Many controversies have arisen due to the idea that Thomas Jefferson had a relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. Because at this time in the early 1800s, a white southern gentleman was never thought of having any relationships with his slaves, including having children, this idea for many people is absurd. Could you imagine Thomas Jefferson, being the man of such high stature and having such respect among the American people, would ever think of having a relationship with Sally Hemings? According to Annette Gordon-Reed, author of the book Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy, this is actually very likely for Thomas Jefferson to have sexual relations with Sally Hemings and to have one or more children at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in Virginia. " The strongest probability is that Thomas Jefferson had at least one child with Sally Hemings,"" said Annette Gordon-Reed, professor of law at the New York Law School. Annette Gordon-Reed's findings and conclusion can be very surprising to some people, but on the other hand it is very logical. This controversy has remained a subject of discussion and disagreement for nearly two centuries. Many people deny the fact that this could be even possible, but those people cannot avoid the DNA evidence that was brought forward in 1998. The DNA evidence proved that Sally Hemings did have an affair with someone in the Jefferson line. The DNA evidence is a major factor that leads people to believe that Thomas Jefferson had an affair with Sally Hemings.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 at Shadwell, Virginia and died on July 4, 1826 at his home Monticello in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson built Monticello when he was twenty-six years old and three years later he married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he lived happily for ten years until her death. They had six children, and only two daughters survived. Jefferson, who never remarried, inherited slaves from his father and at one time he owned about 200 slaves, and almost half were under the age of 16.
