A Collection of American Stories

Monticello's Stories are America's Stories

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.

Plan Your Visit

Stories you'll hear at Monticello

Get to know Thomas Jefferson: author of the Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States, architect, scientist, wine enthusiast, and founder of the University of Virginia.

Explore his life and legacies Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale in 1800

Jefferson described life with his wife Martha as ten years of "unchequered happiness."

A beloved wife A dress form with a brown dress with a large lace collar draped over it.

A 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 Cook Coralie Franklin Cook, “Shadows of Light," The Crisis (November 1917)

Sally 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 Hemings A woman's dress form stands in front of projected shadows depicting Sally Hemings coming her daughter's hair while two boys play the violin

John Hemmings was an enslaved woodworker and joiner who built many of the iconic elements of Jefferson's home.

John Hemmings

Monticello survives today because of the efforts of the Uriah Levy and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy.

The man who saved Monticello Full-length painting of Commodore Uriah P. Levy

Jefferson'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 companion Portrait of Martha Jefferson Randolph by Thomas Sully.

Stories

Stories, posts, updates, and more about Jefferson, his world, and the larger Monticello community.

Read more

More on Monticello's Website

A researcher sits at a large desk laid out with papers and an archival box with two stories of book shelves and more tables in the background.

How Do We Know What We Know?

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.

For Researchers

Dig Into History at Home

Next page in
What is Monticello?

A Historic Garden Landscape