I think it is safe to say that I might have a small crush on Thomas Jefferson after our trip to Monticello last weekend. It is not so much his political contributions (which are vast and continue to influence us), but his curiosity, meticulous attention to detail and mastery of many different subjects/skills that impress me.
I was troubled during our visit, however. How could such an accomplished man, who publicly abhorred slavery, and even wrote a bill to end the practice of slave imports from Africa, be a slave owner himself? I was also troubled hearing that he believed African-Americans to be inferior to Whites and may have felt he was serving his slaves well by keeping them under his care, as if he was protecting/serving them? It does seem that the life of a slave at Monticello was less violent than many other accounts we have all read about in our history books, but they were still enslaved men, women and children - they were still "owned" and deemed "property". I'm still grappling with these facts, which were a topic of conversation for Sam and I while we toured the grounds of his incredible estate. As Sam said, "that is the trouble with American history". So, there is that.
I found
THIS SITE which is a fabulous online collection of oral histories of the descendants of Jefferson's enslaved families.
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| Resting above Jefferson's vineyard |
And then there is everything else. Jefferson's house, his service to Virginia and the United States, his many interests, his accomplishments. The man literally thought of everything, and seemed to want to know everything. A self-taught architect, botanist, farmer,
meteorologist of sorts, and so many other things. The house and many furnishings cannot be described in their entirety and should be seen in person if you have a chance.
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| Classic Ada |
What we enjoyed the most about Monticello: automatic doors, a gigantic
clock he designed himself (of course), alcove beds all custom made at 6'3" to fit his 6'2" body (inspired by his visits to Europe; he appreciated anything that was functional, saved space and improved efficiency, so he of course built closets in the walls above the alcove beds
SEE HERE and
HERE), and the hearth was rigged with a
wine fetcher to bring wine up from the cellar (I mean come on!!).
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| Please go to the link above and read about this cool clock that also told the day of the week! |
Monticello is for the most part an outdoor experience. We spent several hours touring his garden, nursery, his family cemetery, slave quarters, cellar, stable, pavilions and many other little nooks that make up his home.
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| What is left of the Joinery |
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| The one room Pavilion where Jefferson and his wife, Martha lived while building Monticello, kitchen below. |
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| Chimney above the smoke-house, slave quarters or kitchen - I'm not sure of the exact one |
It seems that there is so much to know about this place, including the people who served as his guests, his slaves/workers and his longstanding relationships, of whom are John and Abigail Adams. If you have not seen the
John Adams mini-series yet, rent it, Netflix it, do whatever you can to watch this gem. The fact that he and John Adams died within hours of each other on July 4th is beautiful and seems fitting.
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| Ada was cackling like a Raven - a woman nearby came to see "what little bird" was making the noise only to find it was of the curly-haired variety |
After visiting Monticello we drove into Charlottesville, a vibrant and beautiful college town, and visited The University of Virginia, of which Jefferson is the "father" of. It was difficult to photograph the original site, but if you click
here, you can see how it is laid out. What surprised both Sam and I were students still living in the dorm rooms that look out onto the mall; something that Jefferson designed himself as an "
Academical Village".
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| The Rotunda |
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| Dorms looking out onto the mall |
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A dorm in Jefferson's "Academical Village"
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| And yes, that is firewood and a dry erase board hanging from the door frame |
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| Running free on the UVA campus; We hope she and her brother are just as curious as the man who built this place |
So - when are you going to come visit us so that we can take you to Monticello? Read up
HERE before you come about the life of a brilliant man who wanted to be remembered for his contributions toward independence, religious freedom and freedom of the mind.
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"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson author of the Declaration of American Independence of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom and father of the University of Virginia"
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