Day Six - A Day in the Life of Two Presidents

Today we spent the day in the historical presence of two great Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.  I was particularly excited to see Monticello, as I have a great admiration for Jefferson.  I don't agree with all of his religious beliefs, but I admire his passion and desire for learning.  The man was truly a Renaissance Man, rivaled only by Benjamin Franklin (in my humble opinion).

Monticello is an amazing place.  You get a glimpse into Jefferson's mind based on the way the house is constructed and decorated.  From the "classroom" in his front lobby to the use of space in the house to his grand library, his eclectic set of skills is highly visible.

One of the most impressive things about Jefferson is pictured above.  On his tombstone, he could have remarked about his time as a President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Minister to France, Governor of Virginia, Representative in Williamsburg, or one of his many other accomplishments.  Yet, he chose to note the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the penmanship of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the fact that he created the University of Virginia.  I think this says something about where his priorities lie: in securing civil liberties, guarding religious liberties, and promoting education.  A very powerful statement indeed.

Montpelier is a little different.  It is not as well enshrined as Monticello, but its education resources far surpasses that of Monticello (ironically enough).  Montpelier hosts weekend and week-long professional development for teachers in which you stay on the grounds.  A couple of teachers told me how cool it is to study there, then in the evening, sip on a beverage of choice while sitting on the steps of the house.  That is definitely an experience that I would like to enjoy one day.

In both places, I got that tingling sensation when walking in the houses, knowing that those two men, so famous in our nation's history, stood in those same spots.  And even more so when we sat in the exact room where Madison penned the Virginia Plan which became the basis of the US Constitution.  To know I sat in the same room that such history was created is a truly unique feeling.

Both houses got me to thinking (for fun) about what my "estate" would look like if preserved for posterity.  Now, I am nowhere near important enough for a foundation to preserve my belongings.  But when my grandchildren (or God willing, great-grandchildren) go through my possessions, what will I leave for them to know about me.  I think I have a pretty good selection of movies and I have a small collection of education and social studies related comic strips.  I am not advocating building a 5,000 volume library, or adding so much debt, but it does make me kind of think about what I will leave behind.  Of course, this last set of thoughts is probably a combination of little sleep last night, long day today, and sleepiness now.

For the teachers, some online video resources for you...
1- Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration (to the tune of It's Too Late by Timbaland)
2- The French Revolution (to the tune of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga)
3- 95 Theses (to the tune of 99 Problems by Jay-Z)
4- Women's Suffrage (also to the tune of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga)
5- The Trojan War (to the tune of Tainted Love by Soft Cell)
Thanks to Christine and Cindy for sharing!

MEET THE FELLOWS: Jena Burke is one of the several Junior Fellows attending this year.  She is working on her Masters, but has not started in the classroom yet.  She is from the University of Montana, which as a follower of Appalachian State University, I probably should not even associate with her, but in the spirit of the Fellowship, I will let that pass.  It's cool to see her (among others) who have never been to DC soak up the sights and sounds of such a great city.

TOMORROW: A tour of DC, and outlining Essay #1 for the class.