Thomas Jefferson: Different Audience, Different Portrayal

CUB Ballroom

As students who have visited Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello and have also taken college courses which discuss him, we have noticed a great difference in the way he is portrayed at public history sites in comparison to classrooms. The differences—for example, the way slavery is emphasized, the extent to which the contradictory aspects of his political personality are addressed, and the room left for interpretation—vary substantially depending on which environment you are in. We have recognized that a reason for these deviations is the context in which the information is presented—and, more specifically, the people who are being informed. Public history emphasizes fast-paced explanations by a single tour guide while classroom learning often involves many students participating in a discussion, allowing for more perspectives to flourish. We plan to explore these differences and the impact they have on the receivers of the information, as well as implications for teachers and tour guides in both settings.