Monticello Podcasts Thomas Jefferson Foundation
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- History
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Stories and news from the worlds of Thomas Jefferson, the larger Monticello community, and the life of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.
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Thomas Jefferson's Health Habits
Thomas once wrote, "the state of medicine is worse than total ignorance." Yet, he did not completely reject medical ideas and practices, and was an early advocate of smallpox inoculation. In this episode, part-time Monticello guide, David Brown looks at Jefferson's health habits and beliefs with an eye to how they stack up with contemporary medical ideas.
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Restoring Monticello's Flower Gardens
In 1924 Monticello’s new owners began the process of restoring the gardens Jefferson had designed for his mountaintop home. But after a century of differing uses—and sometimes outright neglect—by various owners and caretakers, very little evidence remained of Jefferson’s original plans and plantings. It was a daunting task, and it could have ended quite differently were it not for the perseverance, personalities, and ingenuity of several individuals committed to restoring Jefferson’s vision. In this episode of our “In the Course of Human Events” podcast, Monticello’s Curator of Plants, Peggy Cornett — with help from colleagues Monticello Senior Historian Ann Lucas and guide Elizabeth Lukas — tells the story of how two relatively young organizations, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and the Garden Club of Virginia, worked together to restore Jefferson’s unique vision for his flower gardens and laid the groundwork for future historic landscape restoration projects at Monticello and elsewhere across the United States.
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Family and Freedom: Critta Hemings and Zachariah Bowles
Journey through the remarkable life of Critta Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello, who, late in life, gained her freedom and was finally able to live with her long-time husband, Zachariah Bowles, on his family's farm, "Free State," in central Virginia. Monticello guide Alice Wagner shares the Hemings-Bowles story and uncovers powerful narratives of love, resilience, and survival in the face of immense adversity.
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Fruit Grafting and Jefferson's Favorite Garden Nurseries
According to a gardening manual from Jefferson’s time, April is the month to graft fruit trees. So in this episode, we cut into the practice of grafting and explain it's critical to the fruit you eat every day. We also look at Jefferson's favorite nurseries along with the historic and modern nurseries at Monticello, and highlight the upcoming Center for Historic Plants Open Houses in April and May. Oh, there's pomegranates, too. Featuring Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants; Michael Tricomi, Manager and Curator of Historic Gardens; Debbie Donley, Flower Gardener; and Robert Dowell, Senior Nursery Associate at the Thomas Jefferson Center Historic Plants.
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The President and The Naturalist: Humboldt's Trailblazing Travels
In 1804, the adventurous Prussian naturalist Alexander von Humboldt made a pivotal stop in the young United States to meet President Thomas Jefferson. On this episode of Mountaintop History, we look at this momentous encounter between two revolutionary thinkers, and explore Humboldt's groundbreaking theories on the "web of life," his awe-inspiring travels across the Americas, and his contrasting views with Jefferson on topics like slavery and democracy. Discover how Humboldt's trailblazing journey helped shape American identity and introduced ideas centuries ahead of their time.
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The Life and "Happiness" of Martha Wayles Jefferson
Years after her death, Thomas Jefferson described his marriage to his wife, Martha, as ten years spent "in unchequered happiness. And w hile the historical evidence draws a portrait of strong mutual affection, Martha Jefferson's life had its share of tribulation and tragedy. In this episode of "In the Course of Human Events, we look at Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, a woman long viewed almost entirely through the lens of her husband, but was in reality a remarkable person in her own right.
Customer Reviews
Misleading People about Thomas Jefferson
The health issues that Thomas Jefferson was having at his age when the so called experts say he fathered the children of Sally Hemings is false there is no way he could have fathered the children with his medical issues. There is evidence that Thomas Jefferson didn’t father her children but it is a money making story for Monticello so they are running to the bank with this information. So what is it destroying his legacy Thomas Jefferson Foundation is getting rich