In the Course of Human Events

Theft at Monticello 11.03.2022 20:42 ↓

Enslaved people did not simply accept the confines of their bondage, and resistance took many forms. An example is found in the story of York, a young man enslaved at Monticello who attempted to escape in 1798. It was only after York fled that Thomas Jefferson learned from his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, that the teenager successfully accessed Jefferson’s bedchamber and took several personal...

William Monroe Trotter Battles "Birth of a Nation" 27.02.2021 ↓

Trailblazer. Newspaper publisher. Civil rights titan. Meet William Monroe Trotter, one of the most influential descendants of Monticello’s enslaved community—and someone who too many people have never heard of. In this episode we discuss Trotter’s life, legacy, and determined (but ultimately unsuccessful) effort to stop the release of the notoriously racist 1915 film “Birth of a Nation.”

A Tragic Marriage: Charles and Ann Cary Bankhead 15.10.2020 ↓

Former Monticello Guide Katy Gehred tells the story of Jefferson’s granddaughter Ann Cary Randolph whose marriage to an alcoholic was the source of much grief.

Thomas Jefferson’s Grand Day Out in London 10.09.2020 ↓

Monticello guide David Thorson details the events of March 21, 1786, a day of shopping and entertainment in London for Thomas Jefferson.

The Election of 1800 ↓

History has remembered the Election of 1800, pitting John Adams against Thomas Jefferson, as a bitterly contested—some might say nasty—affair. Historian Edward Larson shares the story of this unprecedented campaign, the surprising results that nearly tore our young nation apart, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that ultimately led to the first peaceful transfer of power in American history.