Unlocking History: The DNA Quest to Unravel Thomas Jefferson’s Ancestry
For over two centuries, the mystery surrounding Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings has sparked debates about slavery, race, and power in America. The question of whether Jefferson fathered children with Hemings has been a topic of intrigue and contention, challenging the legacy of the nation’s third president.
“Thomas Jefferson wrote the most famous phrase in American history — ‘All men are created equal’ — and yet, if he bore children with Sally Hemings who were born into slavery, it seemed like a paradox and a contradiction,” remarked Richard Kurin to NPR’s Michel Martin for Morning Edition.
The Journey to Discover Jefferson’s DNA
Richard Kurin, a distinguished scholar with the Smithsonian Institution, devoted 15 years to tracking down Jefferson’s DNA to resolve these historical questions. The journey began with a strand of hair found in Jefferson’s Bible, involving an array of experts from scientists to genealogists, and culminated in Kurin’s book, History by a Hair.
In the late 1990s, pathologist Eugene Foster’s study of Y chromosome markers from Jefferson’s descendants and a descendant of Eston Hemings suggested a link. “It convinced, I think, most historians and a lot of people that Thomas Jefferson was indeed the father of Sally Hemings’ children,” Kurin noted. However, skeptics argued the DNA might point to any male Jefferson relative.
A Historical Investigation
Despite initial setbacks, Kurin’s tenacity led him back to Monticello, where he uncovered a packet of hair labeled as Jefferson’s. “A rich lock of hair,” Kurin described, became the key to sequencing Jefferson’s DNA. This breakthrough provided compelling evidence linking Jefferson’s genetic material to the Hemings lineage.
With the new DNA sample, Kurin confirmed, “We know that there are descendants of Madison Hemings and Eston Hemings that have a whole lot of Thomas Jefferson DNA.”
Implications of the Discovery
While the findings strongly indicate Jefferson’s paternity of Hemings’ children, Kurin emphasizes the importance of the scientific approach devoid of moral judgments. The study links Eston and Madison Hemings to Jefferson but acknowledges the mystery of descendants from Hemings’ other children, Harriet and Beverly, who assimilated into white society.
Kurin hopes to make Jefferson’s genetic information available to assist others in uncovering familial connections, with a scientific paper currently under review. “They may end up rediscovering a heritage that was obscured. This story is not over yet,” he said.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
