In the Course of Human Events Podcast
1) Robert Hemmings's Signature
In this episode of In the Course of Human Events, historians from Monticello's Getting Word African American Oral History Project share the recent rediscovery of Robert Hemmings’s signature, a revelat...Show More
2) 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 a...Show More
3) The Fantastic Tale of Selim the Algerian
Trained in the classics in Constantinople and captured at sea on the Mediterranean, the man known as Selim the Algerian faced a lifelong series of trials and tribulations that included enslavement, es...Show More
4) The Fiery Arch: Celebrating the Treaty of Paris
It was meant to be a spectacle. And it was. But not in the way intended. In this episode, author and historian Eliga Gould tells the incredible story of Charles Willson Peale's Triumphal Arch, built t...Show More
5) Benjamin Banneker Challenges Thomas Jefferson
Who was Benjamin Banneker? Scientist, clockmaker, Assistant to the Surveyor of Washington, DC, creator of bestselling almanacs, and possibly the first African American to publicly challenge Jefferson ...Show More
6) Edward Coles Challenges Thomas Jefferson on Slavery
In this episode of our In the Course of Human Events podcast, we look at the fascinating story of Edward Coles and his effort to persuade one of America's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, to free h...Show More
7) A Washington Fish Tale
Was it a relaxing retreat? A working vacation? Or a merely intriguing story that it is really more about how we like to view U.S. history than what actually happened? In this episode of In the Course ...Show More
8) The “Calamitous” Citizen Genet
He challenged President Washington’s authority. He lied to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. He outfitted privateer ships in American ports and sent them to attack British shipping. He was a diplom...Show More
9) A Crusade for Monticello
On April 13, 1909, Maud Littleton, wife of a well known New York attorney and politician, fulfilled a life-long desire to visit Monticello. Despite a "kind and hospitable" reception by the house's the...Show More
10) Thomas Jefferson’s Two No Good, Very Bad Days
Late in life, on either side of his 80th birthday, Thomas Jefferson had two bad falls. Both were serious, and one was life-threatening. And both provide glimpses into Jefferson’s character and into th...Show More