This is not the Thomas Jefferson we studied in school and there is the strong possibility that this particular information may never appear in history books. Since there are no written records of the slaves' birth, and of the period after slavery was abolished, to substantiate Shannon's claims. The history during these periods was memorized and told by oral historians. But in 1998 DNA tests produced evidence that there is a link between the Jefferson and Hemings families. If nothing else, this story should produce sensitive discussions on how we define our country based on the color of our skin. The introduction by Lucian K. Truscott IV, a fifth generation great- grandson of Jefferson through their daughter Martha Jefferson-Randolph, shares his hope that this story will show us that the worth of a person should not be determined only by what we see.