Last month Ken and I, and our friends Tom & Lois, spent six beautiful October days immersed in early U.S. history in Charlottesville, Virginia. Although we also enjoyed wineries, golf, orchards, shopping and dining, our main focus was the homes of the third, fourth and fifth Presidents of the United States – Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. Winding through Albemarle County‘s rolling hills and the stately campus of the University of Virginia, we visited the historic sites that tied the lives and careers of these “neighbors” together.
Looking back on our young family’s 1983 visit to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, another Virginia U.S. President’s home, I was struck by how differently these historic sites are now being interpreted. It’s still about architecture, artifacts, and owners’ lifes, but the stories of the homes’ enslaved people has moved from a mention to its rightful place as crucial piece of the big picture. Finally.
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were all Founding Fathers, farmers, statesmen, slave owners, politicians and Presidents, and they lived just a short horse ride apart. Their displayed belongings were beautiful. But each property gave a unique experience, and therefore, a special memory. Do click on the property links in each section below for a more comprehensive look. So what appealed to me the most about each historic site? Here’s my take:
The Monticello Visitors Center film about Jefferson was excellent, and it was really the only time in the visit where his role in writing of the Declaration of Independence was really discussed. We had a very good tour guide for our “Behind the Scenes” home tour. He did a skillful job of weaving a cohesive story including Jefferson’s love of collecting, his family members, his friends & colleagues, his enslaved household, his inventions and his financial woes. But at the end of the day, it was the building – the incredible architecture – that spoke to me. While I listened to the interesting story of his life, my eyes were constantly drawn to intricate interior details that were simply wonderful.
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Madison‘s stately home was a short walk from the Visitors Center. We had a Highlights Tour ticket, and our tour guide was enthusiastic although not remarkable. Grand in outward appearance, Montperlior‘s interior rooms were small and tour group sizes a bit too big. The dining room’s interpretation was very well done, with lifesize cutouts of President Madison and his wife Dolly and frequent dinner guests – General de Lafayette in the foreground. But it was “The Mere Distinction of Color” exhibit in the cellar that was outstanding and included “Montpelier’s connection to the national story of slavery… the economic, ideological, and political factors that cemented it in the newly-created American nation and Constitution.”
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The visitor experience at Monroe’s Highland was the biggest surprise. President Monroe‘s original modest home was destroyed by fire, and only stones outlining the foundation survive. Three other combined dwellings display interesting and well described artifacts. The tour guide was the best I’ve ever had! Even without a Presient’s home to tour, he gave such interesting and well-ordered information about the life of James Monroe and his political career that all four of us were spellbound. He described Monroe’s dropping out of William and Mary to fight in the Revolutionary War, battles in which he fought, and the shoulder wound he received. He delved into the Monroe Doctrine (1823), which shaped U.S. foreign relations for decades, and the Missouri Compromise (1820), which attemted to address the divisie issue of slavery in the expanding nation. I had known Jefferson’s and Madison’s history, but had remembered pretty much nothing about Monroe. Our tour guide changed that. WOW.
We had a fabulous week, and I’m so glad we made the trip in this America 250 timeframe. Lest you think it was just a big history lesson, however, here are a few pics of the fun that glued our days together. It’s always a good time traveling with friends – especially Tom & Lois!
Always an inspired read, Sally brings interesting events to life in her woven stories.