Book Launch: "Those Who Labor for my Happiness" by Cinder Stanton

“I have great admiration for these varied pieces, and the title essay is simply magisterial. . . . a remarkably empathetic piece, recovering the inner world of slaves and their myriad connections to their owner.”—Philip D. Morgan, Johns Hopkins University

Join author Cinder Stanton for the launch of "Those Who Labor for my Happiness," Slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello - Sunday, March 18, from 5 to 6 p.m., for a presentation at the Milstein Theater at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, followed by a book signing in the Monticello Museum Shop

Monticello’s Shannon Senior Historian Lucia “Cinder” Stanton has devoted her career to expanding our understanding of Jefferson’s relationship to slavery. Now, coinciding with the January opening of the Monticello and Smithsonian exhibition “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty,” Stanton’s groundbreaking research on the lives of enslaved African Americans at Monticello is presented in book form in "Those Who Labor for my Happiness," Slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Our perception of life at Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia home has changed dramatically over the past quarter century. The image of an estate presided over by a benevolent master has given way to a more complex view of Monticello as a working plantation, the success of which was made possible by slaves. At the center of this shift in perspective has been the work of Stanton, recognized as the leading expert on the lives of Jefferson’s slaves and their descendants. "Those Who Labor for my Happiness," Slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is the first book to represent the breadth and nuance of Cinder Stanton’s work.

Stanton’s pioneering research deepens our understanding of Jefferson and sheds light on the daily life of slaves on Jefferson’s plantation. Her detailed reconstruction for modern readers vividly reveals the active roles played by enslaved African Americans in the creation of a dynamic community at Monticello. The essays collected here address a rich variety of topics, from family histories (including the Hemingses) to the temporary slave community at Jefferson’s White House to stories of former slaves’ lives after Monticello, including those who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Each piece is characterized by Stanton’s deep knowledge of her subject and by her determination to do justice to both Jefferson and his slaves.

Free and open to the public, but since space is limited, advanced registration is necessary at reservations@monticello.org