This course provides an overview of Thomas Jefferson's work and perspectives presented by the University of Virginia in partnership with Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Together, UVA and Monticello are recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Offered By
University of Virginia
22,952 enrolled
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
11 hour to complete
Thomas Jefferson, American Icon
Thomas Jefferson is an American icon. He has also been one of the most polarizing and controversial figures in American history. In this introductory module, we’ll explore how Jefferson’s reputation has changed and evolved over the last two centuries. We’ll discover what Jefferson considered to be his most important contribution to the “Age of Enlightenment” in which he was living. We’ll discuss why some people in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have viewed Jefferson and his ideas with skepticism or worse while others have embraced Jefferson. Overall, learning about how people from many different backgrounds and perspectives have interpreted Jefferson throughout history will help us understand why it’s so important to think critically and honestly about Jefferson’s life and legacy today.
6 videos (Total 53 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
Thomas Jefferson, American Icon Preface3m
Jefferson’s Great Contribution8m
Doubting Thomas: Negative Responses to Jefferson and his Ideas8m
Jefferson’s Reputation from the Civil War to the Cold War18m
Interpreting Jefferson Today10m
1 reading
Thomas Jefferson, American Icon Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Thomas Jefferson, American Icon10m
Week
21 hour to complete
Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence
No document is more closely associated with Jefferson than the Declaration of Independence. Listing it as the first of three achievements on his tombstone, Jefferson clearly believed the Declaration to be of profound importance. Generations of Americans have agreed, constantly quoting its phrases and invoking its ideas. But do we really understand what Jefferson was trying to do when he wrote the Declaration? In this module, we’ll explore the Revolutionary context in which Jefferson lived and worked. We’ll ask why the Declaration takes the form that it does, and also what Jefferson hoped it would accomplish. Surprisingly, the parts of the Declaration that we celebrate most frequently today may not be the ones Jefferson would have understood to be the most important.
5 videos (Total 61 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
5 videos
Declaration of Independence Preface3m
The Declaration and American History7m
Reluctant Revolutionaries: The Context for Writing the Declaration19m
Creating an American People25m
1 reading
Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence10m
Week
31 hour to complete
Jefferson and Slavery
The man who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” was a lifelong slaveowner whose affluence rested on the exploitation of hundreds of African Americans. In this module, we travel to Montalto, the mountain overlooking Jefferson’s home and plantation on Monticello, to try to gain some perspective on this great tension in Jefferson’s life and thought. Our goal will be neither simply to exonerate nor to castigate Jefferson, but rather to understand how he viewed slavery and his relationship to it. Only by confronting and considering this complicated, frustrating, and tragic chapter in American history can we come to a more complete and nuanced understanding of Thomas Jefferson and his legacy. As students attending the University Jefferson founded, it is especially important to engage this topic.
5 videos (Total 54 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
5 videos
Slavery Preface2m
A Captive Nation: Slavery as War22m
“The most blessed of patriarchs”: Slavery in Peace9m
The Future of Slavery13m
2 readings
Jefferson and Slavery Readings10m
Discover the Resources of Monticello10m
1 practice exercise
Jefferson and Slavery10m
Week
41 hour to complete
Jefferson and Religion
The role of religion in public life continues to be a topic of debate today in both the United States and around the world. Thomas Jefferson was never happier than when his Bill for Religious Freedom was finally enacted in Virginia in 1786. In this module, we’ll try to understand why Jefferson believed freedom of religion to be so essential to the future of the United States. To do this, we’ll explore the historical context in which Jefferson developed his ideas about the proper relationship between religious denominations and the state. We’ll also investigate Jefferson’s own faith—a subject of much controversy from his own day through the present. Considering Jefferson’s serious engagement with questions of religion will help us understand the kinds of communities and society he hoped would take hold and flourish in the new nation.
6 videos (Total 61 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
A Chapel at the University of Virginia6m
A Chapel at Mr. Jefferson’s University10m
The Situation in Old Regime Virginia13m
Sustaining the Revolution10m
Jefferson’s Faith16m
1 reading
Jefferson and Religion Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Jefferson and Religion10m
Week
51 hour to complete
Jefferson and Education
Founding the University of Virginia in 1819 was the most obvious example of Jefferson’s interest in education, but it was by no means the first time he considered the subject. Indeed, education was one of Jefferson’s constant preoccupations. In this session, we’ll discuss Jefferson’s ideas about education as they developed over the course of his life, from the ambitious plan for a state-supported system of schools outlined in his “Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge,” to his conclusion in the early nineteenth century that the other institutions of higher learning that existed in the United States just weren’t suited to forming the leaders of a free republic. Throughout the discussion, we’ll try to understand why Jefferson was so focused on education by asking what he believed was at stake if Americans failed in their duty to provide proper instruction for future generations.
5 videos (Total 62 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
5 videos
Education Preface2m
A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge26m
A Civic Education Outside the Schoolhouse7m
The University of Virginia13m
1 reading
Jefferson and Education Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Jefferson and Education10m
Week
61 hour to complete
'The earth belongs to the living'
In 1789, Jefferson wrote a letter to James Madison from Paris in which he asserted that “the earth belongs to the living.” Calculating that a single generation could be said to last nineteen years, he proposed that no debts should be incurred that could not be paid off in nineteen years; that all laws should be re-written every nineteen years; and that Americans should re-write even their constitutions every nineteen years. Madison thought the ideas Jefferson outlined in this letter to be wildly impractical, and most commentators since then have come to the same conclusion. In this module, however, we’ll explore what Jefferson was getting at in claiming that “the earth belongs to the living.” In so doing, we’ll discover how this phrase expresses an idea that lies at the very core of Jefferson’s conception of equality, democracy, and the American nation.
6 videos (Total 56 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
Earth belongs to the Living Preface3m
Generations10m
Debt and Aristocracy12m
Love and Democracy16m
Jefferson’s American Nation10m
1 reading
"The earth belongs to the living" Readings10m
1 practice exercise
"The earth belongs to the living"10m
Week
71 hour to complete
Final Exam
1 quiz
1 practice exercise
Final Exam40m
4.6
85 Reviews50%
started a new career after completing these courses
50%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
Fantastic course by Dr. Onuf! I learned much and he helped correct misconceptions I harbored regarding Thomas Jefferson. Great videos and selected readings. The quizzes were relatively challenging.
Great lessons in the history of UVA and its architect/founder Thomas Jefferson. The professor was clearly excited about the subject matter and conveyed the history with enthusiasm and vigor.
Instructor
Professor Peter S. Onuf
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor, EmeritusCorcoran Department of History
About University of Virginia
A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2019 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
