A President in the Family: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and Thomas Woodson

by Byron W. Woodson and Byron W. Woodson Sr.

Book Overview

Conceived during Thomas Jefferson's junket in Paris, Thomas Woodson was Jefferson's first child by Sally Hemings. He was banished from Monticello at the age of 12, after a journalist exposed Jefferson's relationship with his young slave. A President in the Family traces Thomas Woodson's subsequent journey from Virginia to Ohio where Thomas and wife Jemima, a former slave, would raise a productive and ambitious family.

Their eldest...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275971740
• ISBN13: 9780275971748
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 9.2" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A fine book and a fascinating story

If you've followed the Jefferson-Hemings controversy, you know that the DNA tests have shown that Jefferson was almost certainly the father of Sally Hemings' children. This conclusion is supported by virtually all historians and informed observers, with the only holdouts being the Old Virginia types (as exemplified by some of the reviewers here) who simply refuse to accept that their hero, Thomas Jefferson, had an affair with his African-American slave. But if you've followed the Hemings controversy you also know that the DNA tests indicated that the Woodson family, the branch with the most robust oral history of their descent from the President, are apparently not related to Thomas Jefferson at all. And that while their oral history is emphatic that their ancestor, Thomas Woodson, was Jefferson's son -- in fact the "Black Tom" alluded to in Callender's contemporary attack on the President -- this young person cannot even be definitively placed on the Monticello plantation. It's a genuine mystery. It's mysterious because the Woodson family's oral history is so strong -- and in fact so accurate about many things, such as Sally Hemings' personal ancestry. It was the Woodson family's research that uncovered much of the trail that finally linked the Hemings descendants together. So who was Thomas Woodson? Who was he really? Who was his father? This book, written by a direct Woodson descendant, is an account of the family's search for the truth behind their oral history. As such it is a compelling and enlightening read. Despite the lack of DNA match and the ultimate question mark as to Thomas Woodson's real parentage, it is absurd to say that the book is not "true." It is a true account of the family lore preserved by the Woodson family, of what they found when they began to search the records, and of how they ultimately pieced the puzzle together with the other descendants of Sally Hemings (those whose genetic connection to Jefferson has been demonstrated by DNA tests). The book is also a two-century history of the Woodson family itself, a highly accomplished African-American clan that has had an important impact on this country. Even without the putative Jefferson connection, their multi-generation saga is fascinating. Highly recommended.

Stop missing the point!

Many of the reviewers harping on whether the Woodsons were actually descendants of TJ are completely missing the significance of this book. So we're not related to TJ (I'm the son of the author). Our historical and genealogical research is accurate (we have found over 1700 living relatives) minus one speculation. For the record, as a member of the Woodson family I grew up knowing that I am related to Thomas Woodson, but thinking I might be related to Thomas Jefferson. So the Woodson's aren't related to TJ . . .So why read the book? Because it's a darn good book. I was even surprised at how well-written it is. This book aspires to be an honest account of how history is lived and made through the lives of real people as part of a family, and how history is both written and mis-written. The most ground-breaking and under-appreciated aspect of this book is that it tracks the stroy of at least seven generations of successful African Americans! This multi-generational family-centered view shows the triumphs, plights, hopes, beliefs and one mistake of generations of a family (we're not related to TJ's cousin:) and the dishonesty of historians (DNA proved TJ is related to the descendants of at least one of Sally's children, much to the chagrin of historians; and that historians physically altered national landmarks [Monticello and Jefferson's farm book] to erase evidence of the close relationship between TJ and Sally).

The truth is the truth

Congressman Gary Condit and President William Clinton were not the first government officials to have affairs. This "behavior" has been present throughout our nation's history (and probably present throughout the history of mankind).As historians, it our duty to explain the positive things but also tell the truth about the less postive things that happen.When an affair translates into a pregnancy, it is the natural inclination of both parties and their affiliates to pursue self-protective mechanisms. Before the computer age, these mechanisms included erasing and throwing away documents. These methods were used to hide President Jefferson's affair (and pregnancy) with a female slave.Yes, we should respect our presidents! We also have to be wise enough to recognize that they are human and make the same stupid mistakes that other men make (like cheating on their wives).I'm glad Mr. Woodson is honest and enlightens the rest of us to the honest truth. His book provides detailed evidence of the affair, the pregnancy, and the cover-up.What would President Jefferson say today? "I didn't inhale" or would he throw away a watch box and say nothing, like Gary Condit is doing.