History - Past and Perspective
Did Jefferson Have Dalliances?

Did Jefferson Have Dalliances?

For a variety of reasons, critics have claimed that Thomas Jefferson, after his wife’s death, fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings, but the facts say otherwise. ...
Steve Byas

From the print edition of The New American

Thomas Jefferson is certainly on the short list of the greatest of our Founding Fathers. He did not even want the fact that he was our third president on his tombstone. Instead, he believed other achievements, such as his authorship of the Declaration of Independence, were more important. Certainly, the words of the Declaration of Independence, in which he boldly proclaimed that our rights come not from government, but from God, are the foundation of our country.

But the ugly accusation that he fathered at least one child, and probably several, by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, has damaged his historical reputation. This attack is certainly part of the broader assault upon the reputation of the Founders, which is designed to diminish support for the principles of limited government upon which the nation was established.

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