A rich history has emerged through the letters, memoirs, artifacts, and oral history of Jefferson's family, visitors to Monticello, the Levy family, and Monticello's enslaved community and their descendants. Explore the American stories found only at Monticello.
Author of the Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States, Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Vice President, architect, scientist, wine enthusiast, and founder of the University of Virginia.
Explore his life and legaciesJefferson described life with his wife Martha as ten years of "unchequered happiness."
A beloved wifeA great-granddaughter of Brown Colbert, a man enslaved at Monticello, spent her life breaking barriers and fighting for the rights of women and women of color.
The Life of Coralie Franklin CookSally Hemings is one of the most famous—and least known—African American women in U.S. history. For more than 200 years, her name has been linked to Thomas Jefferson as the mother of at least 6 of his children.
Sally HemingsJohn Hemmings was an enslaved woodworker and joiner who built many of the iconic elements of Jefferson's home.
John HemmingsMonticello survives today because of the efforts of the Uriah Levy and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy.
The man who saved MonticelloJefferson's oldest daughter, Martha often served as "first lady" in the White House and later raised her own 11 children at Monticello after her father retired from public life.
His constant companionStories, posts, updates, and more about Jefferson, his world, and the larger Monticello community.
Monticello promotes ongoing historical research through a multidisciplinary approach supported by several scholarly departments and programs.
From archaeology to document investigations, there's always research happening at Monticello.
Professor Annette Gordon-Reed tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently.
"Thomas Jefferson's Monticello" is a collection of essays and color photography showcasing this extraordinary American home. Featuring essays written by scholars at Monticello, chapters focus on all aspects of the house and plantation.
Lester J. Cappon's edition of correspondence between John Adams, Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.
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