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Blog Archive: 6/2011

June 27, 2011

Archaeology on Mulberry Row – A Little History: Part 1

Everyone knows that archaeologists dig. But it is less widely appreciated that just how they dig and what they find varies with the kinds of questions they ask and the assumptions they make. Two excavation campaigns were conducted on Mulberry Row -- the first in 1957 and the second in the early 1980’s – and the differences between them offer thought-provoking insights. In this series of three blog posts, I’ll describe these two campaigns and their analytical implications.more »

Posted in: Archaeology, Mulberry Row, Plantation and Slavery, Research Add a comment Share

June 22, 2011

“Festival of the People” July 4th Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello

by Linnea Grim

When someone learns where I work, he inevitably says something along the lines of “That must be a wonderful place to be!” I agree and then explain that it’s more than the history of the house that makes it special. Because the site connects us to the ideas that began the United States – our ongoing experiment in self governance – it is still incredibly relevant to people today. Every year we have a chance to witness how relevant during a naturalization ceremony that occurs at Monticello on the morning of July 4.more »

Posted in: Thomas Jefferson, Visiting Monticello Add a comment Share

June 14, 2011

Featured Letter: A Disappointing Tobacco Shipment

by Monticello

In a time when there was no thought of providing former chief executives with pensions, Thomas Jefferson relied primarily on the produce of his farms for subsistence and money. His main cash crops were wheat and tobacco.more »

Posted in: Gardens, Plantation and Slavery, Research, Thomas Jefferson Add a comment Share

June 7, 2011

The "Pull of Home"

by David Ronka

I often conclude my tours of Mulberry Row with the story of Peter Fossett, the son of Monticello’s blacksmith Joseph Fossett and his wife Edith, Monticello’s head cook. In his reminiscences, published in 1898 (read Fossett’s account), Peter recalled being sold away from his family at age 11 to Colonel John R.more »

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June 3, 2011

Jefferson-era Recipe: Cherries

by Leni the Cook

Time for the June installment of our monthly series in which we post a recipe from The Virginia House-wife, a recipe book published in 1824 by Mary Randolph, kinswoman to Thomas Jefferson. Leni Sorensen, our African American Research Historian and a culinary historian of national repute, has once again made this month's dish and here we include her notes and pictures. CHERRIESJune 2011 more »

Posted in: Food and drink Add a comment Share

June 2, 2011