Study Strengthens Evidence Jefferson Fathered Hemings Children

A new DNA analysis of hair attributed to Thomas Jefferson finds genetic evidence linking him directly to descendants of Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello, strengthening the case that Jefferson fathered at least some of her children. Researchers compared DNA reconstructed from the hair with genetic material from descendants of Hemings’ sons Madison and Eston and from Jefferson family lines. Their analyses favored Jefferson over his brother Randolph or Randolph’s sons as the father, addressing a longstanding debate over whether earlier evidence identified Jefferson himself or only a male relative. The findings build on earlier DNA research but come from a paper posted as a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed; the hair found in Jefferson’s Bible was part of the investigation alongside other hair samples attributed to him.