Did Thomas Jefferson father children with Sally Hemings?

NPR · 2:13

12,752 views · 457 likes · Sep 24, 2026

Did Thomas Jefferson father children with Sally Hemings?

“Yes,” said Richard Kurin, author of “History by a Hair,” a new book detailing the complicated process behind answering this question.

It's an over 200-year-old question that has been infused with debates about race, power, slavery and the mythology of the Founding Fathers.

In 2011, a few strands of hair were discovered inside Thomas Jeff…

Did Thomas Jefferson father children with Sally Hemings?

“Yes,” said Richard Kurin, author of “History by a Hair,” a new book detailing the complicated process behind answering this question.

It's an over 200-year-old question that has been infused with debates about race, power, slavery and the mythology of the Founding Fathers.

In 2011, a few strands of hair were discovered inside Thomas Jeff…

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