We have several accounts from visitors to Monticello during Jefferson’s lifetime who were surprised and delighted by their time on the mountaintop. Yet… not everyone had such a pleasant experience. Case in point: Anna Maria Thornton’s visit in 1802.
Monticello Guide Laura-Michal Balderson discusses Cornelia Jefferson Randolph's relationship with her grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, and highlights her mechanical drawings of the University of Virginia and Monticello's first floor.
Monticello Guide Holly Haliniewski looks at the Levys, who owned and preserved Jefferson's mountaintop for nearly a century. Aired on November 6, 2020.
The Contentious Election of 1800
Historian Edward Larson shares the story of this unprecedented campaign, the surprising results that nearly tore our young nation apart, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that ultimately led to the first peaceful transfer of power in American history. Released on November 4, 2020
A Tragic Marriage
Former Monticello Guide Katy Gehred tells the story of the troubled marriage of Jefferson's grandaughter Ann Cary Randolph. Released on October 15, 2020
Thomas Jefferson's Grand Day Out in London
Monticello guide David Thorson details the events of March 21, 1786, a day of shopping and entertainment in London for Thomas Jefferson. Released on September 9, 2020
Helping Jefferson's Words Live On
It's a monumental task. Editing and publishing all of Jefferson's papers following his retirement from the presidency in 1809. Radio producer Sean Tubbs gives us an inside look at the process and talks with J. Jefferson Looney, Editor-in-Chief of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, about the what, why, how, and how long of this consequential project. (Originally posted on April 10, 2006; approx. 13.75 minutes.)