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I Am an Epicurean
Adam Potkay (William & Mary)
What did Jefferson mean by “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Adam Potkay explains the moral and philosophical world behind the phrase and the important passages that were edited out of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration in the Attic
Holly Robertson (University of Virginia) and George Riser (University of Virginia)
On the evening of July 4, 1776, the Founding Fathers raced to print 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence for rapid dispersal throughout the colonies. Holly Robertson and George Riser dive into the frantic, midnight race to spread the news of independence.
Martha Will Explain
Patti Miller (Encyclopedia Virginia) and Nicole Brown (Monticello)
Martha Jefferson is usually portrayed as Thomas Jefferson’s beloved wife who died young in childbirth. But Patti Miller and Nicole Brown say that a new biography shows she was actually a highly educated, politically astute woman and a wartime political confidante of Jefferson.
You can read more about Martha Jefferson here at Encyclopedia Virginia. Encyclopedia Virginia is a free, reliable, multimedia resource that tells the inclusive story of Virginia for anyone who seeks to understand how the past informs the present and the future.
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