Within the confines of slavery, Monticello’s African Americans forged powerful bonds of family, passing skills, values, and a rich culture to their children.
Whether they remained enslaved or became free, the experience of those who left Monticello was deeply influenced by where they settled.
Ancestral ties with Monticello carry a complex legacy, involving issues of race and race mixing as well as Jefferson’s own contradictions.
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Learn about the Getting Word project, which was begun to give voice to those whose lives and contributions went unrecorded.
