Exploring Mr. Jefferson's Monticello - Colonial History with Marina [July 25, 2017]

The History Explorers in front of Monticello

What better way to learn about the birth of the United States than to explore Colonial and Revolutionary War History with a sixth grader. We were fortunate this summer to be able to travel through history with Marina, our 11-year-old granddaughter from Minnesota. We picked her up in Knoxville, where she was visiting her new cousin and our new grandson Asher, and headed to Virginia where there is LOTS of early U.S. history to go around.

Our tour group starting off

Our first stop was Monticello, beloved home of Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson.

The view from the "Little Mountain"

Monticello (Italian for "Little Mountain") is on a hilltop overlooking what was Jefferson's 5,000 acre plantation. Jefferson described himself as an architect, and he designed (and often redesigned and rebuilt) his home. Construction began in 1768 and Jefferson moved into what is now known as the South Pavilion in 1770. He brought his bride, Martha, there in January 1772. Gradually, portions of the house became habitable. Jefferson and Martha had 6 children over the next ten years, only two of whom survived.

Part of the U-shaped design

While Jefferson was in France as the U.S. Ambassador he was introduced to many new architectural concepts and returned with ideas for remodeling Monticello, including adding a U-shaped design, colonnades and a domed roof.

The kitchen, brewery and wine cellar were housed underground...

...accessed through underground tunnels

Monticello has interesting and unique features that give us a glimpse of the inventive mind of this interesting man. At the time, on other similar estates, the kitchens and store rooms were housed in separate buildings away from the main house. Jefferson placed them in a corridor under the house. The weather vane on top of the house, may be read by standing under the portico and looking up at a dial placed on the ceiling. There is a 7 day clock in the foyer, with weights that tell you what day of the week it is. He ran out of room and so drilled a hole in the floor for the weights to descend for "Saturday." Fun and interesting stuff.

You can read the wind direction while on the porch, without going outside into the "weather"

Jefferson had the largest library in Virginia at Monticello, and donated most of it to the Library of Congress after the original collection was burned during the War of 1812. He missed his library so much over the next few years that he purchased more books for a new personal library.

The vegetable gardens

In addition to the house, you can also see lovely formal and vegetable gardens, and tour Mulberry Row and learn about the sad history of slavery at Monticello.

Another view of this lovely and interesting house, do you see the weather vane?

It is hard to overestimate the importance of Thomas Jefferson in the founding of the U.S. In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson was part of a committee of five, tasked by the Second Continental Congress to draft a Declaration of Independence from England. Jefferson was requested by the committee to prepare the draft. After editing by the committee, the draft was submitted to congress on June 28th where it was debated and revised and then ratified on July 4, 1776.

You can see UVA's Rotunda (designed by Jefferson) from Monticello

The opening sentence of the second paragraph says it all, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Monticello was a special place to bring U.S. Colonial and Revolutionary War History to life for Marina, and to remind us about how and why our country was founded. And, yes, we bought copies of the Declaration for family and friends.