Genetic evidence confirms Thomas Jefferson fathered children with enslaved woman
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After a fifteen-year investigation, a team led by the Smithsonian Institution has used genetic analysis of Thomas Jefferson’s hair to confirm he fathered at least two children with Sally Hemings, a woman he enslaved at Monticello.
Researchers obtained DNA from locks of Jefferson’s hair preserved by his secretary and compared it to DNA from descendants of Hemings’s sons, Madison and Eston.
They found that these descendants shared a greater percentage of Jefferson’s DNA than do most of his known descendants through his wife, Martha Wayles. This discovery builds upon earlier research published in 1998, which suggested Jefferson’s paternity but did not definitively prove it. Some have disputed these findings, questioning the evidence or suggesting Jefferson’s brother Randolph was the father. The new study addresses these criticisms with more advanced genetic techniques and a broader analysis of available data.
The research faced challenges, including initial difficulties in verifying the hair samples’ authenticity and concerns about privacy regarding the genetic information of Jefferson’s descendants. Despite these hurdles, the team secured consent from descendants like Clara Nutt, whose DNA analysis revealed 5.1 percent of Jefferson’s genetic makeup, nearly twice the expected amount. The findings are detailed in a forthcoming book by Richard Kurin and a scientific paper submitted to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Though some Jefferson defenders continue to dispute the evidence, researchers hope the new data will provide conclusive proof of the relationship and encourage a more honest reckoning with the Founder’s complex legacy.
