DNA Analysis Re-examines Jefferson-Hemings Paternity Question

Why it matters locally: This research directly relates to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's primary home and plantation, which is a significant historical site and tourist destination in Virginia. The ongoing re-examination of Jefferson's legacy impacts how this state-based landmark is interpreted and presented to the public.

A Smithsonian Institution scholar, Richard Kurin, has revisited the question of Thomas Jefferson's paternity of children with Sally Hemings through a new DNA analysis. Kurin's work, titled *History by a Hair*, culminates 15 years of investigation into genetic evidence. The research utilizes a lock of hair attributed to Thomas Jefferson. Scientists analyzed the DNA from this sample, comparing it to genetic markers previously established in descendents of the Hemings family. Historians and geneticists have explored the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings for decades. A 1998 study, published in *Nature*, first presented DNA evidence suggesting a link between the Jefferson male line and Eston Hemings, Sally Hemings's youngest son. That study indicated that a male in the Jefferson line, including Thomas Jefferson, fathered Eston Hemings. Kurin's current analysis aims to provide further insights by examining additional genetic data. His research contributes to the ongoing historical and scientific discussion surrounding the familial connections at Monticello, Jefferson's primary home and plantation. The findings add to the body of evidence that has accumulated since the initial DNA studies.