Questioning the Legacy of Thomas Jefferson

Author: Charles Goulding

In 1998, a startling genetic revelation made its way to the front page of The New York Times: DNA testing all but proved Thomas Jefferson fathered numerous illegitimate children with Sally Hemmings, one of his slaves.

The tests breathed new life into an ongoing debate over the correct lineage of the Jefferson family and brought issues of racial identity to the forefront of social consciousness.

Independent filmmaker Tom Lennon documented the evolution of this story in his new movie, "Jefferson's Blood," which was screened last Sunday at Middlebury College, followed by a panel discussion analyzing the film's central themes at 4.30 p.m.

Of the six children to whom Sally Hemmings gave birth, four of them have been genetically linked to Thomas Jefferson, including Beverly, Harriet, Madison and Eston Hemmings. All four of these children had names related to Jefferson's political career. This revelation opened up a Pandora's box of issues concerning one of the greatest presidents in our nation's history.

The most immediate issue was the role slavery played in Jefferson's life. As a bulwark of the American ideals of freedom and equality, Jefferson opposed slavery on principle. In the depths of his moral consciousness, he felt it hypocritical for Americans to hold slaves after fighting their own battle to rid themselves of oppressive tyranny.

Jefferson was not shy about his views, even as a Southern slaveholder himself. He pushed Congress to halt the spread of slavery into the new territories and was vocal about his opposition to slavery. Though his efforts were not immediately apparent, much of Jefferson's political and moral persona centered around his opposition of slavery.

In contrast to his noble idealism, however, practicality added a harsh realism to Jefferson's life. As his debts grew, Jefferson sold many slaves to various bidders, disrupting numerous slave families in the process.

The rest of his slaves remained at Monticello until he died — even Sally Hemmings herself remained a slave for as long as Jefferson lived. Finally, and most excruciatingly, Jefferson's own illegitimate son must have served the Jefferson's dinner, without, perhaps, even a knowing glance from his father.

While Jefferson's own inner conflict may have died along with him, the racial implications of his relations with Sally Hemmings transcend generations.

For many families of mixed racial background, a crucial piece to the puzzle of their identity has been solved. Finally, the gates to the Jefferson graveyard may be open to all of his descendants, not simply those from his marriage.

For others of Jefferson's lineage, however, recent findings have only complicated matters. The most compelling portion of Lennon's documentary focused on the Cooper family — direct descendants of Eston, one of Jefferson and Hemmings' four children. Of the four children, Eston disassociated himself from the others, refusing to integrate his family into the white community. In a crude sense, Eston came to represent the "black" Hemmings, whereas the other three children represented the "white" part of the lineage.

When Lennon interviewed Una Cooper, she described how questions about the Jeffersons' racial identity have taken their toll on her family. Her husband, John, has refused to come to grips with the mixed nature of his true background and would not even allow his picture to be featured in the documentary. In a time when racial identity still carries connotations of power, status and meaning, John's sense of self divides his family. John and Una are now divorced, which can serve as a tragic example of the essential question raised by the documentary: What does it mean to be white? To be black?

In some ways, the certitude of genetic testing has just further destabilized the racial identities of many Jefferson heirs.

The deftness with which Lennon presents the two issues — past and present — raised by the ordeal was one of the finest attributes of the movie. Lennon used conventional, if borderline unprofessional, camera footage in order to present the modern element of the narrative.

In contrast, Lennon employed the use of delicately lit, refined footage for his historical accounts, reinforcing the kind of rustic nostalgia many have for colonial times. This distinction, paired with an eloquent script co-written by Lennon and Shelby Steele, added beauty and lucidity to the piece.

As the movie suggests, controversy concerning the Jefferson lineage rages on.

Men like Byron Woodson, whose DNA tests failed to make a connection with Thomas Jefferson, still passionately contend that their true racial identity has yet to be acknowledged.

Others have yet to warm up to the idea of such a motley amalgamation of Jefferson descendants. Still, the true force of the movie may have manifested itself in its most humorous moment, as an eccentric young man of mixed heritage interrupts the family photo taken at Monticello by singing Sister Sledge's hit song "We Are Family."

Indeed, the documentary succeeds in helping to move toward the family of the future, a family where racial barriers become subordinate to common blood.