Thomas Jefferson found an enemy in Alexander Hamilton, a frenemy in John Adams and his BFF in James Madison. Jefferson and Madison formed a political partnership and personal friendship that made them the dynamic duo of the Founding Fathers.
In 1805, a remarkable shipment was dispatched from a sizable Indian village near what is now Bismarck, North Dakota. A large hand-hewn boat headed down the Missouri River toward the President’s House in Washington, D.C., thousands of miles away, where Thomas Jefferson eagerly awaited word of the...
Visitors to Monticello and the University of Virginia (UVA) can easily see their connections to Thomas Jefferson, the visionary architect of both these U.N. World Heritage sites. The recent dedication of the Memorial to Enslaved Workers at UVA reveals Monticello’s enslaved community and the...
Jefferson was most likely not the first to introduce macaroni and cheese to America, nor did he invent the recipe. But he did write out a recipe for a 'macaroni' pasta dough, and he likely helped popularize the dish by serving what one guest to the President's House described as "a pie called...
Monticello Associate Curator Diane Ehrenpreis takes us through Jefferson's interest in innovation and technology and the story behind his revolving desk.
In 1807, Jefferson installed the compass rose to the ceiling of Monticello’s East Portico. The rose connected to a wind vane mounted on the roof and its rotation allowed Jefferson to record which direction the wind was blowing at any given time.
On this day 195 years ago, 11 July 1824, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Richmond merchant Bernard Peyton asking him to procure 20 pounds of tin. He explained that “We have been a year or two without the use of such of our kitchen utensils as, being of copper, need tinning.” [i] Jefferson was rightly...
Over the past few weeks, our local governments have debated whether they should continue to observe April 13, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, as an official holiday. We respect our local governments’ processes for establishing public holidays. The larger question is whether Jefferson’s legacy remains...
In 1786, Thomas Jefferson took a serious fall in Paris, dislocating and possibly breaking his right wrist. The injury healed slowly, and though he regained use, stiffness and pain in his joint troubled him as he aged. Years later, retired to Monticello and searching for comfort, Jefferson got a...
