Topic: Ideas & Ideologies
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James Madison’s State of the Union Address
In this speech, President Madison asked Congress to establish a national university in Washington. Both Washington and Jefferson had supported this idea. In his will, Washington even set aside money...Media › audio
Jefferson revising Jefferson: Two Excerpts from Query 17, Notes on the State of Virginia (Audio)
In this audio clip, Monticello’s Chad Wollerton explains that Jefferson scholar Douglas Wilson has discovered Jefferson’s 1782 “fair copy” of his only published work, Notes on the State of Virginia,...
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Jefferson to Charles Clay
In this letter, Thomas Jefferson looked ahead to the upcoming congressional elections. The recent adoption of the U.S. Constitution created a stronger national government. Jefferson knew that the beliefs and...
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Jefferson to Charles Yancey
In this letter Jefferson urged Charles Yancey, a state legislator, to support “Central College”—the future University of Virginia. Education, he asserted, was necessary for freedom and for civilization. Jefferson also...
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Jefferson to David Hartley
In this letter, Thomas Jefferson responds to British philosopher David Hartley’s inquiries about Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts. Jefferson insists that this uprising has not dampened Americans’ commitment to independence nor...
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Jefferson to Francois de Marbois
As this quotation shows, Jefferson believed that the expansion of U.S. territory would help ensure the liberty and prosperity of its citizens. The American experiment in government based on equality...
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Jefferson to Henry Lee
In this letter written almost fifty years after composing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson explains his understanding of the document’s purpose. He insists that the Declaration was not meant...
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Jefferson to James Madison
In 1809, as Napoleon conquered most of Europe, the recently retired Jefferson imagined the U.S. as a different kind of empire. In contrast to European empires ruled by “despots,” Jefferson...
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Jefferson to James Madison
In this letter, Thomas Jefferson explains to his friend James Madison why he supports the addition of a bill of rights to the U.S. Constitution. Madison, who had played a...Media › audio