Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the third and fourth Presidents of the United States, were close friends and a powerful political team. Both played instrumental roles in the shaping of America. But, at times, they also disagreed with one another’s vision for the future of the country. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guides Kyle Chattleton and Alice Wagner have a conversation about these two influential Americans.

In 1781, Virginian Jack Jouett made a famous ride toward Monticello and Charlottesville to warn of impending British forces and potential political disaster, leading him to be known as the "Paul Revere of the South." Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton shares the story of Jouett's ride in this episode of Mountaintop History.

He painted George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as the kings of England and France; was known to take months and years before finishing a portrait; and his works can be seen in museums across the globe. His name was Gilbert Stuart, and there’s a good chance you have seen his work before. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton shares the story of Gilbert Stuart and one of his most famous works.

Franklin wore 'em. And you may not know it, but Jefferson did, too. In this rebroadcast of one of our earliest episodes, radio producer Sean Tubbs (of the Charlottesville Podcast Network) interviews scholar Katherine Stebbins McCaffrey who came to the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies to study Jefferson's interest in eyeglasses as part of larger look at the history of spectacles and how their design and use changed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Music played a prominent role at Monticello during the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. Numerous instruments were performed, including an English Guitar gifted to Virginia Randolph Trist, one of Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guide shares the story of this instrument and what it can tell us about music in the Jefferson household.

In certain ways, Jupiter Evans's story paralleled that of Thomas Jefferson's. But Evans was enslaved by Jefferson, and the realities of slavery highlighted the many ways in which their lives diverged. Brandon Dillard, Manager of Historic Interpretation at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, joins Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton in a conversation about Jupiter Evans's story.

In late May 1806, three of Richmond’s best doctors rushed to the home of George Wythe—a prominent judge, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s long-time mentor and dear friend.

The physicians discovered Wythe bedridden, in agonizing pain. The cause? Poison. The likely culprit? Wythe’s own nephew.

In this latest episode of our “In the Course of Human Events” podcast, Monticello Guide David Thorson—with help from colleagues Melanie Bowyer and Carrie Soubra—shares this harrowing tale of debt, greed, racism, and death.

The Monticello Entrance Hall houses a number of historical maps depicting states, countries, and continents. Each one tells a story about what was once known about the world and by whom. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton shares some of this history.

While the election of 1800 ended (for a time) the friendship between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, a son, John Quincy Adams, still attended dinners at the President's House with Jefferson; he wasn't always impressed by his host. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton shares some of Quincy Adams's own reflections on dining with the President.

From his time as a young adult to his final years, Thomas Jefferson enjoyed the company of a fine glass of wine. In this episode of Mountaintop History, Monticello Guide Kyle Chattleton explores Jefferson's life-long enthusiasm for the beverage, as well as his hopes that wine would become more popular among his fellow citizens.