The 4th of July Weekend was a fitting time to check out the National Constitution Center’s exhibition, “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello.”
I wanted to learn more about the under-told story of the man who wrote:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
It was not self-evident to Thomas Jefferson that his 600 slaves, among whom was his baby-mama, Sally Hemings, were similarly endowed by the Creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The multi-media exhibition tells the stories of six slave families who lived and worked at Monticello—the Fossett, Gillette, Granger, Hemings, Hern and Hubbard families—and their descendants.
Can’t make it to Philly? No problem. Michael Hill's Blues Mob's also tells the story behind the third president of the United States.
