DNA from Jefferson’s hair confirms he fathered Sally Hemings’ child

DNA evidence from a hair found in Thomas Jefferson's Bible indicates a 99.96% chance he fathered at least one child with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman, according to a new study. The findings provide the most compelling proof yet of the long-rumored relationship. Researchers compared reconstructed genomes from Jefferson's hair samples with DNA from 16 living descendants of Hemings' sons and Jefferson's family. The study, published Sept. 21 on bioRXiv, addresses flaws in a 1998 analysis that lacked direct Jefferson DNA for comparison. The research, detailed in Richard Kurin's book "History by a Hair," also highlights methods for uncovering enslaved people's obscured histories. However, the identity of the female Jefferson relative whose hair was found in the Bible remains a mystery.