History by a Hair
Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery
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History by a Hair
Narrated by:
William DeMeritt
Pre-order for $27.67
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Narrated by:
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William DeMeritt
“Written with the gravitas of history and the pace of a thriller, Richard Kurin’s landmark account is vital and compelling.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
In 2011, staff at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History discovered what appeared to be a hair—light red, possibly human—pressed between the pages of the Thomas Jefferson Bible. That hair sparked an unprecedented scientific quest: determining if modern genomics could recover Jefferson’s DNA and finally resolve the most divisive and enduring question surrounding his life—the paternity of the children of Sally Hemings, one of hundreds of African Americans enslaved by Thomas Jefferson.
For over two centuries, the Jefferson–Hemings controversy has shaped American debates about race, power, slavery, and the mythology of the Founding Fathers. Historians have argued fiercely. Descendants have lived with uncertainty. DNA technology in the 1990s brought us closer, but not all the way; the evidence remained incomplete. Until now. In this riveting narrative—part scientific detective story, part historical epic—Richard Kurin, distinguished scholar and museum official, leads readers through the fifteen-year-long genomic investigation conducted with leading DNA scientists, archaeologists, genealogists, forensic experts, and Jefferson and Hemings’ descendants across the country.
The result is the first conclusive, scientifically validated answer to a question that has reverberated since the eighteenth century—an answer that settles the historical record, deepens our understanding of Jefferson, honors generations of family oral history, and asks America to confront the full complexity of its origins.
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Critic Reviews
“Richard Kurin has provided in History by a Hair the most thorough scientific look at the centuries-old question of whether Thomas Jefferson fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings. A great contribution to Jefferson scholarship. It is difficult to put this book down.”—David M. Rubenstein, former chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents and author of The American Story
“With astounding academic rigor, Richard Kurin follows Thomas Jefferson’s maxim ‘to follow truth wherever it may lead,’ as he and his team scientifically answer the paternity question. But herein is also a very human story, of families long divided and robbed of their ancestry.”—Leslie Greene Bowman, president emerita of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello and co-editor of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello: Architecture, Landscape, Collections, Books, Food, Wine
“Written with the gravitas of history and the pace of a thriller, Richard Kurin’s landmark account is vital and compelling. Anyone with an interest in Jefferson, American slavery, and the nature of the country—as well as those who believe in the efficacy of science and the pursuit of truth—will find this book invaluable.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“Richard Kurin’s book is phenomenal, and coming during the 250th anniversary of America’s founding prompts a serious, obligatory invitation for reflection, discussion, and more complete agreement on the question of who is included in the statement ‘All men are created equal.’”—Johnnetta Cole, president emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges, former director of the National Museum of African Art, and author of Gender Talk: The Struggle for Women’s Equality in African American Communities
“Richard Kurin’s brilliant book is a spellbinding detective story that solves one of the towering puzzles of American history. It shows how science and deeply humanistic ideals can supercharge the study of our past and reminds us, above all, that we Americans are one great and glorious family.”—Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War
“With astounding academic rigor, Richard Kurin follows Thomas Jefferson’s maxim ‘to follow truth wherever it may lead,’ as he and his team scientifically answer the paternity question. But herein is also a very human story, of families long divided and robbed of their ancestry.”—Leslie Greene Bowman, president emerita of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello and co-editor of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello: Architecture, Landscape, Collections, Books, Food, Wine
“Written with the gravitas of history and the pace of a thriller, Richard Kurin’s landmark account is vital and compelling. Anyone with an interest in Jefferson, American slavery, and the nature of the country—as well as those who believe in the efficacy of science and the pursuit of truth—will find this book invaluable.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“Richard Kurin’s book is phenomenal, and coming during the 250th anniversary of America’s founding prompts a serious, obligatory invitation for reflection, discussion, and more complete agreement on the question of who is included in the statement ‘All men are created equal.’”—Johnnetta Cole, president emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges, former director of the National Museum of African Art, and author of Gender Talk: The Struggle for Women’s Equality in African American Communities
“Richard Kurin’s brilliant book is a spellbinding detective story that solves one of the towering puzzles of American history. It shows how science and deeply humanistic ideals can supercharge the study of our past and reminds us, above all, that we Americans are one great and glorious family.”—Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War
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