2. Reality of Monticello
Descendants of Monticello Slaves | wthr.com
When visitors arrive at Monticello, they may find it hard to juxtapose the beauty of the property with the harsh realities of slavery. On top of that, Thomas Jefferson remains one of the most important people in the American story. Pulling all those pieces into one cohesive focus is tough. As one tour guide put it, “There is no such thing as a good slave owner.” It falls on the inheritors of the American story to keep a robust perspective of slavery and the societies predating the 18th century.