Jefferson-Hemings Controversy - New Evidence in DNA Study

New Evidence in DNA Study

The Jefferson family assertions about Carr paternity of Eston Hemings were disproved in the 1998 DNA study (see below) that tested the Y-chromosome of direct male descendants of the Jefferson male line (Jefferson had no acknowledged male descendant), the Carr line, and Eston Hemings. It showed no match between the Carr and Eston Hemings' descendant, but there was a match between the rare Jefferson family haplotype and that of the Hemings descendant.

When the results were reported, the biographer Joseph Ellis, who in his 1996 book had strongly denied Jefferson's paternity, said in an interview,

"It's not so much a change of heart, but this is really new evidence. And it - prior to this evidence, I think it was a very difficult case to know and circumstantial on both sides, and, in part, because I got it wrong, I think I want to step forward and say this new evidence constitutes, well, evidence beyond any reasonable doubt that Jefferson had a longstanding sexual relationship with Sally Hemings. Even though the match is only with one of the Hemings' descendants, Eston Hemings, it's inconceivable that Jefferson, who was 65 when Eston was born, would have made a one-night stand here. I think this is a longstanding relationship. When it began and what the character of the relationship is we probably can't know easily or at all. But it was, without question, an enduring one.

While another Jefferson male from his line would have had the same DNA as Thomas Jefferson, no other candidate from his male line had ever been identified as a possible father during the nearly 200 years of the historic controversy. As noted above, the Carrs had been considered candidates. Critics of the conclusions about Jefferson paternity have suggested his brother Randolph Jefferson as a candidate, or another of the eight Jefferson males who lived within 20 miles. These alternatives have only been proposed since the DNA study results showed a match between the Jefferson and Hemings haplotypes.