>> HISTORY FASCINATED ME, JUST
KNOWING YOU KNOW HOW THINGS WERE
I MEAN ANY KIND OF HISTORY I
COULD GET MY HANDS ON.
>> THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE.
IT WAS IT WAS HAUNTING AND IT
WAS SOBERING.
>> THAT'S PART OF THE
INTERESTING DUALITY OF HISTORY
IS THAT HE WAS FRAMER OF THE
NATION AND THE SLAVEHOLDER.
>> TERRI: TODAY WE'LL BE
EXPLORING THE CENTER FOR
CONSTITUTIONAL EDUCATION AND
MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY THAT
INCLUDES THE POWERFUL EXHIBITION
“THE MERE DISTINCTION OF
COLOUR.”.
JOIN US AS WE TRAVEL TO ORANGE
COUNTY, VIRGINIA, TO VISIT
MONTPELIER, HOME OF JAMES AND
DOLLEY MADISON.
COME ON!
>> LIKE MOST FOLKS, I DIDN'T
KNOW MUCH ABOUT MADISON, YEAH,
FOURTH PRESIDENT OF THE US,
FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTION,
ARCHITECT OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS,
BUT WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?
AS I'VE BEEN HERE I'VE REALLY
COME TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE OF
MADISON WE TAKE SO MANY THINGS
FOR GRANTED.
>> TERRI: SO, WHAT IS IT THAT
YOU FIND MOST INTRIGUING ABOUT
MADISON?
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD
SURPRISE PEOPLE MOST TO LEARN
ABOUT HIM?
>> MADISON ENDS UP TO ME BEING A
VERY MODERN FIGURE.
AND MADISON IS REALLY ONE OF THE
FIRST STRONG PROPONENTS FOR
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE.
THAT FIRST -- OUR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHT, THAT SEPARATION
FROM CHURCH AND STATE.
HE IS STRONG ABOUT THAT AS FROM
18 YEARS OLD AND ON, SO THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT IS JUST INTEGRAL
TO HIS SOUL.
BUT OTHER PARTS OF BEING AN
AMERICAN THAT WE JUST GO, WHERE
DID THAT COME FROM?
THIS BALANCE OF  POWERS, THE
IDEA THAT YOU COULD HAVE THIS
EXTENDED REPUBLIC -- THOSE ARE
ALL REALLY MADISONIAN THOUGHTS
AND HE WAS AN INCREDIBLY
POWERFUL POLITICAL THINKER AND I
DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
THAT.
MY BIGGEST SURPRISE, HOWEVER,
WAS ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT
MADISON WAS AN EARLY VOICE FOR
CONSERVATION.
200 YEARS AGO, JUST BEHIND US HE
SET ASIDE ACREAGE IN ONE OF THE
LAST OLD GROWTH FORESTS ON THE
EAST COAST.
HE SAID THAT HE FEARED THE LOSS
OF FOREST LAND AND THE DEPLETION
OF SOIL.
SO HE'S CREDITED AS ONE OF THE
EARLY ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND THAT
WAS A SURPRISE TO ME.
>> TERRI: WELL, OKAY, SO PEOPLE
WHEN THEY COME THERE'S SO MUCH
TO DO AND SEE HERE AT
MONTPELIER.
WHAT SHOULD THEY BE DOING?
>> WELL, THERE IS A LOT TO SEE
HERE, IT IS 2600 ACRES.
AND WE HAVE MADE IT FREE TO COME
ON TO THE PROPERTY.
BUT THEN WHEN YOU REALLY THINK
ABOUT THE KIND OF ARC OF THE
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, YOU CAN
TOUCH ON ALL POINTS OF IT HERE.
YOU CAN VISIT THE HOUSE, LEARN
ABOUT MADISON AND THE EARLY WORK
ON THE CONSTITUTION.
YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THE CIVIL
WAR BECAUSE WE HAVE A CIVIL WAR
PORTION ON THIS SITE.
WE HAVE A FREEDMAN'S CABIN, SO
UNUSUAL, THE GILMORE CABIN.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE IN
ORANGE THAT ARE THREE
GENERATIONS REMOVED FROM BEING
RELATED TO FOLKS AT THAT CABIN.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE A
JIM CROW TRAIN STATION.
A VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED POST THE
CIVIL WAR.
SO YOU CAN REALLY DO IT ALL
HERE.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY
PROGRAM.
WE ALSO RUN THE ROBERT H. SMITH
CENTER FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND
WE HAVE COURSES WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME DO CONSTITUTION 101.
BUT WE ALSO DO A LOT OF WORK
WITH VERY SPECIALIZED
COMMUNITIES SUCH AS TEACHERS.
WE WORK WITH POLICE OFFICERS.
IN FACT, INCREASINGLY THAT'S
BEEN A BIG PART OF KIND OF
CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING AND WHAT
DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE FIRST AND
SECOND AMENDMENT COLLIDE, YOU
KNOW, WHERE DO THE POLICE LAND
ON THAT?
AND WE WORK ALSO WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY A LOT OF
TIMES, ESPECIALLY WITH
COUNTRIES, SUB SAHARAN AFRICA
THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH WRITING
THEIR OWN CONSTITUTION AND WANT
TO COME HERE AND LEARN AND
REALLY UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE
MADISONIAN PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE
DRIVEN OUR COUNTRY.
>> TERRI:  OH, AND THEN TALK
ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TOURS THAT
PEOPLE CAN TAKE OF THE HOUSE.
>> SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF YOUR
SIGNATURE TOUR, WHICH I WOULD
SAY IS GET TO KNOW JAMES AND
DOLLEY UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
ABOUT THE RETIREMENT YEARS HERE
BUT YOU CAN ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE
WOMEN OF MONTPELIER THAT LOOKS
VERY CLOSELY AT HIS MOTHER AND
HIS GRANDMOTHER -- TALKING ABOUT
JAMES MADISON'S MOTHER AND
GRANDMOTHER.
AND ALSO THE WOMEN WHO WERE
ENSLAVED HERE AT MONTPELIER AND
HOW THEY REALLY SHAPED THIS
STORY.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ONE.
WE HAVE ARCHAEOLOGY TOURS, WE
HAVE WALKS THROUGH THE BIG
WOODS, OUR LANDMARK FOREST, OUR
OLD GROWTH FOREST.
SO THERE'S A WEALTH OF
OPPORTUNITIES, THERE'S SOMETHING
FOR EVERYONE.
>> WE RELOCATED FROM SOUTH
CAROLINA AND WE WANTED TO LEARN
ABOUT OUR NEW HOME AND THE
HISTORICAL VALUE AND HAVE A
GREAT WAY TO SPEND THE DAY OFF.
>> I LIKE HER I LIKE THE BEDROOM
I'M GONNA SAY HER BEDROOM IT WAS
IT WAS THEIR BEDROOM BUT HER
BEDROOM.
IT WAS VERY FESTIVE AND ALL IN
RED AND STUFF I REALLY LIKED
THAT.
YOU GET DOLLEY'S SPIRIT IN THERE
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAY HERE
IS THAT SOMETIMES OBJECTS HAVE
MAGIC AND THE PLACE BECOMES
MAGICAL WHEN YOU SEE THE THINGS
THAT WERE ACTUALLY HERE WHEN FOR
EXAMPLE, THE MADISON'S WERE
HERE.
THE TABLE IN THE DINING ROOM IS
THE TABLE THAT HIS FAMILY SAT
AROUND.
AND WE ALWAYS GET A LITTLE “AH”
WHEN I SAY, THIS IS THE ORIGINAL
TABLE.
>> TERRI: KAT, WHEN YOU CAME ON
BOARD IN 2012, WHAT WERE YOUR
MAIN GOALS HERE FOR MONTPELIER?
>> WELL, IT WAS SO EXCITING TO
BE INVITED TO BE PRESIDENT HERE,
BUT I DID WANT TO ACCOMPLISH A
COUPLE OF THINGS, AND WE CAN
JUDGE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S
HAPPENED OR NOT.
ONE IS WE'RE A YOUNG
INSTITUTION, ONLY 18 YEARS OLD
AND MADISON REALLY HADN'T COME
BACK TO MONTPELIER YET.
THE HOUSE HAD BEEN RESTORED BUT
THERE WERE REALLY VERY FEW
OBJECTS IN IT AND YOU REALLY
COULDN'T ENVISION THE PRESIDENT
BEING HERE WITH DOLLEY.
SO PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO
WAS REALLY FULLY FURNISH THE
HOUSE.
AND THEN I SAW THIS AMAZING
OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO TELL A
COMPLETE AMERICAN STORY HERE.
NOT JUST ABOUT THE FATHER OF THE
CONSTITUTION, BUT THE THREE
HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO MADE HIS LIFE
AND DOLLEY'S LIFE POSSIBLE AND
THOSE WERE THE FOLKS THAT WERE
ENSLAVED HERE AND SO THAT WAS
VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL.
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE
EVOLUTION HERE.
AND THERE'S A THIRD LEG TO THE
STORY, WHICH IS WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO WITH 2600 ACRES?
AND THAT WAS OPENING IT TO THE
PUBLIC, LOOKING MORE AT
CONSERVATION AND MAKING THIS
REALLY A PLACE OF THE PEOPLE,
>>RIGHT?
>>THE CONSTITUTION -- WE THE
PEOPLE.
IT'S OUR PLACE.
>> TERRI: AND YOU HAVE A
PERMANENT EXHIBIT HERE, A VERY
POWERFUL EXHIBIT.
THE "MERE DISTINCTION OF COLOR,"
TELL US ABOUT THIS AND WHY IT
WAS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND TO
THE FOUNDATION TO TELL THIS
STORY, THIS PART OF MONTPELIER'S
STORY.
>> I THINK AS AMERICANS
SOMETIMES WE REALLY LEAVE A LOT
OF OUR HISTORY TO THE SIDE AND I
LIKE TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU LOOK
AT HISTORY CLOSELY, WHEN YOU
REALLY KNOW HISTORY, IT'S PRETTY
RADICAL.
IT'S PRETTY SCARY SOMETIMES BUT
IT'S ALWAYS VERY INSPIRATIONAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED
HERE.
WE SPENT 20 YEARS BY WORKING
WITH THE DESCENDENT COMMUNITY
HERE, AND BY THAT I MEAN PEOPLE
WHO WERE DESCENDED FROM FOLKS
WHO HAD BEEN ENSLAVED AT JAMES
MADISON'S MONTPELIER, AND
LISTENING TO THEM AND SAYING HOW
ARE WE GOING TO BRING YOU INTO
THE STORY?
BECAUSE YOU WERE HERE TOO, YOU
MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
WHAT THEY SAID TO US WAS WE WANT
THE HUMANITY OF OUR ANCESTORS TO
COME THROUGH, WE ALSO WANT TO
REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HUMAN
STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY THAT IS
PART OF ALL OF OUR STORIES AND
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGACY
OF SLAVERY TODAY.
SO I THINK IT IS A VERY
IMPORTANT PART OF OUR AMERICAN
DNA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ALL
FIT IN THIS PICTURE AND WE DO
ALL FIT IN THIS PICTURE.
IT'S INSPIRATIONAL, IT'S
PROVOCATIVE, ITS AWARD-WINNING
AND I HOPE EVERYONE WILL TAKE
THE TIME TO SEE IT.
>> I GO AROUND, I LOOK FOR
FINGERPRINTS IN THE BRICKS.
AND MY INTERPRETATION OF THAT IS
MY ANCESTORS ARE REACHING OUT TO
ME SAYING, WE WERE HERE.
TELL OUR STORY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE ARCHAEOLOGY
DOES.
>>  YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING
PART ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION IS WE
WANTED IT TO BE LESS ACADEMIC
AND A LITTLE MORE EMOTIONAL.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED
HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE NAMES WE KNOW THE
STORIES WE KNOW.
WE'LL TALK TO THEIR DESCENDANTS
ABOUT HOW THEY REMEMBER THEIR
ANCESTRAL STORIES, HOW THAT'S
BEEN ENCULTURATED.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE USE THAT
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
TRIALS AND SOME OF THE TRIUMPHS
TO HOPEFULLY KEEP MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
>> PAUL JENNINGS VISITED HIS
WIFE FANNY AT HOWARD PLACE THREE
MILES AWAY SO REGULARLY THAT HER
BROTHER LATER WROTE THAT UNTIL
HER DEATH, THEY LIVED TOGETHER
OVER 30 YEARS AS HUSBAND AND
WIFE.
THE JENNINGS HAD FIVE CHILDREN
TOGETHER.
>> BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PAUL
JENNINGS, BORN HERE IN THE SOUTH
YARD, ENDS UP BEING IN THE WHITE
HOUSE WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE IS
BURNED.
HELPED SAVE THE PORTRAIT OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON, GOES ON TO
MADISON'S MANSERVANT, IS WITH
MADISON WHEN HE DIES, WRITES THE
FIRST OF MEMOIR OF LIFE IN THE
WHITE HOUSE WHICH IS WHY WE KNOW
WHAT MADISON SAID IT ON HIS
DEATHBED, EARNS HIS OWN FREEDOM
BY THE DINT OF HIS OWN EFFORT,
NOT BECAUSE HE WAS FREED BY THE
MADISONS, AND THEN GOES ON TO
USE HIS LITERACY IN THE
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD AND HELP
ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE ESCAPE FROM
ENSLAVEMENT.
IT GOES ON AND ON.
AND IT'S JUST SUCH, THAT'S OUR
STORY TOO, WE GET TO OWN THAT.
>> TERRI: AND ARCHEOLOGY PLAYS
SUCH A HUGE ROLE AND HAD PLAYED
A VERY BIG ROLE IN PUTTING ALL
OF THIS TOGETHER.
>> WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THE
DUPONTS WHO BOUGHT THE PROPERTY
IN 1901, THEY DIDN'T PLOW A LOT.
AND THERE WERE SEVEN OWNERS
BETWEEN THE DUPONTS AND THE
NATIONAL TRUST COMING ONTO THE
PROPERTY AND THEY DIDN'T REALLY
DISTURB VERY MUCH.
SO EVERYWHERE YOU WALK AT
MONTPELIER, YOU CAN GO A FEW
INCHES UNDER THE SOIL AND YOU
CAN UNCOVER HISTORY OF 200 YEARS
AGO AND IT HAS INFORMED US
TREMENDOUSLY.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE RICHNESS OF
WHAT PEOPLE WERE WEARING, THE
DOLLS THEY WERE PLAYING WITH,
THE FOOD THEY HAD ACCESS TO, AND
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AS GREAT A
WRITTEN RECORD -- THOUGH THERE
WAS QUITE A LOT OF LITERACY FROM
PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED HERE AT
MONTPELIER, BUT BECAUSE OF
ARCHEOLOGY WE HAVE THESE OBJECTS
THAT REALLY INFORM OUR STORY AND
IT HELPS US AT ALL LEVELS AT
MONTPELIER.
>> TERRI: WELL, AND IN 2007
THERE WAS A LARGE RENOVATION
WHERE THE HOUSE WAS REALLY
CHANGED FROM HOW IT HAD BEEN
DURING THE DUPONT SCOTT YEARS
AND REALLY RETURNED TO THE STATE
THAT IT HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY AND
ALSO ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
WITH THAT SENSE WITH FURNITURE,
AND DECORATING.
>> WELL, MONTPELIER, I THINK I
CAN SAY -- IS THE BEST HOUSE
RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION
IN THE US IF NOT MAYBE THE
WORLD.
AND IT WAS A SCARY PROPOSITION
BECAUSE IN 2000 WHEN THE
MONTPELIER FOUNDATION TOOK OVER
STEWARDSHIP OF THE SITE, YOU
WOULDN'T SEE A BRICK HOUSE.
YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN A 55 ROOM
PINK STUCCOED BUILDING
>> TERRI: RIGHT.
>> NO ONE KNEW IF THE MADISON
HOME OF 22 ROOMS WAS SOMEWHERE
ENCAPSULATED IN ALL OF THOSE
ADDITIONS.
SO IT TOOK MANY, MANY YEARS AND
ALL KINDS OF EXPERTS AND IT WAS
REALLY A PRESIDENTIAL DETECTIVE
STORY BUT, YES, LUCKILY THE
MADISON HOME WAS BASICALLY THERE
AND MOST OF WHAT YOU SEE IS
ORIGINAL.
IT WAS AN AMAZING STORY.
SO WE'VE SPENT THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS AND WITH THE HELP OF
DAVID RUBENSTEIN REALLY
RE-FURNISHING THE HOUSE AND SO
WHEN YOU WALK IN TODAY YOU'RE
GOING TO SEE THE BRIGHT COLORS
AND THE ARTWORK AND THE
FURNITURE AND THE OBJECTS THAT
LET US TELL THIS VERY LIVELY --
I MEAN, THE MADISONS WOULD HAVE
A HUNDRED PEOPLE OVER FOR
DINNER.
YOU CAN'T ENVISION THAT IN AN
EMPTY HOUSE.
>> TERRI: RIGHT.
>> WHAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO
DO IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
IS, OF COURSE, BRING IN TO FULL
VIEW THE ENSLAVED COMMUNITY
STORY BY THE RECONSTRUCTION OF
THE BUILDINGS, THE DUPLEXES
WHERE PEOPLE LIVED, THE
SMOKEHOUSES WHERE THEY WORKED.
WE STILL HAVE MORE AND MORE TO
DO IN THAT AREA, BUT SUDDENLY IT
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SOME KIND OF
COUNTRY CLUB.
IT LOOKS LIKE A WORKING
PLANTATION WHERE PEOPLE
STRUGGLED AND LOVED AND LIVED,
YOU CAN REALLY BEGIN TO WALK IN
THEIR FOOTSTEPS NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE REALLY
FOCUSED ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS.
>> TERRI: OKAY, AND SO WHAT'S IN
THE FUTURE FOR MONTPELIER?
>> OH, THERE IS ALWAYS A LOT
MORE TO DO AT MONTPELIER BUT I
THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, WE
FEEL A VERY STRONG OBLIGATION TO
BRING PEOPLE CLOSER TO THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION, WHERE IT CAME
FROM, WHAT THE TRADE-OFFS WERE,
HOW THE CONSTITUTION CODIFIED
SLAVERY WITHOUT EVER MENTIONING
IT AND KIND OF WHAT ARE
RESPONSIBILITIES ARE TODAY AS
AMERICANS TO KIND OF CARRY OUR
TRADITION FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING A
LOT ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, OF
COURSE, CONTINUING OUR TOURS,
INVITING PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC
TO BE HERE, EXTENDING OUR TRAIL
SYSTEM ON THE 2600 ACRES AND
WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO
REALLY CREATE A CLIMATE WHERE
YOU CAN -- YEAH, YOU CAN COME
LEARN ABOUT HISTORY, AND YOU CAN
DIG IN THE SOIL, BUT YOU CAN
HAVE A GLASS OF WINE MAYBE DOWN
IN BARBOURSVILLE AND POP IN TO
ORANGE, THE TOWN OF ORANGE FOR A
LITTLE BIT OF SHOPPING, WE WANT
TO BE PART OF THIS INCLUSIVE
EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY.
>> YESTERDAY I HAD A LITTLE
FIFTH GRADER, HE WAS ABOUT 10,
FAMILY.
AND HE CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE
YESTERDAY AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW,
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT JAMES MADISON
BUT I LEARNED A LOT MORE.
I'M SO GLAD I CAME.
THAT WAS JUST -- THAT'S WHY I'M
HERE.
THAT'S WHY I THINK WE'RE ALL
HERE IS FOR MOMENTS LIKE THAT.
