Claims of Madison Hemings Jefferson–Hemings controversy

19 december 1845 article in liberator reporting on lack of rights eston or madison in ohio

in 1845, ohio newspapers reported 1 of jefferson s sons sally hemings living in central ohio county not allowed vote or testify in court due ohio laws regarding race. story subsequently reported william lloyd garrison s newspaper, liberator.

on july 7, 1870, chillicothe, ohio census taker william weaver noted in official census book beside entry hemmings, madison , recording man son of thomas jefferson.

in 1873, issue received renewed, widespread attention after publication of interview madison hemings, asserted jefferson father. interviewed life slave @ monticello, , account published in ohio newspaper. age 68, hemings claimed jefferson , siblings father. said when jefferson , sally hemings still in paris, became pregnant child. based on jefferson s promise free children when came of age, returned him united states france, slavery had been banned. israel jefferson, former slave of monticello, confirmed account of jefferson s paternity of hemings children in own interview published year same ohio newspaper. critics attacked newspaper account politically motivated , former slaves mistaken, or worse.

in 1874, james parton published biography of jefferson, in attributed content of hemings memoir political motives of journalist interviewed him. , other critics discounted hemings memoir, while attributing him range of negative motives telling story. (but 20th-century historian merrill peterson noted hemings details events in life accurate.) in work, parton repeated jefferson family s oral history carr paternity , claim jefferson absent during conception period of 1 of hemings children.