The Jefferson Scandals: A Rebuttal

The current DNA testing apparently links SOME MALE of the Jefferson line with the African female. American historians have consistently indicated that there are several candidates for who that male could have been, given the known opportunities and timing. Importantly, it does NOT 'prove' that Thomas Jefferson himself fathered any child by this female. For those who understand the most basic concepts of DNA and genetic inheritance, it is obvious that TJ cannot be shown to be the 'paternity' until and when his own DNA is tested, if ever. Put another way: NO -- as a result of the latest DNA testing -- it has not ever been 'proved' that TJ fathered any child by Sally Hemmings, nor ever had any relations with her. Until his own DNA is tested -- if ever -- that story remains a spurious conjecture, if not slander.

I was a history major in college and believe that Virginus Dabney makes excellent use of both primary and secondary sources, unlike Brodie who merely speculates about Jefferson's love life without providing any facts. Dabney's book is written like a history thesis with a little bit of humor between the lines. Brodie's book reads like a novel and should be in the fiction section, not with the biographies. I take offense to one of the comments below assuming that white readers who accept the occurance of the Maria Cosway affair, while "denying" the Hemmings affair are racist... this is simply ridiculous. History is not about what we think should have happened. It's about what did happen based on the available evidence. If the evidence says that Thomas Jefferson had an affair with a slave, fine, but my hunch is that Jefferson did not father Sally Hemmings' children and that his nephew was the father. However, my opinion is based on the evidence that is currently available and does not make me a racist. As Dabney points out, the fact that prominent historians such as Gary Wills in addition to the three leading Jeffersonian experts in the world also doubt the historical integrity of Brodie's book adds credibility to Dabney's thesis statement. Brodie was not qualified to write such a "comprehensive" analysis of Jefferson's life. Her background was not in history, so what is she doing pretending to be an historian?

Note to the last reviewer concerning her note to the previous reviewer. This book was revised to include the DNA evidence, and if looked at closely, the DNA evidence reveals a common male ancestor, which might have been Thomas Jefferson, but might also have been his nephew as Dabney and others have argued all along.I believe it was Thomas Jefferson myself, and we may yet prove it, but to say that the DNA tests proved this is fallacy.