Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society

“God send to our country a happy deliverance."

~ Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, February 14, 1821

Happy Independence Day! ~ Happy 250th, America!

"May the Declaration of Independence be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.”

Thomas Jefferson to Roger C. Weightman; June 24, 1826, ten days before Jefferson's death.

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The portrait is by Jamie Wyeth

Thomas Jefferson ~ “Your statements of the corrections of the Declaration of Independence by Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams are neither of them at all exact. I should think it better to say generally that the rough draft was communicated to those two gentlemen, who each of them made two or three short and verbal alterations only, but even this is laying more stress on mere composition than it merits, for that alone was mine.
The sentiments were of all America.”

~~~ Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Delaplaine, April 12, 1817

Are you gearing up for our Independence Day? Here is a reminder of the history and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Recited by school children across our nation since 1892 (as amended in 1923 and 1954), the Pledge of Allegiance serves as a reminder to each child and citizen of our individual duty to appreciate and uphold our constitutional republic, and of our mutual obligation to treat each other with civility and respect, without regard to any political, racial, religious or cultural differences. What is the meaning of the Pledge?

“I pledge”… similar to an oath, a pledge is a solemn promise and undertaking in which we vow to do something, which may require personal sacrifice.

“allegiance” … is an expression of loyalty and commitment to a union of citizens and to a cause greater than ourselves.

“to the flag of the United States of America” … with its thirteen red and white stripes representing the original colonies of the American revolution, and fifty white stars on the blue chief representing all of the states of the union, the flag is a symbol of our national heritage. Whether carried into battle, flown above the Whitehouse, the U.S. Capitol, or our own home’s front porch, the flag is an emblem of our patriotism, devotion to our country and to equality & liberty.

“and to the republic for which it stands”… on September 17, 1787 the framers of our government established a democratic republic under the Constitution of the United States of America based upon the consent of the governed (“We the People”), with a separation of powers and checks and balances in order “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” (Preamble). Our loyalty to the Constitution should be placed above politics, parties, and individual leaders.

“one nation” … as George Washington stated, “It is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity…” (Farewell Address).

“under God”… our national unity is secured by the principle that we have each been endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights and that these liberties cannot be secure without “a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God…” (Thomas Jefferson).

“indivisible” … the Constitution was designed to create a perpetual union of citizens and states. We must remember that a bloody civil war ensued and was fought when the nation allowed division to prevail.

“with liberty and justice for all”… both civil and religious liberty are the inheritance of all Americans. Justice endures when founded upon virtue and honesty. Our nation’s laws and courts seek to establish and uphold fairness and truth, respectively, but cannot do so without individual integrity.

On June 14, 1954 (Flag Day), President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the revised pledge bill passed by Congress, officially adding the words "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance, and told the nation:

“From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than to contemplate this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to our country's true meaning … In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war.” [1]

https://wjmi.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-pledge-of-allegiance.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawS033FleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEev03gk4sDUwGpMw8_lj7XOcimBoRz4QC5NfuKx4V7_k5hlHyHFU7VUa4ra1c_aem_-eHjncixaNs80-krtBF6pA

The Pledge of Allegiance Principles of Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Founding Fathers, Civic Education, Virtue, Liberty, Federalist, Washington's Farewell Address

Thomas Jefferson wrote the "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence primarily between June 11 and June 28, 1776. He drafted it in Philadelphia after the Continental Congress appointed the "Committee of Five" to prepare a formal statement of separation from Great Britain. Jefferson drafted the Declaration in the second-floor parlor of a rented brick boarding house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, the site is known as the Declaration House (or Graff House), located at the corner of 7th and Market Streets.

"I am deeply grateful for the opportunities this country has afforded me and the millions of others who come from humble beginnings. America is not great because it is flawless. It is great because it is founded on transcendent ideals that continually call us to become better.
hat is what the 250th anniversary asks us to remember. Not that Jefferson was perfect, but that what he wrote was true. That the words outlasted his contradictions. That they became the vocabulary of abolitionists, suffragists and civil rights leaders. That they belong — fully and without apology — to every American, including the descendants of those Jefferson failed to see clearly. They belong to humanity itself.
They belong to me."

Jefferson changed the trajectory of history This July 4, the Declaration of Independence turns 250 years old. It is a moment for quiet reflection, loud celebration and pursuing, with everything we have, all that is promised in it.

"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."

The Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society wishes you all a Memorial Day blessed with togetherness and gratitude, as we honor those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage will never be forgotten.

This wonderful painting, "The Nation Makers," was painted in the summer of 1902 by Howard Pyle (1853-1911) near the site of the Revolutionary War's Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He considered "The Nation Makers" among his most important works.

Very Happy Mother's Day!!

In this letter, we can sense Thomas Jefferson’s depth of emotion as he congratulated his eldest daughter on becoming a mother to her first child, his first grandchild:

“Your two last letters are those which have given me the greatest pleasure of any I ever received from you. The one announced that you were become a notable housewife, the other a mother. This last is undoubtedly the keystone of the arch of matrimonial happiness, as the first is its daily aliment.”

Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph ~ February 9, 1791

~ Happy Birthday to Thomas Jefferson!! ~

As is our custom, we celebrate Mr. Jefferson's birthday with much gratitude for the life he lived and the extraordinary man he was.

As a substitute for a birthday party, we offer many tributes to his goodness written by those who actually knew him during his lifetime. Here is a but a very brief sampling.

“…no man can be personally acquainted with Mr. Jefferson and remain his personal enemy.” ~ Judge Patterson of the Supreme Court (and a Federalist)

“…when the fires of Liberty shall be kindled on every hill and shall blaze in every valley, shall not the name of Jefferson be pronounced by every lip, and written on every heart ?” ~ John Tyler, July 11, 1826

“The love of liberty, the rights of man, was his ruling passion.” ~ Felix Grundy, August 3, 1826

“the polar star of his conduct was his country’s good…” ~ William Johnson, 1826

“the name of Jefferson will be known as the benefactor of the human race.” ~ C. Cambreleng, 1826

“…his heart embraced the human family and his works were intended for the happiness of every people.” ~ Henry Potter, July 20, 1826

Among his contemporaries no one was more early or more deeply imbued with the spirit of his age, and few have contributed more to its diffusion.” ~ Nicholas Biddle, April 11, 1827

“[Jefferson's] whole life was nothing but good,” said he, ”it was his meat and drink, all he thought of and all he cared for, was to make every body happy. Yes, the purest body.” He was sure nobody could know him without loving and blessing him.” ~ Joseph Dougherty (Jefferson’s servant in Washington D.C.) as related by Margaret Bayard Smith, March 31st, 1830

“[Jefferson] whose name is one of the brightest in the revolutionary galaxy.” ~ William Linn, 1834

“He was curious, in short, in regard to every part of useful or elegant learning, and nothing that seemed likely to contribute to the general good escaped his attention.” ~ Alexander Hill Everett, July 4, 1836

“I know and highly respect the great abilities of Mr. Jefferson.-Providence has, for the happiness of mankind, accompanied those abilities with a disposition to make use of them for the good of his fellow beings.” ~ Judge Pendleton, 1800

“In the same legislature, fifteen years before a voice had been raised in condemnation even of the slave trade his great and humane mind went so far beyond the age, as to lead him to make a proposition for the gradual extinction of domestic slavery.” ~ George Tucker, 1838

“I know and highly respect the great abilities of Mr. Jefferson.-Providence has, for the happiness of mankind, accompanied those abilities with a disposition to make use of them for the good of his fellow beings.” ~ Judge Pendleton, 1800

“He had a taste for the fine arts, and highly approved my intention of preparing myself for the accomplishment of a national work. He encouraged me to persevere in this pursuit, and kindly invited me to come to Paris, to see and study the fine works there, and to make his house my home, during my stay.” ~ John Trumbull

“Jefferson’s name is a synonyme of the University of Virginia…” ~ Captain Edmund Bacon to Rev. Hamilton W. Pierson

“It will be [University of Virginia], we may fondly hope, the perpetual nursery of those great principles which it was the businesss of his life to inculcate.” ~ John Tyler, July 11, 1826

“My mother has told me that on the day of her sister’s death, she left her father alone for some hours. He then sent for her, and she found him with the Bible in his hands. He who has been so often and so harshly accused of unbelief, he, in his hour of intense affliction, sought and found consolation in the sacred volume. The comforter was there for his true heart and devout spirit, even though his faith might not be what the world calls orthodox.” ~ Ellen Randolph Coolidge to Henry S. Randall, Boston, 5 January, 1856

“I hesitate not to affirm that Mr. Jefferson is the man to whom the friends of religious society are more indebted than to any other in the United States..” ~ Samuel Knox, 1800

“It was impossible for anyone to be more amiable in his domestic relations; and it was delightful to observe the devoted and respectful attention that was paid him by all the family. In the neighborhood too he was greatly revered.” ~ Dr. Robley Dunglison, published 1963

“Mr. Jefferson was perfectly devoted to his grandchildren, and they to him. They delighted to follow him about over the grounds and garden, and he took great pleasure in talking with them, and giving them advice, and directing their sports” ~ Captain Edmund Bacon to Rev. Hamilton W. Pierson

“How often I have seen him walking over these grounds, and his grandchildren following after him as happy as they could be.” ~ Captain Edmund Bacon to Rev. Hamilton W. Pierson

“I have rode over the plantation, I reckon, a thousand times with Mr. Jefferson, and when he was not talking he was nearly always humming some tune, or sing-ins: in a low tone to himself.” ~ Captain Edmund Bacon to Rev. Hamilton W. Pierson

“I looked upon him as he walked, the top of this mountain, as a being elevated above the mass of mankind, as much in character as he was in local situation…He had been a faithful labourer in the harvest field of life, his labours were crowned with success, and he had reaped a rich harvest of fame and wealth and honor…In him I perceive no decay of mind or debility of frame and to all the wisdom and experience of age, he adds the enthusiasm and ardour of youth…If full occupation of mind, heart and hands, is happiness, surely he is happy. The sun never sees him in bed, and his mind designs more than the day can fulfil, even his long day. The conversation of the morning, the letters I had read, and the idea that this was the last day I was to spend in his society, the last time I was ever to see him, filled my heart with sadness. I could scarcely look at or speak to him without tears.” ~ Margaret Bayard Smith

“To his humane and just principles are we indebted for the measure prohibiting the importation of slaves.” ~ C. Cambreleng, 1826

While here [House of Burgesses, 1769], he made one strenuous but fruitless effort for the emancipation of the slaves: so early had a love of liberty and a detestation of tyranny been imprinted on his mind…The share of Mr. Jefferson in this great task was prominent and laborious. To him Virginia is indebted for the laws prohibiting the future importation of slaves.” ~ William Linn, 1834

“To his slaves he was an indulgent master, always sacrificing his own interests to their comforts.”–Stephen Simpson, 1833

“Of manners simple, affable and winning, and with an understanding penetrating and perspicacious, he had long commanded in the wide circle of his friends a respect softened by affection. Even his enemies, notwithstanding their dislike of his political opinions and actions, acknowledged their love for the man.” ~ Curtius (John Taylor), 1804

“I have had the good fortune to see the first Magistrate of this great republic living with the simplicity of a philosopher who received me with that profound kindness that makes for a lasting friendship.” ~ Alexander von Humboldt, June 27, 1804

“…my high admiration for your writings, your actions, and the liberalism of your ideas, which have inspired me from my earliest youth.” ~ Alexander von Humboldt, May 24, 1804

“My thoughts dwell often in Monticello and it is then that I picture the statesman, who established the welfare of an entire continent, among his magnolia trees. Tears come to my eyes when i imagine the most virtuous of men living in such happiness. How worth while it must be, Sir, to live in the society of enterprising citizens, active for the sake of liberty which you have achieved and preserved.” ~ Alexander von Humboldt, September 23, 1810

“And is this,” said I, after my first interview with Mr. Jefferson, “the violent democrat, the vulgar demagogue, the bold atheist and profligate man I have so often heard denounced by the federalists? Can this man so meek and mild, yet dignified in his manners, with a voice so soft and low, with a countenance so benignant and intelligent, can he be that daring leader of a faction, that disturber of the peace, that enemy of all rank and order?” ~ Margaret Bayard Smith, December 1800 (written in her notebook in 1837)

…He shook hands cordially with us both when he departed, and in a manner which said as plain as words could do, “I am your friend.” ~ Margaret Bayard Smith, December, 1800 (written in her notebook in 1837)

“I looked upon him as he walked, the top of this mountain, as a being elevated above the mass of mankind, as much in character as he was in local situation…He had been a faithful labourer in the harvest field of life, his labours were crowned with success, and he had reaped a rich harvest of fame and wealth and honor…In him I perceive no decay of mind or debility of frame and to all the wisdom and experience of age, he adds the enthusiasm and ardour of youth…If full occupation of mind, heart and hands, is happiness, surely he is happy. The sun never sees him in bed, and his mind designs more than the day can fulfil, even his long day. The conversation of the morning, the letters I had read, and the idea that this was the last day I was to spend in his society, the last time I was ever to see him, filled my heart with sadness. I could scarcely look at or speak to him without tears.” ~ Margaret Bayard Smith

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Thomas Jefferson born April 2 (Old Style, which he preferred) ~ April 13 (New Style, when we celebrate today)

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The portrait is by Jamie Wyeth, circa 1975. It was painted in preparation for the U.S. 1976 Bicentennial celebrations.

The purpose of this new website is to review the full scientific, documentary, and historical record relating to the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemings – without presumption or ideology – and to promote careful historical inquiry, grounded in evidence, context, and intellectual honesty. In particular, overlooked paternity suspects are considered in the same way investigators in a potential wrongful conviction case thoroughly examine DNA and all possibilities to uncover the truth.

Jefferson–Hemings Paternity Question | 2026 DNA Study & Evidence Review Evidence-based review of the Jefferson–Hemings paternity question and a 2026 Tennessee petition seeking modern DNA analysis beyond the 1998 study.