Jefferson’s Virginia: The Cradle of Democracy

A place like no other, Virginia is steeped in history and endowed with natural beauty: forests, mountains, valleys, and beaches. One of the 13 original colonies, birthplace of eight presidents including four of the first five, location of key historical events, Virginia is the site of prominent events in the nation’s founding. Notable figures of Virginia’s past were crucial in the formation of our country—Thomas Jefferson was one of the greatest. He was, by any reckoning, among the most remarkable men ever to have crossed America’s political stage. His responsibilities were enormous and his accomplishments profound.

From our lodgings on an estate in Charlottesville dating to 1735, we will explore Jefferson’s Virginia and Jefferson the man: political thinker, architect, scientist, bibliophile, paleontologist, musician, collector, and gourmet. John Boles, the William P. Hobby Professor of History at Rice University, as well as local historians will accompany us on our tour of the Commonwealth. We will visit the homes of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other noted Virginians. Poplar Forest, now a National Historic Landmark, will be another stop on our tour.  In a beautiful setting, we will enjoy elegant cuisine and wine from an eighteenth-century estate. Highlights of the University of Virginia tour, guided by Richard Guy Wilson, Commonwealth Professor of Architectural History, will include the Rotunda. As founder of the university and architect of the Rotunda, Jefferson stated, “This institution will employ the remaining days and faculties of my life, and will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind.” Our visit will conclude with a tour of the State Capitol in Richmond, which houses the oldest elected legislative body in North America. 

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