Rush To Judgment On Thomas Jefferson Is An Offense To History

The evidence does not support the claim that the author of The Declaration of Independence took advantage of an enslaved woman

Annette Gordon-Reed (left); scene from 2000 movie, “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal” (center); Joseph Ellis (right);

I am neither a historian nor a Thomas Jefferson expert, but Eric Hobby’s criticism of the consensus view that America’s founding father fathered a child with an enslaved woman is worth considering. At a minimum, Hobby presents evidence that cancel culture prematurely closed the debate. Maximally, Hobby is describing a major historiographical injustice. As always, we welcome responses, including long ones, from those who disagree. — MDS

 If you visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s former home, you will learn that Jefferson procreated with Sally Hemings, a woman he enslaved. Some scholars, though, believe other men fathered these children. According to Harvard Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, they reject the standard Jefferson–Hemings story because they are unwilling to admit that “the country is not really white. And that’s a lot for some people to take.” Says Gordon-Reed, “[T]he rejection of the truth of the Jefferson-Hemings relationship can be seen as a way of insuring [sic] that blacks do not have a literal claim to connection to the founders.”

Jefferson biographer Joseph Ellis likened those who question the president's paternity to “Lost Cause” Confederate sympathizers in the aftermath of the Civil War. This piece challenges that accusation.

As author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson’s relevance is, well, self-evident. Nobody denies that he was a slave-owner and flawed person. But regardless of one’s opinion toward Jefferson, the sins for which he is condemned should be based in fact, not convenient historiography.  And on the Jefferson–Hemings theory, there is surprisingly little fact.

The Hemings question has significant implications. If Jefferson fathered children with Hemings, he took advantage of a teenager whom he owned, then denied the relationship and enslaved his own children while hypocritically speaking against master–slave affairs, interracial procreation, and extramarital affairs. But if Jefferson did none of these things, then he has been wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion.

Contrary to the claims of Professors Gordon-Reed and Ellis, there are many legitimate reasons to question and doubt whether Jefferson ever fathered children with Sally Hemings.

Over multiple trips to Monticello, I learned the Sally Hemings story as a “settled” piece of history. Upon taking a closer look at the facts, however, I found that I, and millions of other Americans have been misled. The contrast between the evidence and its portrayal by authorities ultimately compelled me to write this article.

Let’s get into it.