Framing a Legend: Exposing the Distorted History of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings

A penetrating critical perspective on the question of Thomas Jeffersons paternity that will make you rethink recent conventional wisdom. It is accepted by most scholars that Jefferson had a lengthy affair with his slave Sally Hemings and fathered at least one of her children, a conclusion based on a 1998 DNA study published in Nature and on the work of historian Annette Gordon-Reed. Framing a Legend argues compellingly that the DNA evidence is inconclusive and that there are remarkable flaws in the leading historical scholarship purporting to show such a liaison. Author M. Andrew Holowchak critically examines well-known books by Fawn Brodie, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Andrew Burstein, labeling their views as three prominent spins. He then delves into what we know about Thomas Jeffersons character, showing that the historical facts do not suggest any romantic interest on Jeffersons part in his female slaves.