36 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Inaccurate Information in a Children's book is inexcusable, August 12, 2005
This review is from: Who Was Thomas Jefferson? (Paperback)
[...]
This author spends five pages reporting on the Jefferson-Hemings controversy and gets it wrong in most instances.
* There is NO proof that Thomas Jefferson's wife and Sally Henings were half sisters as Mr. Fradin claims (see McMurry book, "Anatomy of a Scandal."
* There is NO information anywhere that Jefferson began a relationship with Sally except an unproven claim by Madison Hemings who has been found to be inaccurate on several claims such as his naming.......FALSE. here is also NO proof that Thomas and Sally became fond of each other as Mr. Fradin claims. He also claims a forty year relationship which is unprovable.
* He states that in 1789, Sally Hemings became pregnant and Thomas Jefferson was the father. If Mr. Fradin had cared to research the facts he would have found that the original Callender Campaign Lie of September 1802 was DISPROVEN by the DNA Study. There was NO match of the DNA between Jefferson and Tom Woodson, the subject of the James Callender lie.
* Mr. Fradin says that over the next nineteen years they had six more children. There is absolutely NO proof of this. Not only that, it was over five years after they had returned to Monticello before ANY registered child for Sally was made. Only one Hemings descendant was DNA tested, HOW could Mr. Fradin make his outrageous claims. How can we be sure that his several other children books are accurate? Mr. Fradin your are remiss in distributing false and inaccurate information for our youthful readers.
I recommend that the books listed on the above mentioned web pages be read regarding the Jefferson-Hemings Controversy.
Herbert Barger
Jefferson Family Historian
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Jefferson review, February 16, 2006
A Kid's Review
By:Andrew "Who was Thomas Jefferson" took place from 1743-1826 in the thirteen original colonies. One thing I liked about the story is that it also told you things that affected his life. Another reason I liked this book is the text tells you about his hobies. Like fossil collecting and inventing. Though you might think his life must of been great, he actualy had many hurtful things happen to him. For example, Thomas lost his wife in 1782 and, when Jefferson was govoner of Virginia he was almost killed by the British. One more terrible thing that happened to him was when he was older, he was 100,000 dollars in debt which is 2,000,000 dollars today. But he was able to pay it off by selling his posessions. Friends and even strangers donated money to help him. In the story they tell you many great things in his life like how he was the third president of the U.S. of America. So Thomas was famous for a veiaty of reasons. yet he also had a more difficult life then you or me that is one thing you'll learn reading this book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent for classrom use, September 11, 2011
This review is from: Who Was Thomas Jefferson? (Paperback)
I bought a class set of these because it covers just about everything about Jefferson. (Including Sally Hemmings affair) Although it is written in a very easy format, it drew in my 8th graders and we breezed through it in a couple of short class periods. It is a nice read with a visualizer as well. The pictures are black and white but bold and well drawn.
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