[applause] to i would say half of the rating and a big chunk of the research i did while i had a fellowship for jefferson studies. I want to think andrew for that and my good friend for many acts of friendship does the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation chair at the university of virginia. I want to think mary Scott Fleming for keeping the trains running on time for this presentation and to Christopher Oliver assistance to a range of this. And managing the fellowship that i so have profitably and so spent here. Also might sister and her brother traveling here for connecticut also alan taylor one of the leaders of the of escape from the virginia plantation during the war of 1812. Since it is monticello lets begin with Thomas Jefferson and this is a that comes from a letter that he wrote in response to his former secretary. He wrote this letter August August 251814 which is a low point in the United States will recall the war of 1,812th. If you know, of the occupation and the partial b
My sister, carol and my brotherinlaw, marty, for traveling here from connecticut for this. And i want to thank tina dunkley and their family for coming. Tina has come in from atlanta. They are the descendents of one of the leaders of the largest single escape of slaves from a virginia plantation during the war of 1812. And since it is monticello we begin with Thomas Jefferson and his words here. And this is a quote that comes from a letter he wrote in response to edward cole, his former secretary. He wrote this letter, and as you can see, august 25, 1814, which is a low point to the United States and its war against the british empire, the war we call the war in 1812 but a war which lasted in to 1815. Now, those of you who know about the occupation and the partial burning of washington will recognize that august 25 was right after the british had occupied washington and while the buildings were burning. Jefferson was writing this letter from monticello so he didnt know yet about that b
But british officials perceived to be in their interest. They might use it at the planters paid travel. Also if slaves were out. The expectation was made clear that if theres a slave revolt in trinidad they were supposed to help suppress the. They were supposed to catch runaways are not receive them into their communities. So its only in the 1830s the british will make a concerted effort, Parliament Passes law for the gradual emancipation through this conversation apprenticeship horrendously cheap on the west indies. Often enslave people get impatient with this and they will rise up and demand more immediate freedom. So it is a tangled process, but it is through it is around civil war. Thats fairly easy to do with the Political Center is in london in the planter class has limited power by the team 30s in parliament. Much less so than that. And he has studied so well when the planter passes far more in parliament and it was in 1830s. Another question here. This is the last one. Im just
He wasnt the finding stories, i very quickly realized that what the sources i had gotten to the end of them. Finding books though, i did find some books that were signed. And i did fine that i met with a curator to look at a ring as having once belonged to Benjamin Franklin and i am thinking that franklin is not wearing a ring. And not in the portrait. And it was a morning rain, like someone with diet and would give out a memento and it was being worn by james nephew. And he had actually deeded that specific ring to her granddaughter in her room will. And like a lot of things that once belonged to him, it only survived because it in this case it had a fictitious connection to Benjamin Franklin. So i made them change the catalog entry. But when they werent looking at the good habits piece and put it on. You know, im never going to be let in there again. But i thought, no one has asked look at this room in two centuries. So im going to put it on. [laughter] and i could barely get it off
Enough to write a vast symphonic work, to inspire a magnificent novel and bring down a great emperor. On this day of battle more russians died than were killed or would die of illness in the whole of the war of 1812 on all sides. This really was a titanic clash of two emporers and two vast armies numbering close on 200,000 men each. The war of 1812 would not be fought by armies of 200,000 men. In fact, it wouldnt be fought by 200,000 men all told. As 1813 began James Madison knew that napoleon had lost. His army was in full retreat. Indeed, it was in complete collapse. He had taken his country to war on the premise the french would win. They had lost. Now what was going to happen . This also took the pressure off brittain and it released naval reinforcements from the british fleet in the baltic which had been keeping it open for trade the previous five years. Those ships and key personnel were moved across to the north american station. The british picked out the right ships and the ri