Did Thomas Jefferson father slave children?

Friends —

A few months ago, I made a video that touched on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. I said what I think most people believe: that Jefferson was the father of her children. I thought it was settled history.

When some readers pushed back, I dug deeper.

What I found is a genuinely fascinating story about how a “maybe” became a “definitely.” It wasn’t because the science demanded it, but because people wanted a clean answer … and maybe a racial reckoning.

The DNA proved “a Jefferson” was the father of Hemings’ youngest son. And the media turned that into “Thomas” without a whole lot of proof.

Was Jefferson the father? I genuinely don’t know, but there’s a name that shows up in early oral histories and almost disappears from later accounts. He was Jefferson’s younger brother who lived nearby, visited regularly, and his own descendants said he was the Jefferson connection. There may even be a DNA test coming that could finally settle it.

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I also want to be honest: I had a small taste of what it costs to even raise these questions. When I started hedging on my original take, I was hit with accusations that I was a conspiracy theorist or a white supremacist. For a historian or academic, the downside is a lot steeper than a rough comment section. Sometimes the safest career move is to never ask the question at all.

I think that’s worth examining, and it’s exactly why I made this video.

You can watch it here.

– Ken

P.S. If you haven’t seen them yet, you can also check out my videos on why innocent people shouldn’t always talk to cops, and on why climate activists pull crazy stunts that actually makes people less likely to support their cause. I’ve been busy!

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