<p class="wp-block-paragraph">James Callender first alleged that <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/thomas-jefferson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thomas Jefferson</a> fathered children with his slave, Sally Hemings, more than 200 years ago. A century and a half ago, one of those children, Madison Hemings, stated publicly that Jefferson was his father. Recent genetic evidence has confirmed that it was indeed Jefferson and not any of his other male relatives who fathered the Hemings children.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Since Callender’s first allegation, some have claimed that the Hemings family’s paternity was a smear against Jefferson or his legacy. Jefferson’s granddaughter, through his wife, argued that such relationships were “moral impossibilities,” a defense echoed across the political spectrum. The Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, founded to deny his paternity after DNA testing ruled out Jefferson’s nephews as possible fathers, stated that the argument for Jefferson’s responsibility serves those who wish to reconstruct American history according to their own narratives.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Some American conservatives have maintained that the personal flaws of the founders do not diminish the significance of the founding of the nation. However, a faction of the Right has adopted a perspective that assigns modern patriotism based on genetic heritage. This view suggests that only “Heritage Americans” are true Americans, while others are seen as interlopers.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As noted by <em>The Blaze</em> host Auron MacIntyre on <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/tucker-carlson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tucker Carlson</a>’s show, “Heritage Americans are those that are actually tied. You could find their last names in the Civil War registry,” contrasting American identity as a collection of abstract agreements in a social contract. Brianna Lyman from <em>The Federalist</em> argues that the term recognizes those who built and preserved the country.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to this logic, Sally Hemings and her children could be considered Heritage Americans, deserving of recognition. This raises questions about whether Jefferson should be condemned for actions that contradicted the institutions and ideals he espoused.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In 1789, during her negotiations to return to Virginia, Hemings was a paid servant and legally free in France, living in Jefferson’s mansion. The notable disparity between the three-quarters-white, straight-haired, and fair-skinned Hemings and Jefferson is not race but age. Hemings was born in 1773, making her 15 or 16 when Jefferson likely impregnated her. This age gap would have been considered unusual even by contemporary standards.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite her young age, Hemings demonstrated significant agency. When she became pregnant in Paris, she refused to return to Virginia, successfully negotiating for privileges and freedom for their children at age 21.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The story of the Hemings family challenges the moral implications of a 45-year-old owner impregnating a teenage slave. In a legal system that regarded a 15-year-old girl as property, Hemings negotiated with one of the most powerful men in the country. Jefferson eventually freed two of their younger children upon his death, and of the four surviving adult children, three married into white society, often concealing their origins.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There are privileges that these Heritage Americans deserve. Currently, the Monticello Association prohibits Hemings descendants from being buried alongside their Jefferson relatives. As descendants have argued, they should be allowed to be interred in historic cemeteries with their ancestors. Organizations like the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Daughters of the American Revolution recognize Heritage Americans who descend from those who contributed to the nation’s founding.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The focus of the Heritage American narrative often overlooks the complexities of reconciling Jefferson’s personal conduct with his political philosophy. Jefferson’s writings reflect his belief that slavery was morally corrosive, and he feared that emancipation would disrupt the nation.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jefferson’s personal flaws did not contradict his public philosophy, nor did they undermine it. The Hemings children illustrate that the struggle to fulfill America’s promise is longstanding and challenging. They are indeed Heritage Americans, but Jefferson believed that the “natural aristocracy” of virtue transcended birth.</p>