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Smithsonian links Jefferson's DNA to children he fathered with enslaved woman Sally Hemings, book claims

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.

Thomas Jefferson, whose full genome has now been reconstructed from a lock of hair, held Sally Hemings in slavery for roughly fifty years without ever granting her freedom.
Thomas Jefferson, whose full genome has now been reconstructed from a lock of hair, held Sally Hemings in slavery for roughly fifty years without ever granting her freedom.
A woman believed to be a Harriet, granddaughter of Sally Heming
A woman believed to be a Harriet, granddaughter of Sally Heming

A covert Smithsonian study spanning 15 years has extracted Thomas Jefferson's genome from a lock of hair cut by his secretary three hours after his death in 1826, matching it to descendants of Sally Hemings's sons Madison and Eston. Geneticists determined those descendants carry more Jefferson DNA than his own legitimate heirs through his wife Martha Wayles. Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian anthropologist who led the project, is publishing a book on the findings; a scientific paper is currently under peer review at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Jefferson held Hemings in bondage for fifty years, never granting her freedom, yet the research indicates he fathered at least two of her six children.

The oldest known Hemings descendant provided the Smithsonian with her DNA during the study — and says the institution lost her trust through the way it managed the project.

Jefferson's secretary Nicholas Trist unknowingly preserved the critical evidence in 1826, securing the hair with orange thread and leaving a note — unaware it would resolve a controversy two centuries in the making.

Moretheatlantic.comResearchers Say They’ve Found the Truth About Thomas Jeffersonchronicle.comSally Hemings’s Oldest Descendant Gave the Smithsonian Her DNA. She Says It Lost Her Trust. - The Chronicle of Higher EducationSeattle TimesTwo centuries on, Smithsonian connects Jefferson’s hair to Hemings’ childrenNYT WorldTwo Centuries On, Smithsonian Connects Jefferson’s Hair to Hemings’s Children - The New York Times
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