In this episode of In the Course of Human Events, historians from Monticello's Getting Word African American Oral History Project share the recent rediscovery of Robert Hemmings’s signature, a revelation confirming the literacy and the agency of the man that Thomas Jefferson enslaved as his valet. As a teenage boy, Hemmings was at Jefferson's side in Philadelphia when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, and later gained his own freedom, becoming the first of very few to be freed by Jefferson. Listen as Andrew M. Davenport, Auriana Woods, and Bernetiae Reed discuss this discovery and describe the life of Robert Hemmings whose story inspired “Descendants of Monticello,” a new exhibition that recently opened at Independence National Historical Park's Declaration House in Philadelphia, PA. By moving Hemmings to the center of this moment in history, this project explores the entangled legacies of freedom and enslavement at the core of our nation’s founding. Since 1993, the Getting Word African American Oral History Project has collected and preserved the oral histories of Monticello’s enslaved community and their descendants, creating an archive of freedom and a fuller story of Monticello and the United States. Getting Word and other staff from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation worked with Monument Lab, the National Park Service, and other organizations to present “Descendants of Monticello,” which was conceived and developed by artist Sonya Y. Clark.
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
Charlottesville, VA 3,307 followers
About us
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation (formerly the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation) owns and operates Monticello, the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson and the only home in America on the elite World Heritage List of the United Nations. Incorporated in 1923, after the federal government waived its third opportunity to acquire Monticello for the nation, the Foundation purchased the house and land from the Levy family, stewards of the estate for 89 years. As a private, nonprofit organization, the Foundation receives no regular federal or state budget support for its twofold mission of preservation and education. Since 1923, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation has steadily expanded its role as a museum and educational institution. Its facilities now include the house and gardens on nearly 2,000 of Jefferson's original 5,000 acres; the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies next door at Kenwood, a headquarters for Jeffersonian research and teaching and home to the Jefferson Library; and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, which propagates heirloom varieties and makes them available to institutions and individuals. The David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and Smith Education Center hosts state-of-the art exhibits for visitors of all ages. It serves as the gateway to Jefferson’s timeless Monticello, preparing guests for their trips to the historic mountaintop through dynamic content presenting fresh perspectives on Monticello and the enduring significance of Jefferson’s life and ideas. About a half a million people visit Monticello each year.
- Website
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http://www.monticello.org
External link for Thomas Jefferson Foundation
- Industry
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- Charlottesville, VA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1923
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
P.O. Box 316
Charlottesville, VA 22902, US
Employees at Thomas Jefferson Foundation
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David Hay
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David Bastide
Mastet Chef Of France / Executive Chef, farm table @ Thomas Jefferson Foundation / Monticello at Thomas Jefferson Foundation
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Anna Allen
Senior Manager
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Chad Wollerton
Director of Digital Media, Web, and Mobile App Strategy/Design for Cultural/Historical Institutions
Updates
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Monticello today is an American icon. It's Jefferson's architectural masterpiece and a symbol of the American story. It's on the back of the U.S. Nickel. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Replicas of it dot the American landscape, both real and imaginary. But it wasn't always so. At the end of the 19th century, many doubted Jefferson had even designed it. That changed with the rediscovery of Jefferson's architectural drawings in the early 20th century. What followed is a story of remarkable careers, passionate dedication, economic challenges, and innovative approaches that have made Monticello one of the most enduring places in the American imagination.
Sharing History - Restoring an American Icon
monticello.org