Tom and Sally
I was struck by the Washington Times piece on Thomas Jefferson's alleged affair with Sally Hemings. Years ago, Bob Bartley, former editor of the WSJ, asked me to look into this when it was last really in the news. That was back when Monticello and the official Jefferson organizations embraced the allegations as truth, partly based on DNA.Here's the lead into the Times story:
In a book due out Thursday, eminent scholars say it’s unlikely that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings‘ children, disputing a decade’s worth of conventional wisdom that the author of the Declaration of Independence sired offspring with one of his slaves.
The debate has ensnared historians for years, and many thought the issue was settled when DNA testing in the late 1990s confirmed that a Jefferson male fathered Hemings' youngest son, Eston. But, with one lone dissenter, the panel of 13 scholars doubted the claim and said the evidence points instead to Jefferson's brother Randolph as the father.
I'm not a Jefferson fan for a number of reasons. Too cold Enlightenment for my tastes. While I was at the White House, Karl Rove once arranged a beautiful outdoor dinner at Monticello. We had a wonderful evening while my daughters ran barefoot around the grounds. There is a gazebo there where our host said Jefferson used to write. I remember thinking to myself, how could you write all these stirring words about liberty while all around you are men in bondage to you?
That said, at the time (about a decade ago) I thought that the evidence, while making Jefferson's paternity possible, did not go as far in that direction and was not nearly as conclusive as some of those claimed it did.
Ricochet has a special interest here, because our own Paul Rahe is the lone dissenter cited above. He's been part of this for many years, and knows much more than I do. Love to get Paul's take on what's going on, and why it's happening now.
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Re: Tom and Sally
I understand that Hillsdale classes started today, and what's more, Professor Rahe is on a flight to Seattle this afternoon for a conference. But he assures us he'll get to this topic at some point next week.
Jul '10
Re: Tom and Sally
Just to clear the air on Jefferson a bit. His mother was a Randolph and in his times the Randolphs were one of the most important families in Virginia. Slavery was all around him from the start. His first official act in the House of Burgesses, first day, was to introduce a bill banning the importation of slaves. This earned him a long private chat with the chairman of the legislature, also a Randolph. And, though the South Carolinian delegation was thankfully convinced otherwise, Jefferson's line in the Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal", was a seditious shot at the institution of slavery as well as a repudiation of British class systems.
He also supported a friend and neighbor in selling his plantation, freeing his slaves, and starting over in Ohio with those of his former slaves that wished to continue in his service. While Washington set the gold standard for Virginia politicians of the period by setting his slaves free on his death, Jefferson could not follow suit, having died deeply in debt.
I concur that the evidence in the Hemings case is inconclusive. A dilemma that leaves history with two very different Jeffersons to reconcile.
Mar '11
Re: Tom and Sally
As I recall this controversy came back to life during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. My recollection was that Joseph Ellis gave the claim of Jefferson being the father of a Sally Hemming's child high visibility. I had the feeling, at the time, that Ellis was implying that since Jefferson was a national icon and could not be belittled by a trivial dalliance with a lowly creature how could Clinton be held to account for the same.
Ken Starr vs. T. Jefferson. No contest.
May '10
Re: Tom and Sally
Personally, I kind of like the Tom and Sally story. Remember Sally was only 1/4 black and Tom had taken her to Paris, so they had plenty of time to get to know each other. Sally's kids by Tom (or his brother) would have been 1/8 black which means they would have been less black than Mariah Carey. It would make a good movie if Americans were less nervous about subjects like this.
Edited on Aug 31, 2011 at 7:07pmMay '10
Re: Tom and Sally
Never cared for Jefferson. Hamilton was so much cooler. Just look at the $10 bill. Now there's a guy with some stories. There's a guy you'd like to quaff a Sam Adams with.
Also, Jefferson had an unfortunate habit of spouting off about the Constitution he hadn't written, and his words are cited to this day as evidence. Still trying to recover from the Wall of Separation nonsense. Though it's no wonder he said it, having revised the Bible to exclude everything but the preaching career of Jesus, sans miracles.
Jun '10
Re: Tom and Sally
I don't think the (white) Jefferson family agreed uniformly that TJ was a father of Hemming's kid(s). They corporately acknowledged that a Jefferson was, and thus included the (black) Jefferson decendants into the fold. Before you slander a President and accuse him of committing adultery -- particularly which might have been rape -- you should have more evidence than has ever been put forward against the largely odious TJ.