Mr. Barger,
I appreciate your passion in this matter, but I agree with the others here on the list that it's time to move this topic back to genealogy.
I remain unpersuaded by your evidence, so there's little point in your listing it again and again. I would, however, point out (since this is a genealogy forum) that DNA evidence is useful, though not always definitive, in an age when the written record is often so sketchy, especially for the non-persons of society (slaves, blacks, indentured servants, the poor in general).
In my own case, I have searched for years to connect the dots from my Missouri Chapmans back to VA, and recently found them in Caroline County. But because of the paucity of written records, I'm still unable to move back even a generation from where I was 35 years ago. The president of the Chapman Family Association once told me that there were more "problems" with VA Chapmans than any other region.
Bill Cross
----- Original Message -----
From: Herbert Barger
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: Are Martha Jefferson and Sally Hemings Half-Sisters?
Bill,
Yes, we all deserve accurate and fair reporting of ALL known facts in this
case and in any research........not politically correct manipulation of
known results for various agendas and the tainting of our children's
textbooks. I am no authority on DNA either, however explaining this case is
simple and I am sure you will understand. I assisted Dr. Foster with the
test. He gathered DNA from 19 sources. He took it to the University of
Virginia Medical Department where some processing was made as I understand
it. He then delivered the DNA raw research to England and it was tested
there and in two other locations. As early as June 1998 he had the results
back, however the Nature Journal article was not to appear until Nov. 5,
1998. His whole mission was to prove or disprove that the Carr brothers were
a match or not with anyone (the history books stated they were suspects.)
When there was NO match for them there was NO OTHER person left in the
equation except Thomas Jefferson. All family genealogy I had given Dr.
Foster to use in considering results was NOT given Nature and THUS they
issued (or negotiated) at false and misleading headline, "Jefferson fathers
slaves last child", a complete LIE........but that is what the media was
awaiting. US News and World Report and other media supposedly jumped the
Nature "embargo" on the story. Many charges and assumptions arose, like why
was it conveniently released one day prior to election, why was it used to
support the sitting president's position for non impeachment and other
agendas evolved. DNA of unbroken male line surnames was required, but only
ONE Hemings was tested. The Hemings family will not give permission to test
another later found male...they are happy with their oral family history.
You mention that you are unpersuaded by my stance and state that Monticello
takes a neutral stance. I beg to differ and site a few things for you. Do
you consider a Monticello statement that not only one but possibly ALL of
Sally's children had the father, Thomas Jefferson is accurate? MY what a
NON-scientific statement from the center of Jefferson research. Dan Jordan,
Monticello President, knows well what the DNA proved.....: NO DNA match for
the long held and MAJOR beliefs of the Woodson Family. He also knew well
that ONLY ONE Hemings matched "some" Jefferson DNA.........NOTHING proves
that it came from Thomas. The DNA does not honor given names. He also was
informed of the existance of the Hemings male descendant, William Hemings,
months prior to his release of his Research Report. Not only did he not
persue this lead but he told me to NOT pressure the Hemings and he made no
effort to suggest that they permit the test, what kind of selective research
is this? His above mentioned report was released with a Minority Report from
an employee member of this study group, Dr. Ken Wallenborn, MISSING. Upon
learning of this DENIAL of an important Minority Report I contacted the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and requested an investigation. Dr.
Wallenborn was issued an apology by Dr. Jordan and his report may now be
read on www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruth anmd www.tjheritage.org. The full
Scholars Commission Report (13 prominent full professors) may also be found
here and they were critical of some of the Monticello assessments.
Bill, I agree with your statements about whether Jefferson fathered slave
children or not......I also care less, HOWEVER, to me revelation of accurate
truth is important. That is why I and others founded the Thomas Jefferson
Heritage Society and that is why honest scholars volunteered their
independant study of over a year to bring the truth of the findings to the
public. Just as in medicine.......ALWAYS ask for a second opinion. no one
has a strangle hold on Mr. Jefferson's legacy...we all own his legacy and
that angers some people. He is innocent of such charges.
Herb Barger
Jefferson Family Historian
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Cross [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 6:29 PM
To: Herbert Barger; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Are Martha Jefferson and Sally Hemings Half-Sisters?
Mr. Berger,
I would like to say that I support a truthful exploration of the facts
concerning President Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. I do not have a
full understanding of the DNA science involved, nor its conclusions, and
freely admit so in advance. I am in this a lay person who has followed the
passionate debate with interest and curiosity. I have looked at accounts on
both sides of the issue, and am unpersuaded by your vehemence in the matter.
Even Monticello takes a neutral stance, given the paucity of evidence in
this matter.
However, I should like to state for the record that as a descendant of the
Old Dominion (via Missouri), and with ancestors who fought for the
preservation of slavery, IT MAKES NOT ONE WHIT OF DIFFERENCE TO ME WHETHER
JEFFERSON FATHERED SLAVE CHILDREN OR NOT. Please forgive my use of capitals,
but I have detected in this discussion, and for years in other discussions
about the topic, a repugnance at the thought, as if it made any real
difference, that Jefferson might have black descendents, and an indignation
at those who would advance the theory. If I misunderstand your position, I
apologize.
While it would be interesting to know whether Sally Hemings was, in fact,
Jefferson's mistress, it would not take one scintilla of greatness away from
him, nor would it reduce in any way his standing as one of our greatest
presidents. Those who decry the hypocrisy of the author of the Declaration
of Independence having carnal relations with his "property" fail to note the
deeper hypocrisy the Founding Fathers perpetrated on this country, when they
announced the birth of their new nation by stating that "all men are created
equal," then left the institution of slavery intact and for another
generation to tackle. Divisions over slavery undermined the health of the
new country almost from the start, and led inexorably to the Civil War.
While there are those who today try to minimize that importance of slavery
as the cause of that conflagration, any open-minded person who reads widely
in the literature of the period will see that nothing else so consumed men
and women on both sides. But I digress.
Bill Cross
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