This is the third body of evidence against the idea that Thomas Jefferson sired children by his slave Sally Hemings.*
   The culprit birthing the two century long accusation that Jefferson had children by Hemings was James T. Callender (1758-1803). He was a journalist who began his career in Scotland where he authored work critical of the British government. He was summarily indicted for sedition, and ultimately, he and his family fled to America. Incurring the sympathy of American patriots, he landed a job writing for a Republican newspaper, which was a Anti-Federalist, pro-Jefferson publication in Philadelphia. He continued his inflammatory attacks, this time against Federalists like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams. At the time, the northern states tended to be Federalist, and the southern states anti-Federalist. Over time, this did not bode well for Callender, who was attacking the Federalists in their own front-yard. Fearing persecution, he fled from Philadelphia to Richmond, Virginia, and found another job with a Republican newspaper, continuing his attacks. “But in 1800, because of his vicious writings, Callender was convicted under the federal Sedition Law, fined $200, which is about $3000 today” (pg47). During nine months in prison, Callender wrote Jefferson 29 letters, who was then vice president under John Adams. Jefferson replied only three times, ‘BUT’ continued personal financial support of Callender’s children, which began upon his initial arrival from England.
   The next year, when Jefferson became president, “he deemed the Sedition Law to be unconstitutional and pardoned everyone (14 people) who had been persecuted under it…including Callender!! Jefferson also ordered the fines…returned, with interest. The Federalist sheriff who had collected the $200 fine from Callender refused…even ignoring direct orders. Callender, now free, was unaware of these difficulties…and became infuriated with Jefferson” (pg47-48).
   Furthermore, because he wrote in favor of Jefferson’s party, he now believed they owed him, and demanded a Presidential appointment as the U.S. postmaster for Richmond, which both President Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison rejected.
   As the sheriff’s refusal to return the fine continued, Jefferson told Governor Monroe, “I think with you, we had better refund his fine by private contributions. I enclose you an order on Gibson & Jefferson for $50, which I believe is one fourth of the whole sum” (pg48).
   Three days later, Callender responded to Jefferson’s benevolence with a vicious attack considering his $50 to be hush money, not charity, that was due. Of course, Jefferson correctly responded by cutting him off.
   “The disgruntled Callender who previously had written only for Republican newspapers—that is pro-Jefferson, and Anti-Federalist publications—now actively sought a job with the Recorder, a Federalist newspaper in Richmond that was openly critical of President Jefferson.” From this point (1801) till his death (1803), he began his attacks on Jefferson—including the birthing a child with Hemings--accusation!
   In his first piece, Callender wrote: “It is well known that the man whom it delighteth the people to honor [President Jefferson] keeps, and for many years past has kept as his concubine one of his own slaves. Her name is Sally. The name of her eldest son is Tom. His features are said to bear a striking, although sable [dark-skinned] resemblance to those of the president himself. The boy is ten or twelve years of age. His mother went to France in the same vessel with Mr Jefferson” (pg52).
   Of course, as already noted, there are some serious problems with Callender’s facts. First, contemporary DNA research has unequivocally proven that ‘NO’ Jefferson genes—from all 26 possibilities, including Thomas Jefferson(pg2)---were found in Sally’s son, ‘Thomas Woodson’s’ lineage! Second, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings did not travel to France on the same vessel, there was a three-year gap, 1784 and 1787, respectively. Third, idea of Jefferson fathering children by Hemings was neither “well known” nor received by Americans at the time as proven  by the fact that he was overwhelming re-elected to office--AFTER the rumors broke! Fourth, because any of Hemings children have a resemblance to Jefferson has absolutely ‘ZERO’ bearing on Thomas Jefferson fathering them! First and second cousins often have resemblance to one another because of the same Y gene, not because they have the same father. I personally had a second cousin whom I grew-up with, that as children, even I believed…he looked just like me!  The ‘resemblance accusation factor’ in this controversy is--by far--the worst evidence in favor of those who hold that Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemings!
    Many scholars, even to this day, have debunked Callender’s accusations. “Almost every scandalously story about Jefferson which is still whispered or believed can be traced to the lies in Callender’s book” wrote, Pulitzer prize-winning author James Truslow Adams(pg54). Merrill Peterson, University of Virginia history professor and Pulitzer prize-winning historian Dumas Malone declared Callender “one of the most notorious scandalmongers and character assassins in American history” (pg55). University of Stanford, history professor John C. Miller describes Callender, “the most unscrupulous scandalmonger of the day…a journalist who stopped at nothing and stooped to anything.”
   In a letter to Governor Monroe, Jefferson wrote, “I was really mortified at the base ingratitude of Callender. It presents human nature in a hideous form. …I considered him as a man of science fled from persecution, and assured my friend of my readiness to do whatever I could to serve him… In 1798, I think, I was applied…to contribute to his relief…” “In 1799…I contributed again. When he fled in panic from Philadelphia…I availed myself of this pretext to cover a mere charity and sent him fifty dollars(750 dollars today). The succeeding year, he again wanted money…sent him another 50 dollars (750 dollars today)…” “…however ready I was to aid him with my own charities, and I gave him 50 dollars (750 dollars today)…” (pg58).
  If you are counting, that’s five times Jefferson contributed large sums of money to help Callender; all this, plus pardoning him from an unjust law, and returning his fine with interest! Yet, because Jefferson would not appoint him to postmaster of Richmond, Callender went on the offensive inventing the Hemings accusations…which last to this day!
   In spite of these three tidbits (1-3), which pretty much, offer irrefutable evidence that Jefferson did not father even one Hemings’ child---why do the rumors still linger? It’s a simple, but complex answer. The first step toward truth, is to remember to view things from God’s perspective. The Bible declares,
1.The life of Jesus is the light of men(Jn1:3). Mankind cannot understand, apart from the life/person of Christ Jesus. Therefore, without revelation from the Holy Spirit, which is synonymous with the person of Jesus(Jn1:1,Jn14:26), mankind will misinterpret life!
2.We are instructed not to be ignorant of the schemes of the devil(2Cor2:11).
   What we are now seeing in the contemporary attacks on America’s Founding Fathers is a concerted effort to discredit their reputations and character, with the intent in mind to reject their philosophy and work. In other words, the ultimate liberal agenda is to reject the Declaration of Independence and Constitution because, they are products of our Founding Fathers! But why? In order to replace those documents with their own version of ‘positive’ law—which they believe to be more updated and equitable! In other words, because the Declaration of Independence and Constitution originate in the Bible, which is God’s word, and because liberalism is a doctrine of atheism, and atheism rejects the Bible, liberalism therefore rejects the Declaration and Constitution!
 
It’s that simple!
 
I repeat, do not be ignorant of the schemes of Satan!
 
*This tidbit series is indebted to David Barton, and his incredible book “The Jefferson Lies”. All quotes with page numbers come from his book. 

 
Tidbit
Enrich yourself so you can enrich the lives of others.
-GARY COXE, Personal growth coach and life strategist

   There are three bodies of evidence used to accuse Thomas Jefferson of fathering children with his slave Sally Hemings.*
           1.1998 DNA evidence
           2.Oral Tradition evidence
           3.Published newspaper reports from Jefferson’s day
   In part 1, I reviewed the DNA evidence. In this part, I offer the Oral evidence. First, we need to become aware of the children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings:
         i.Thomas Jefferson is known to have had five children**:
           Martha(nick-named Patsy); Mary(Nick-named Maria or Polly);
           Jane; Lucy Elizabeth I;  Lucy Elizabeth II.
         ii.Sally Hemings is known to have had at least seven children:
            Thomas(1790-1879); Harriet1 (1795-1797); Beverly(1798-1873);
             Thenia(1799-1799); Harriet2 (1801-1863); Madison(1805-1877);
​             Eston(1808-1856).
   The Oral evidence supporting Thomas Jefferson as the father of Sally Hemings children originates from two sources: 1.Media and; 2.Family: a couple Hemings descendants.
1.Media. From the media to academia, thousands of writers and authors have declared that Sally Hemmings was either or both a concubine of, or was raped by, Thomas Jefferson. For example,
          i."Sally Hemings bore President Thomas Jefferson six children, yet
             his legitimate descendants tried their best to discredit her
             story."
          ii.“The strongest evidence supporting Thomas C. Woodson's
              connection to Monticello is the enduring oral history in the
              Woodson family.” 
          iii.CBS reports on two of Thomas Jefferson’s descendants; one
             black and the other white.
    If you google this controversy, you will find hundreds of articles, almost none reporting on the DNA evidence I presented last week. I repeat, I could not find even one!
 
2.Family
In 1873, in an Ohio newspaper, Madison Hemings testified: “my mother became Mr Jefferson’s concubine, and when he was called back home, she was enceinte (pregnant) by him with Thomas Woodson”.
   Historian David Barton responds, “But the DNA testing disproved two of Madison Hemings’ major claims: 1.there were no Jefferson genes in Sally’s first child, Thomas; 2.Sally did not return home pregnant by Jefferson.” (pg44)
    “Yet, modern authors such as Professor Annette Gordon-Reed believe that Jefferson was guilty of all that Madison charged him with.” To support her belief that Jefferson had plenty of opportunity to have sexual encounters with, i.e. rape Hemings; in her book, ‘Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings: An American Controversy’, Professor Gordon-Reed ‘reprinted’ a letter written in 1858 by Ellen Randolph Coolidge (Thomas Jefferson’s granddaughter) describing the rooms at Monticello. Professor Reed quotes Coolidge:
“His(Jefferson’s) apartment had no private entrance not perfectly accessible and visible to all the household. No female domestic ever entered his chambers except at hours when he was known not to be in the public gaze.”(pg44)
 
   By using the granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson own words, Professor Reed wanted to prove that Hemings could have entered Thomas Jefferson’s private apartment when no one was watching. If this is true, it is strong support for her position. However, there is just one problem; Professor Gordon-Reed intentionally changed what Coolidge wrote. The exact Coolidge statement was:
“His(Jefferson’s) apartment had no private entrance not perfectly accessible and visible  to all the household. No female domestic ever entered his chambers except at hours when he was known not to be there; and none could have entered without being exposed  to the public gaze.”(pg45)
 
I repeat, Professor Gordon-Reed intentionally omitted the above highlighted part from Coolidge’s original statement, “completely reversing its message” (pg45).
   Barton continues, “Significantly, the granddaughter had actually said that (1)no one could have entered without being seen, and that (2) no female staff entered Jefferson’s  room unless he was not there. But Reed re-wrote what his granddaughter had actually said. She changed the quotation, cutting out the most important part without the use of an ellipse or any other indication that she had purposely removed that key segment.” (pg44-45)
   When many liberal contemporary authors are confronted with the actual DNA facts, and the oral history facts of this controversy, the response of academics like African-American Professor Gordon-Reed is to cry, “Racism!”.
    One of the curses released in the earth just before the coming of the Lord is that men will: “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom1:18).
 
 
*This tidbit series is indebted to David Barton, and his incredible book “The Jefferson Lies”. All quotes with page numbers come from his book.
**There is also a possible son, who died early.

​Quotebit
The person who invests time educating himself will reap a lifetime of extra knowledge, fun and income.       -Ron White

   First, this tidbit series is indebted to one of my favorite historians David Barton, and his incredible book “The Jefferson Lies”. It’s a ‘must read’. The quotes with page numbers only in this tidbit are from this book.
   Second, the question that requires an immediate answer is: Why is this important? In short, this issue is critical because it is imperative to expose the liberal/progressive motive behind their attack on America’s Founding Fathers:  
           1.Possess power
           2.Recreate America*
           3.Reject God/The Bible**
   In other words, their mindset is to usurp political power by any means, in order to recreate America, and to ultimately reject God. In the liberal mind, one of the methods to accomplish these three objectives is to discredit the Founding Fathers using historical revisionism. For example, if George Washington can be discredited because he owned slaves; or Thomas Jefferson can be discredited because he not only owned slaves, but raped them, then liberals believe they have the high moral ground to reject the Founders; and with them, the Christianity they so boldly embraced and used to create this nation. Here we go!
   There are three bodies of evidence used to accuse Thomas Jefferson of fathering children with his slave Sally Hemings:
           1.1998 DNA evidence
           2.Oral Tradition evidence
           3.Published newspaper reports from Jefferson’s day
 
1.1998 DNA Evidence. In 1998, the science journal ‘Nature’*** released the blockbuster results to the world that DNA had positively linked Thomas Jefferson to the children of his slave Sally Hemings, and thereby ‘scientifically’ confirming a 200-year old rumor. “In the two weeks following that announcement, 221 printed articles repeated the claim, embedding it deeply in the minds of Americans”(pg35). For example,
--“…The DNA tests end nearly two centuries of speculation… it now likely appears Jefferson fathered four or five children by Hemings.”      
                    -USA Today
--“Did the author of the Declaration of Independence take a slave for a mistress? DNA tests say yes…”             -U.S.News & World Report
--“Genetic testing almost certainly proves that our third president fathered at least one child by Sally Hemings.”           -Washington Post
--“DNA Test finds evidence of Jefferson Child by slave.        
                                   -New York Times
   How did America respond to this blockbuster information? Predictably, people began to call for Jefferson’s image to be removed from our coins; dismantle the Jefferson memorial in Washington D.C.; and finally, to remove of his face from Mount Rushmore.

   What is the answer to the irrefutable, undeniable ‘scientific’ DNA information proving Thomas Jefferson raped and fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings?

Only 8 weeks after the initial DNA story was released, the initial ‘Nature’ article was “pulled and rewritten, quietly and without fanfare”(pg32). Eugene Foster, who originally conducted the DNA testing, and authored the ‘Nature’ article, republished in the same ‘Nature’ journal concluding his testing had ‘NOT’ proven that Jefferson had fathered any children by Hemings!!
   Historian David Barton writes, “It turned out that the results had been dramatically overstated: there were 26 Jefferson males living in the area, of whom ten might have been the father of the Hemings child, and Thomas was only one possibility”(pg32).
 
What happened?
 
   Genetic DNA paternity testing requires a Y chromosome from a male descendant, because it remains the same in males from generation to generation. Here is the first problem: Thomas Jefferson had only one male descendant, a son, who died at birth!! What the researchers did not tell the media and the public is that they chose instead to use the DNA from the descendants of Field Jefferson, Thomas’ uncle!! Barton writes, “Therefore on the basis of DNA testing, the most that the researchers could conclusively say was that ‘some’ Jefferson male, and I repeat, there were 26 Jefferson males living in the area at the time—had a relationship with Sally Hemings that resulted in the birth of Eston” (pg38). In other words, it was true that the researchers indeed found a Y chromosome common to the entire Jefferson family in the descendants of Sally Hemings, but incredibly, what they willfully chose to suppress (Rom1:18) is that the genetic results could apply to anywhere between 10-26 Jefferson males!
    In addition, a commission of PhD scholars from Harvard, U. of Virginia, U. of North Carolina, U. of Kentucky, U. of Indiana, and others, examined this issue and concluded: “There are at least ten possible fathers for Sally Hemings’ children who could have passed down genetic material that might produce children physically resembling Thomas Jefferson and who are thought to have visited Monticello regularly during the years of Sally Hemings was having children” (pg38). Moreover, this distinguished group wrote, “the case against some of Thomas Jefferson’s relatives appears significantly stronger than the case against him.”
    In conclusion, the DNA testing that supposedly ‘irrefutably’ convicted Thomas Jefferson of impregnating Sally Heming is suspect because:
           1.They did not use Thomas Jefferson’s own DNA
           2.They substituted the DNA of Field Jefferson, his uncle
          3.They did not test the DNA of the rest of the Jefferson males living
              in that area!
 
Beware...this is the authentic face of liberalism!
 
* This means to change laws, traditions, mores, in other words, remove the Judaeo/Christian ethic
** Install a false god.
***-Eugene A. Foster, “Jefferson Fathered Slave’s last Child,” Nature, November 5, 1998, Vol.396, 27-28.
-Eric Lander and Joseph Ellis, “Founding Father,” Nature, November 5,1998, Vol.396,1.
 
QuoteBit
We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are. – Jim Rohn