Thomas Jefferson & Monticello

July 29, 2023 9:30am

Thomas Jefferson's gravestone at the Monticello Plantation states these accomplishments: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." But among other significant achievements, he was also the third President of the United States. Why isn't that included? Because Jefferson didn't want it there.

Jefferson wrote his own epitaph along with a very specific drawing of what he wanted his obelisk tombstone to look like. So omitting his presidency of eight years was deliberate. He instructed that he wanted those specific words to be inscribed "and not a word more... because by these, as testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be remembered." But Thomas Jefferson's life was far more than the three things listed on his tombstone. His revolutionary words, effective diplomacy, and visionary ideas continue to inspire and lift civilizations around the world.

On today's radio program, I interviewed historian John Ragosta, the Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. We discussed how Jefferson held contradictory views about human freedom while owning hundreds of slaves. We talked about how he fathered six children with his slave Sally Hemings, which is a far more complicated story than most people understand. And we examined how, almost two hundred years after his death, he still influences American society and politics.

Our interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230729