Rumours of Jefferson's sexual involvement with his slave Sally Hemings have circulated for two centuries. In this text, the author sets out to intensify the debate, arguing not that the events necessarily took place, but that the evidence for their taking place has been denied a fair hearing.
In light of DNA evidence supporting a Jefferson-Hemings relationship, Gordon-Reed has added to her acclaimed study a new Preface in which she finds fresh reasons for seeing Thomas Jefferson as a complicated metaphor for the American character.
