the dad of those kids. DNA doesn't lie, no whether or not Jefferson ever wanted to admit it, is a different story.
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Taylor Dean
11/8/2009 05:48:21 am
I agree with Ken. Why is it our place to judge who Jefferson had sex with? That was how Jefferson decided to lead his life and we shouldn't judge. In today's society we are quick to judge other people's decisions that they make. Why should we be concerned? We aren't living their life and we don't know the motive behind the decisions made.
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Amberleigh Varney
11/8/2009 06:20:21 am
Due to the DNA testing mentioned in the article we read, I do believe Thomas Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings’ children. Even her children, Eston and Madison, said that Jefferson was their father. Why would this be passed on through generations of their family if it were not true? Madison (one of Sally’s sons) also stated that, “in 1873 that his mother had been pregnant with Jefferson’s child.” When the Thomas Jefferson Foundation researched and tested the DNA, they found that there was a high probability that Jefferson was the father of Eston, and most likely the father to the rest of Sally’s children. Her children were also light-skinned.
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Amberleigh Varney
11/8/2009 06:26:47 am
I agree with Taylor that he was probably the father of some but not all of Sally's children. Also, going off of what you said in the end, it is really common for mothers (whether right or wrong) to have children by different fathers these days.
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Zain
11/8/2009 06:40:16 am
i do think Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings' children. the DNA is the most obvious supporting factor narrowing it down to only Jefferson males. if the DNA is correct than Thomas Jefferson would be the most plausible father, sally lived on his property, jeffy released her children, and they were said to look alike. Thats enough evidence for me.
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Zain
11/8/2009 07:03:39 am
I agree with amber we should acknowledge this but not make it as a symbol of bad character. if anything this proved Thomas Jefferson was one of the more modern thinkers of his time. i also agree that the only reason this was so disputed was the fact that this was taboo at the time, so why then do we now look at this as such a controversy when its common today? because he is famous.
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Ryan Howe
11/8/2009 08:38:40 am
It's not a for sure thing, but Thomas Jefferson is most likely to be some, if not, all of Sally Hemmings' children. This was even proved probable by DNA testing. It's only a matter of time before something like that happens. Jefferson was around Sally all the time. He was bound to make babies with her. Sally's children looked like TJ and had light color skin. A white man had to have been the father for children to have light colored skin. The last fact that supported this theory was when TJ let Sally's kids go free. (the only slaves that he set free)
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Ryan
11/8/2009 08:50:02 am
I agree with Ken. He said that we are not to judge someone by who they mate with, but what they did that made them important in history. And I know for a fact that we don't really learn about Jefferson because of his affair with Sally.
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Sharkey
11/8/2009 10:03:03 am
I believe that jefferson fathered sally's children. There is DNA proof that a Jefferson did, and it was not uncommon at all for a slave owner to rape his slaves because he felt like it.
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Sharkey
11/8/2009 10:04:45 am
I agree with Ken also, I honestly don't care who our presidents have sex with, as long as it doesnt interfere with their job. I think most americans agree with me on this also. (ex. Bill Clinton)
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bryon 91
11/8/2009 10:40:11 am
I believe that Thomas Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings' children. The DNA evidence's proves a Jefferson male was the father of her children.no this part of Jefferson's life would not have a bearing on the way we remember him because Sally Hemings was only a minor figure in his life.
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bryon 91
11/8/2009 10:44:05 am
I agree with sharkey, b/c it was not uncommon at all for a slave owner to rape his slaves.
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Zac
11/8/2009 11:50:12 am
I think jefferson did get it on with Sally Hemings and was her baby daddy. DNA tests prove it, she lived with him most of their lives and the kids looked like him and he set them free. With all this i still dont see why it would bear on the way we remember him. It didnt impact his job and it didnt impact us so it's none of our business.
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Zac
11/8/2009 11:52:47 am
I agree with ken also, it wasnt uncommon what Jefferson did and it didnt affect the way he did things.
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Natalie
11/8/2009 12:30:56 pm
Even though it looks really bad for Jefferson at this point because all evidence points to him. i think there are some major gaps that people tend to look over in the research. people are so quick to point fingers when theres gossip about someone that they dont take time to really review and investigate the evidence. this whole accusation got started over a rumor. yes a rumor and everyone knows how legit rumors are. even when looked into about the affair there are so many missing piece thats its difficult to come up with a precise piece of information. DNA testing shows that there were approximately 25 adult male Jeffersons who carried this chromosome living in Virginia at that time, and a few of them are known to have visited Monticello. theres also no known documentation of pretty much any of these kids being born or of her in general. and no one cares to realize that jefferson had a brother that was said to have been close to the slaves. although it may look like he totally did father the children to sally hemmings i think sometimes we have to read between the lines and fill in some key missing puzzle pieces before we go around pointing the finger.
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Natalie
11/8/2009 12:31:57 pm
i agree with amber, its just a big deal because of the time period. most of out population today is interracial.
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Austin Schmaustin
11/9/2009 09:33:16 am
Of course he was the babydaddy! A man of power often becomes a man corrupted, and it isn't uncommon for a president to have an affair. I just hope she was hot.
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Gaston
11/11/2009 03:45:34 am
I do think that Thomas Jefferson is the Father of Sally's children. Three reasons why i believe so is because he was rumored to have had sexual relations with his slaves. Secondly he wrote in a notebook the names of the slaves and their children. Under her name he had no father name. FISHY! Finally the DNA test say that Jefferson DNA was in her children.
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Gaston
11/15/2009 10:39:22 am
I do think that this should change the way we look at Jefferson because he did a lot for the United States and we should respect that.
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Gaston
11/15/2009 11:12:37 am
I agree with Taylor i dont think Thomas Jefferson fathered all 6 children but i do believe that he had to have fathered some. It would only explain the evidence.
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Morgan
11/18/2009 09:08:45 am
Yes i do think that Jefferson did have relations with his slaves, but i do not think that people should make a big deal out of it because im pretty sure other slave owners did worst things than that.
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Morgan
11/18/2009 09:09:36 am
I agree with Natalie because if that happened now days it wouldnt be such a big deal as it was in that time period.
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