Historical Distortion Rampant at Jefferson’s Monticello
I’ve recently made a foolish mistake. I expected a tour guide at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to actually talk about Thomas Jefferson. I know, how silly of me.
Yes, rather than give any new information, the young woman giving the tour decided it was the time to tell me that Thomas Jefferson, in fact, owned slaves. I already knew that, as does everyone over the age of 8. Now, I have no issue with learning about the slaves who worked at Monticello, but I do have a problem with their stories being prioritized over Jefferson himself. Believe it or not, I visited Thomas Jefferson’s home to learn about Thomas Jefferson, and you would think a woman whose job is to guide you through his home would be able to tell you more about him than your average 5th grader. However, it seems the only acceptable topic of discussion was slavery.
Thomas Jefferson was an incredibly interesting man with a multitude of ideas and interests a tour guide could discuss. I mean, I would have loved to hear about his views on science, philosophy, and don’t get me started on his inventions. Even the architectural inspirations for Monticello alone could have made for a fascinating tour. But no, these topics were glossed over as nothing more than a footnote in favor of a long-winded speech about the Jefferson-Hemings scandal.
This controversy, for those that are unaware, surrounds a rumor that Thomas Jefferson fathered the 6 children of his slave (and sister-in-law), Sally Hemings. It was started publicly by James T. Callender in 1802, but the majority of…
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