American historians have tended to dismiss Madison Hemings's memoirs for both broader and more specific reasons, citing examples of individual historians who doubted the credibility of a slave's account. James Callender made accusations about the Jefferson-Hemings affair for political reasons during a time of major disagreements and in-fighting between opposing parties. Callender got his information about the affair from Jefferson's nephews. Circumstantial evidence like residency and travel patterns suggest Jefferson was probably the father of Hemings's children while ruling out other men, based on Gordon-Reed's analysis. Oral histories from one side have traditionally been deemed more reliable than the other side.

1. Based on your reading of chapter 1, "Madison Hemings,"
explain why many American historians have tended to dismiss
Madison Hemings's memoirs?
Offer both the broader and the more specific reasons, and
cite examples of individual historians discussed in this chapter.
(Min. 200 words.)
What was the contentious political context in which James
Callender made and published his accusations about the
Jefferson–Hemings affair (e.g. the major disagreements, fights,
and in-fighting between parties and political camps of the day)?
Cite from the pages that support your answer.
(Min. 100 words.)
BONUS: What is the origin of Callender's account about the
Jefferson–Hemings affair, i.e. where and from whom did
Callender get his scandalous information?
Cite from the pages that support your answer.
(Min. 100 words.)
Based Gordon-Reed's conclusions in this chapter, what is the
circumstantial evidence (
not DNA
) – or "patterns" (incl. residency, travel) – that suggest Thomas
Jefferson was probably the father of Hemings's children
while other men could not have been?
Cite from the pages that support your answer.
(Min. 100 words.)
Until recently, why has one side of this oral history been
deemed more reliable than (and preferable to) the other?
Cite from the pages that support your answer.
(Min. 100 words.)