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Thomas Jefferson’s Cabinet was a personal office space where he wrote his letters, read books, and engaged in scientific pursuits. In this segment, Mikey Amos explores the many curiosities of this space, including the polygraph. He also discusses what Jefferson’s time in this room might have looked like during his retirement years, as well as his never-ending search for knowledge.

Monticello guide Justin Bates discusses Jefferson's interest in the Louisiana Territory, his hopes for an "Empire of Liberty" across the North American continent, and the Purchase's lasting legacies for the United States and for the indigenous nations that existed prior to the arrival Europeans.

Monticello guide David Thorson looks at how members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition celebrated the holiday season. He notes how different circumstances resulted in different experiences, and draws much of his discussion from William Clark’s journal.

Monticello guide Ariel Armenta explores Thomas Jefferson’s intentions for the Corps of Discovery and Merriwether Lewis’s preparations. She also focuses on the diverse character of this Corps, and the Expedition's lasting scientific impacts.

What was a visit to Jefferson's home back in day? In her diary from 1802, prominent Washington, D.C., socialite and diarist, Anna Maria Thornton, described a difficult trek up Monticello mountain and her disappointment in the conditions she found there. Monticello guide Danna Kelley tells the story with help from two colleagues.

Monticello's Kyle Chattleton discusses one of the few moments in Monticello’s history where an enslaved individual was freed by Jefferson. We can only imagine Robert Hemings’s feelings after being released from Jefferson on Christmas Eve 1794, but historical documents show that Jefferson was not too happy about the manumission.

For the festival of Hanukkah, Danna Kelley focuses on the memorable story of Uriah Phillips Levy and his connection to Monticello. She discusses his career in the United States Navy, where he became the first Jewish-American to rise to the rank of commodore as well as the anti-Semitism he faced throughout his time in military service. She also explores his decision to purchase Monticello from James Barclay and begin preservation efforts for the home, and how these efforts were connected to his admiration for Thomas Jefferson.

Monticello Guide Sam Saunders looks at the life of enslaved personal servant Israel Gillette Jefferson and relates the momentous events in his life, such as the passing of Thomas Jefferson, his subsequent sale and separation from his first wife and children, and his move as free man to Ohio where he became a deacon and treasurer of Eden Baptist Church in Pike County.

Monticello Guide Laura-Michal Balderson discusses Cornelia Jefferson Randolph's relationship with her grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, and highlights her mechanical drawings of the University of Virginia and Monticello's first floor.

Monticello Guide Andrew Miles discusses the mechanisms of the clock, as well as its memorable imperfections,and Gardiner Hallock, Monticello's Vice President for Architecture, Collections, and Facilities, tells us about the recent restoration efforts aimed at preserving the clock.

In this segment, we discuss the well-preserved state of Monticello's architecture, and specifically the role of the Levy family in preserving this American icon. Monticello Guide Holly Haliniewski tells the story of Uriah Phillips Levy, his admiration for Thomas Jefferson, and the preservation efforts of Levy and his nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy. We also acknowledge the Levy family's Jewish heritage, and the connection to Jefferson's work toward religious freedom in the United States.

History has remembered the Election of 1800, pitting John Adams against Thomas Jefferson, as a bitterly contested—some might say nasty—affair. Historian Edward Larson shares the story of this unprecedented campaign, the surprising results that nearly tore our young nation apart, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that ultimately led to the first peaceful transfer of power in American history.

What does a portrait of Salome presenting the head of John the Baptist hanging in Monticello's Parlor have to do with religious freedom? Monticello Guide Alice Wagner retells this New Testament story and connects the painting -- and other religious paintings at Monticello -- to Thomas Jefferson's commitment to religious freedom in the United States, specifically his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

Monticello Guide Ashley Hollinshead discusses what Jefferson thought about slavery and Africans and African-Americans, and how these ideas have and continue to shape the many legacies of racism.

Former Monticello Guide Katy Gehred tells the story of Jefferson's granddaughter Ann Cary Randolph whose marriage to an alcoholic was the source of much grief.

Monticello guide David Thorson details the events of March 21, 1786, a day of shopping and entertainment in London for Thomas Jefferson.

In 1995, Alan Alda was the featured speaker at a special dinner on Monticello's West Lawn. Fresh from a filming trip to China for PBS's Scientific American Frontiers, the award-winning actor related his efforts to look for "clues into [Jefferson's] character" and made connections between efforts by a Chinese scientist to produce a high-yield strain of rice and Jefferson's commitment to the sciences and freedom of thought. (Added to Monticello Podcasts on Jan. 28, 2010. Approx. 22 min. )

In the wake of the release of U.S. diplomatic cables on Wikileaks, Eric Johnson, Monticello's New Media Specialist, talks with Jean Bauer, creator of "The Early American Foreign Service Database," about what is was like for Jefferson and his successors to communicate with America's ambassadors and consuls abroad.(Added to Monticello Podcasts on Dec. 2, 2010. Approx. 25 min. )

Contemporary visitor accounts of Thomas Jefferson and Monticello offer interesting insights on the former president in his retirement years. Ellen Hickman, assistant editor at the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, outlines a project underway to gather and publish visitor accounts, shares some amusing anecdotes from the collection, and discusses how studying visitor descriptions alters our understanding of Jefferson. (Added to Monticello Podcasts Nov. 18, 2009. Approx. 44 min. )

Writer and historian Andrea Wulf talks about her recent book, The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession, that traces the origin of the English country garden through the collaborative effort between two men and two countries: American farmer, John Bartram, and London cloth merchant, Peter Collinson. (Added to Monticello Podcasts on Aug 6, 2009. Approx. 44 min. )