Thomas Jefferson, born April 13, 1743, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, sold his personal library to Congress after the British burned the Library of Congress in 1814. His contribution is commemorated in The Jefferson Building, completed in 1897, a new home for the Library of Congress. In the Great Hall of the building, two artifacts are prominently displayed: the Gutenberg Bible, and the Giant Bible of Mainz. And in the Main Readi

Thomas Jefferson wrote about freedom while enslaving more than a hundred people, making him one of the most controversial founding fathers. His words and actions still shape how America understands equality today. Episode 2 of Declaration's Journey visits Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to grapple with contradictions. Link in the comments! *********************** Declaration’s Journey is a 10-part digital series that traces the story of the Declaration of Independence from Jefferson’s pen to movem

The fact that Thomas Jefferson had children with his slave Sally Hemmings was denied by Jefferson's family for almost 2 centuries–until DNA evidence confirmed it. A descendent of Jefferson and Hemmings learns the details of the story. A new episode of One Thousand Years of Slavery airs this Monday at 8 PM. #1000YearsOfSlavery | Smithsonian Channel