ABSTRACT
Did omas Jeerson have a sexual relationship with Sally Hemings? e last chapter provided eight items of evidence which, in our opinion, allowed students to investigate that question with a fair chance of arriving at a solution. We included enough evidence for students to understand why most people now believe they did have such a relationship. Yet we also provided details about the limitations of the DNA testing, the traditions
that denied Jeerson’s paternity of any Hemings child, and the muteness of Jeerson’s Farm Book. Pupils who study the material can also understand, and perhaps agree with, those people who nd the proofs of the relationship too circumstantial for a conclusive answer. In our discussion of the evidence, we explained why we think we created a medium mystery for the classroom, and how we edited or omitted sources in order to create a solvable mystery.
