The man who penned the Declaration of Independence (as a 33-year-old, no less!), with its eloquent phrases about freedom, claimed to be in despair about the existence of slavery. Yet he owned more than 200 slaves, using them to operate his 5,000-acre plantation. The hypocricy is a little hard to swallow. But we were heartened to learn that he paid many of his slaves for some of the more distasteful chores and bought much of his produce from the slaves' community garden. His plantation may have offered a better living for slaves than many other places, but it was still slavery.
Jefferson's close friend and neighbor, James Monroe, was our country's fifth President. He owned dozens of slaves for his 3,500-acre plantation. He's considered by many to have been the most qualified leader in our history. Prior to his two terms as Commander in Chief, he'd served as minister (ambassador) three different times--to Great Britain, France and Spain; U.S. Senator; governor; secretary of state, secretary of war. His home, Ash Lawn-Highland, lies just two miles from Monticello. And the third musketeer of Charlottesville Presidents, their friend James Madison (4th President), lived just 20 miles away. The trio lead the country (they served in each other's terms in various positions) for 25 years.
A couple of things we learned (or had forgotten!) about Monroe:
* he and Washington were the only two presidents to have served in the Revolutionary War in a military capacity.
* Monroe crossed the Delaware River under the command of Washington in the Battle of Trenton (he was a scout, sent ahead of the main troop movement).
* he and his wife were the only Americans to attend the (self-)coronation of Napoleon.
* he furnished the new White House (the old had burned to the ground during the War of 1812) from his own pocket. He later received a modest reimbursement from Congress, although not enough to see him out of debt. He sold Ash Lawn to become solvent. [Too bad Jefferson didn't care for his own finances as responsibly: he died owing $108,000, the equivalent of more than $2 million in today's currency.]
We look forward to completing our tour of the Charlottesville Presidential trio on Friday, when we visit Montpelier, home of James Madison. Tomorrow, two sites in Richmond will keep us busy until we pick up my mom from the airport. Hard to believe her Thanksgiving visit is already here! Home is on the horizon.
Photos:
(1) Monticello on a misty morning
(3) Eight-burner oven/stove in Jefferson's kitchen. The slaves and paid staff who worked there received special training in French cooking. His kitchen was considered the most specialized and modern in the state.
(4) Jefferson had a passion for agriculture and conducted many crop studies in his extensive gardens. He maintained many acres of vinyard, as well.
(5) nearly life-size statue of Jefferson. At 6' 2.5", he was just an inch shorter than Washington but much more slender. We saw a pair of his boots and were shocked at the small size of his feet.
(6-8) A special treat: lunch at Michie Tavern, which has operated as an inn and wayside dining room since 1784. At one time, the tavern was the center of a bustling village.
(9) Ash Lawn-Highland. Monroe's house is the section in white; the yellow addition was made in 1830. The large oak to the right of the house (still has many of its leaves) is more than 250 years old and was a mature shade tree in Monroe's time.
(10) Fog rolled in over the hills behind Monroe's plantation.
(11) Monroe; the statue was a gift from France
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