Mr. Barger, 

I don't believe I ever said that I thought Jefferson was "guilty" -- I think my remarks were plain enough: there is no conclusive evidence to prove Jefferson's paternity, but there is a significant amount of suggestive evidence that certainly raises the possibility; and at the same time, I also have never seen anything produced that proves that Jefferson was NOT the father of her children.   Even Jefferson's own comments are more evasion than denial.

But your insistence on using such strong language: "guilty" and "lies" and descriptions of asking the quesiton as "down in the gutter" validates my point that your effort here is not that of academic history writing.   I will not comment on the work of other scholars whose works you mention, except to state that I have found much merit and many thoughtful insights in their works, and I have been pleased to  but I dispute your unkind depiction of their and my academic honesty.

To the LIST-at-large (as well, of course, to Mr. Barger),

I must say that when the whole Jefferson-Hemings DNA storm broke all those years ago I was actually hoping that the discovery might do more to shine light on the issue of inter-racial sexual activity and more importantly (I thought then and think now) on the peculiar place of the mixed-race offspring of such unions.  I have written a biography of Jefferson, but I don't really care one way or the other about the paternity issue.  But the entire instance raises some interesting points for me as a historian.  The supposition of Sally Hemings being extremely fair would no doubt produce very phenotypically white children.  Yet such children were legally slaves -- they looked white, but were "black."  Jefferson, of course, finally freed the Hemings children, but there were far more fair-skinned slaves in the population -- so here are my QUESTIONS (numbered at the request of Mr. Barger): 

1.) What does the presence of fair skinned, white-appearing black slaves tell us about the perception of race in the age of Jefferson?  
2.)  Did whites look at a fair-haired child, and knowing that child's history, "see" a black child?
3.) What do Jefferson's own words, actions, etc. (quite apart from the contentious issue of his possible paternity of mixed race children) tell us about these issues?


I look forward to Mr. Barger's promised answers and those of anyone else who wishes to comment.

David Kiracofe

>May I please suggest that you or anyone else, Kevin, Jon, Dan Jordan,
Peter Onuf, Joseph Ellis, AGR and any of the others may wish to ask
questions and state WHY you believe TJ is guilty and list them 1, 2, 3,
etc. and I will answer each question. Fair enough? As you
state..........nothing proves him guilty SO why do folks write lies and
sell books?? I don't consider that I set the "bars to high" what are we
talking here, asking truth when discussing a founding father or down in
the gutter talk that some recent posters have written. Yes, pose your
beliefs.

Herb



David Kiracofe
History
Tidewater Community College
Chesapeake Campus
1428 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
757-822-5136

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