The Smithsonian will open a new exhibit this week showing Thomas Jefferson's Monticello through the lives of his slaves. Wednesday, curators gave NBC29 a sneak-peek tour at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The exhibit officially opens to the public Friday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. It's an idea that started at Monticello three years ago, bringing together more than 50 years of research to tell the stories of Jefferson's slaves.
Descendents of those slaves are some of the first to see the exhibit 'Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty' during a special debut Wednesday. It tells the story of six slave families from Monticello, and traces them to their descendents today.
Bill Webb, a Monticello slave descendant, walks through a museum exhibit telling his family's story. He said, "This is the name of my ancestor, Brown Colbert."
It's a name he first saw scribbled in a family bible. Webb stated, "He was owned by Thomas Jefferson 1785 through 1806."
But it wasn't until 2006 that Webb discovered his ancestor's connection to Monticello. "It gives you a sense of identity - whether it's painful or not - slavery is slavery," Webb said.
Webb is among the first to explore the exhibit. He said, "It's exciting to be able to try to imagine who these people were, what there lives could have been."
Jefferson kept detailed records of the slaves he owned in his lifetime. The exhibit also explores Jefferson's own beliefs about slavery, which he called an "abominable crime".
Elizabeth Chew, the co-curator from Monticello, said, "The world Jefferson knew was created by slavery. The system of slavery was integral to his family's life to colonial America. Slavery made the world that he knew."
More than 600 slaves walked the halls and worked the fields of Monticello during Jefferson's lifetime. The exhibit displays their work tools, personal belongings, and names.
Rex Ellis, co-curator from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, said, "I hope they leave with an understanding of how significant African-Americans were even in enslavement."
The exhibit also includes the Getting Word project. Visitors can search an online database of interviews with descendants of Jefferson's slaves, and learn what happened to their families after Monticello. Historians spent nearly 20 years developing the database, with family stories that trace back to Monticello.
"The core truths of what was passed down in the families," stated Monticello Senior Historian Cinder Stanton. "It's much more possible to make a connection over the barrier of slavery."
The exhibit opens to the public Friday, and will be at the Smithsonian through October 14. Monticello will launch the Getting Word website Friday to coincide with the exhibit, where you can search more than 180 interviews with descendents of Jefferson's slaves.
For Webb, the exhibit is a journey through a personal past he shares with history. "It's disturbing, yes, because of slavery," he said. "But at the same time, it is part of America's history."
