Thomas Jefferson devoted the last years of his life to founding one of the first secular colleges in the United States, the University of Virginia. In this week’s livestreams, we’ll explore Jefferson’s vision for the university, and the enslaved people whose labor made that vision a reality. Watch this Q&A with Thomas Jefferson, interpreted by Bill Barker, discussing what Jefferson called “the hobby of my old age” - the founding of UVA.

This livestream was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.