Thomas Jefferson’s children remain an important part of American history as historians continue examining the founding father’s family relationships and his connection to Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello. The third president of the United States had six children with his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, and is widely accepted by historians as the father of six children born to Hemings. Their lives reveal two very different experiences of growing up within Jefferson’s household.

Jefferson’s family included daughters who became prominent members of Virginia society and children born into slavery who later pursued freedom. Although twelve children are associated with Jefferson through historical records and research, only two daughters from his marriage and four children born to Hemings survived to adulthood.

How Many Children Did Thomas Jefferson Have?

Thomas Jefferson had six documented children with his wife, Martha Jefferson, during their marriage from 1772 until her death in 1782.

He is also widely accepted as the father of six children born to Sally Hemings between 1795 and 1808.

His children with Martha Jefferson were Martha, Jane, an unnamed son, Mary, Lucy Elizabeth and another daughter also named Lucy Elizabeth.

His children with Sally Hemings were Harriet, Beverly, an unnamed daughter, another Harriet, Madison and Eston.

Several children died during infancy or early childhood, a tragedy that affected both families.

The surviving children followed different paths. Jefferson’s daughters Martha and Mary grew up as members of Virginia’s wealthy planter society, while Hemings’ four surviving children were born enslaved and eventually gained freedom.

Martha Jefferson Randolph Was His Eldest Daughter

Martha Jefferson Randolph, affectionately known as Patsy, was born on September 27, 1772. She was Thomas Jefferson’s eldest child and maintained a particularly close relationship with him throughout his life.

She received part of her education in France while Jefferson served as an American diplomat in Paris.

In 1790, Martha married Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., a Virginia politician who later served as governor of the state.

The couple had twelve children, making Martha the mother of a large family.

Following her mother’s death, Martha became an important figure in her father’s household. During Jefferson’s presidency, she occasionally performed social responsibilities associated with the role of First Lady.

She remained closely connected to Monticello and supported her father during his later years.

Martha died on October 10, 1836, a decade after Jefferson.

Mary Jefferson Eppes Was His Younger Surviving Daughter

Mary Jefferson Eppes, commonly called Polly, was born on August 1, 1778.

She was the second daughter of Thomas and Martha Jefferson to survive childhood.

Like her older sister, Mary spent part of her youth connected to Jefferson’s diplomatic service in France, although she initially remained in Virginia before travelling overseas.

In 1797, she married John Wayles Eppes, a Virginia politician and member of the prominent Eppes family.

The couple had children, including Francis Wayles Eppes, who later became associated with the early history of Florida State University.

Mary’s adult life was relatively short. She died on April 17, 1804, at the age of 25, following complications associated with childbirth.

Her passing deeply affected Jefferson, who had already experienced the loss of several children and his wife.

Thomas Jefferson and Martha’s Four Children Who Died Young

Thomas and Martha Jefferson experienced repeated family tragedies during their marriage.

Their second child, Jane Jefferson, was born in 1774 and died in 1775 before reaching her second birthday.

An unnamed son was born in May 1777 but survived only a short time.

Their daughter Lucy Elizabeth, born in 1780, died in 1781.

Another daughter, also named Lucy Elizabeth, was born in May 1782, shortly before Martha Jefferson’s death. She died in October 1784.

The repeated use of the name Lucy Elizabeth reflected a family naming tradition that was not unusual during the eighteenth century.

These losses left Martha and Mary as the only children from Jefferson’s marriage who reached adulthood.

Thomas Jefferson Had Six Children With Sally Hemings

Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman who lived and worked at Jefferson’s Monticello estate in Virginia.

Historical research has established a strong consensus that Jefferson fathered her six documented children.

Their names and birth years were:

• Harriet Hemings, born in 1795, died in 1797.
• Beverly Hemings, born in 1798.
• An unnamed daughter, born in 1799, died in 1800.
• Harriet Hemings, born in 1801.
• Madison Hemings, born in 1805.
• Eston Hemings, born in 1808.

Four of these children survived to adulthood.

Beverly and Harriet left Monticello in 1822 with Jefferson’s knowledge and were not pursued as fugitives.

Madison and Eston remained at Monticello until Jefferson’s death in 1826 and received freedom under the terms of his will.

Jefferson did not formally free Sally Hemings herself, although she was subsequently permitted to live outside slavery.

Madison and Eston Hemings Preserved Their Family History

Madison Hemings became one of the most important witnesses to his family’s history.

Born in 1805, he gained freedom after Jefferson’s death and eventually settled in Ohio, where he worked as a carpenter and farmer.

In 1873, Madison gave an interview describing his mother’s relationship with Jefferson and identifying the former president as his father.

His testimony became a major source for historians studying the Hemings family.

Eston Hemings, born in 1808, also moved to Ohio after gaining freedom.

He worked as a musician and cabinetmaker before relocating to Wisconsin in 1852.

There, he adopted the surname Jefferson and lived publicly as a white man.

Eston’s male-line descendants later participated in genetic research that helped establish the connection between the Hemings family and Jefferson’s paternal ancestry.

What DNA Evidence Reveals About Thomas Jefferson’s Children

The question of Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings was debated for generations.

In 1998, researchers conducted Y-chromosome testing involving descendants of Eston Hemings and members of the Jefferson paternal family.

The results established a genetic connection between Eston’s descendants and the Jefferson male line.

Although the findings could not independently distinguish Thomas Jefferson from every other male relative sharing that lineage, they supported existing historical evidence.

Researchers also examined Jefferson’s presence at Monticello during the likely conception periods of Hemings’ children.

Combined with Madison Hemings’ testimony and plantation records, the evidence contributed to the scholarly consensus that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings’ six documented children.

Thomas Jefferson’s Children and Their Family Legacy

Thomas Jefferson’s descendants became connected to different chapters of American history.

Through Martha Jefferson Randolph and Mary Jefferson Eppes, his family remained associated with Virginia politics, education and prominent American families.

Through Sally Hemings’ surviving children, another branch of his family experienced the transition from slavery to freedom during the nineteenth century.

The lives of Beverly, Harriet, Madison and Eston demonstrate how racial identity and legal restrictions shaped the opportunities available to formerly enslaved Americans.

Jefferson’s family history also exposes the contradictions between his public commitment to liberty and his ownership of enslaved people.

Today, historians and institutions such as Monticello recognise both family lines as essential to understanding Jefferson’s personal life and historical legacy.

His children were not simply members of a famous presidential family. Their individual experiences provide important insights into marriage, slavery, freedom and American society during the country’s early years.