Reading and Submission: Jefferson and his Children

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings Exercise: Answer the following questions based on your reading of Thomas Jefferson's Unknown Grandchildren by Brodie. http://www.americanheritage.com/content/thomas-jefferson%E2%80%99s-unknown-grandchildren Submit your answers to this link board by the due date and time. 1) Other than the genetic evidence, what would you consider to be the most reliable historical source of information about the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings? Explain your answer. 2) 2) How many children were they alleged to have had? 3) 3) Which of these children “passed” for White and which of them “passed” for Black? 4) 4) What are some of the accomplishments of Jefferson’s alleged children and grandchildren? 5) 5) Which of his alleged sons lived first as a Black man, then a White man, then as a “Mulatto” or Black man, and finally returning to live out his years as a White man? 6) 6) Which of Jefferson’s alleged sons had sons who fought for the North (Union) against the South (Confederacy) in the Civil War? 7) 7) Why has it always been so difficult for Blacks in the US to prove that they descended from Whites? 8) 8) What have you learned about the social construction of race in the US?