DNA Analysis Adds Evidence Jefferson Fathered Hemings Children
Scholars conclude with near-certain evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings’s children, based on DNA analysis using a full Jefferson hair sample and genetic comparisons to Hemings descendants. The findings, developed over years of research and highlighted in multiple outlets, challenge earlier doubts and align with a long-standing historical debate about Jefferson’s paternity.
Science · 9 sources · Sep 22, 2026Read itThe journal
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About Eston Hemings
Eston Hemings Jefferson was born into slavery at Monticello, the youngest son of Sally Hemings, a mixed-race enslaved woman. Most historians who have considered the question believe that his father was Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Evidence from a 1998 DNA test showed that a descendant of Eston matched the Jefferson male line, and historical evidence also supports the conclusion that Thomas Jefferson was probably Eston's father. Many historians believe that Jefferson and Sally Hemings had six children together, four of whom survived to adulthood. Other historians disagree.
Everything about Eston Hemings →- Citizenship
- United States
- Born
- May 21, 1808
- Died
- January 3, 1856