When did sally hemings marry Thomas Jefferson?

Answer 1

They were never married. They did have an affair and he did father her children, but she was was his slave and his property (as well as his half-sister in law) so they could not have gotten married even if they wanted to.

23 June 16, by John Antkowiak: I am a public historian who has devoted considerable time weighing the arguments on both sides of whether it can be claimed that Thomas Jefferson fathered any of Sally Hemings's children. It is important for anyone seeking answers to historical questions to understand the sources of their information - especially when that information is used to draw conclusions.

In 1998, a study was published in a scientific journal called Nature that claimed to have found DNA proof establishing Jefferson as the father of the children. The story was picked up by The Washington Post and repeated in many newspapers across America. The principle reporter responsible for this is now known to have been an ardent supporter of Bill Clinton, who was in the middle of his own controversy at the time regarding an inappropriate relationship while serving as president. The reporter was trying to draw a moral equivalency between the two presidents and misstated the evidence; unfortunately, the momentary political advantage gained in the chaos caused by the story was more important to the author than conducting a sound historical analysis. This is compounded by the truth that the original Nature article also sacrificed scientific accuracy for sensationalism. In a nutshell, here's where the "proof" of Jefferson's fatherhood falls short:

In order to prove paternity, a study must compare the DNA of the father to the DNA of the child. No sample of Thomas Jefferson's DNA exists; therefore no study can positively identify him as anyone's father. Instead of Thomas Jefferson's DNA, the researchers used the DNA of several descendants of Thomas's uncle. An unquestionable DNA link exists between the Jeffersons and the Hemingses, but cannot identify anyone or any time specifically as the source of it.

Thomas was not even the most likely candidate, according to the rumor and gossip of Jefferson's day. The claim was most loudly and publicly made by a man named James Callender, who had just lost a political appointment because of Jefferson and had threatened to destroy his reputation. (Reputable historians note that Callender also accused John Adams of being a British spy and George Washington of having deliberately robbed from his army in an attempt to subvert it and lose the war.)

The bottom line on this controversy is that we will probably never know who did what to whom in order to produce Sally Hemings's seven children. Thomas may have been the father of the youngest (but not necessarily) - but was almost certainly not the father of the others (although Stranger Things have happened in the course of human events). If the police were doing a lineup of suspects, Thomas would be in it - but so would a number of others.

One thing we know for sure: the DNA evidence does notprove that Thomas fathered any of the children. The geneticist who conducted the study spoke out against its being used to justify any such claims. Nature publicly admitted the article's flaws and retracted it; The Washington Post also very quietly printed a retraction statement. Very few of the other papers that had repeated the story did the same. Even fewer among the American public have any idea that the story was false from the outset.

The other thing we know for sure: rumors spread by people who have something to gain by it may make sensational headlines, but must ever be mistaken for honest history. Always check the background of the person giving you your information.

For more information about all aspects of this incident, please see tjheritage.org/dna.html, and claremont.org/crb/basicpage/the-case-of-jefferson-and-hemings.