Customer Reviews

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

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The existence of 'Black Tom' is highly questionable, though Woodson is quite right about the erasure in Jefferson's records, I've seen it too in a holograph edition of his Farm Book.
Unfortunately for Mr. Woodson's thesis 'Tom's' name should certainly have appeared more than once. His 'mother' and 'brothers and sister' are listed not only on Jefferson's Slave Census but in distributions of rations and clothing as well. 'Black Tom' supposedly lived at Monticello till 1802, his name most certainly should have appeared in those records just as the rest of the Hemmings family's names did.
However the even if the existence of 'Black Tom' were proven it would do the Woodsons no good. The famous DNA tests that proved the Eston Jeffersons are indeed descended from *A* Jefferson male, (possibly Thomas but his brother or nephew is equally probable) also proved that though Thomas Woodson was undoubtedly sired by a white man that man was *not* a Jefferson.
The Woodson family has chosen to ignore this incontrovertable scientific evidence and cling to their family myth. Frankly I find it pitiable that this extraordinarily accomplished and successful family should be so fixated on a fictitious illegitimate descent from a Founding Father. The achievements of generations of Woodsons, against unbelievable odds, is in itself a heritage to be proud of, they don't need Jefferson's blood to validate their role in American history.

As a "roots" like story of a family's rise from slavery to the present day, this book is a pleasant read. However, for elucidating any ties to Thomas Jefferson, it is a tremendous disappointment. Having been greatly impressed by the poise, strength of character, and intelligence of Robert Cooley, the father one of the authors, I always hoped that his boast of being decended from Thomas Jefferson was true. However, the historic record left me in doubt. I bought "A President in the Family" with hopes that reading the Woodson family story would dispel some of that doubt, providing substance to the strong oral history. Sadly, I have been left hanging.

This is a well-written and fascinating story that has been passionately believed by generations of descendants of Thomas Woodson (allegedly the "Black Tom" who was the central piece of "evidence" in scandalmolnger James Thomson Callender's 1802 charge that Thomas Jefferson had a sexual relationship with Sally Hemings). But SIX different DNA tests of male-line descendants of three of Thomas Woodson's sons have proven beyond any serious doubt that the story is fiction. Serious scholars are still divided over whether Sally Hemings was more than one of his house slaves to Thomas Jefferson. A year-long study by more than a dozen senior scholars released in 2001 concluded the story was probably false with but a single mild dissent, but some scholars continue to embrace the story. But no serious scholar still contends that Thomas Woodson was the son of Thomas Jefferson. (It is not known whether he was the child of Sally Hemings.) When pressed to reconcile his claim with the DNA scientific proof that has repeatedly shown it to be false, Byron Woodson noted that there is no known sample of Thomas Jefferson's DNA (the 1998 tests used DNA from descendants of his cousins -- which should have carried the same y chromosome as the president) and reasoned that perhaps Jefferson was illegitimate. Woodson seems like a nice fellow, and it is understandable why he might hold on to his belief despite such powerful scientific proof that it is untrue. But the issue has been clearly resolved by reliable scientific testing, and this volume should now be moved to the FICTION section -- where many readers may well find it a most interesting read.

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).

This is pretty sad really. I started out as a believer in the Woodson story and Woodson has obviously done a lot of research on his family history. Certainly, there are many distinguished people in Woodson's family...sadly, Thomas Jefferson has been pretty definitely proven by DNA (no match after testing 6 Woodson lines!) not to be one of them! Since Woodson was the Hemings child with the strongest "oral history"/family lore--the fact that there was no link to Jefferson really calls into question the whole story since obviously Sally got pregnant by somebody else in Paris. And the allegations started about a "Black Tom"....Still and all, with irrefutable evidence that someone in Woodson's family lied to create a link that science has proven doesn't exist, Woodson still can't give it up, claiming the 'no match" was the result of illegitimacy later in the line...which Woodson still doesn't seem to get would still mean he is not related to the Great Man. Bottom line: Don't waste your money.

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.

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.