Author and Protector of Independence

“[…] directly down the lawn and across the Ellipse from the White House are those ordered, classic lines of the Jefferson Memorial and the eyes of the 19 foot statue that gaze directly into the White House…” (503).

The Book

Author Jon Meacham takes the larger-than-life Thomas Jefferson and places him in a biography that captures Jefferson’s life, thoughts, and interactions. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power is split into sections that represent the “acts” of Jefferson’s life: early life, American Revolution, Governor, Congressional Representative, Diplomat, Secretary of War, Vice President, President, and last days. Most of Jefferson’s political life hinged on his defining vision, “the survival and success of popular government in America” (xx).

Thomas Jefferson is a familiar figure to Americans. What sets this biography apart is the inclusion of Jefferson’s own words. The reader is able to read what Jefferson thought about the Declaration of Independence or the difficulties of being the president. Each chapter weaves Jefferson’s words and the words of his relatives with the author’s words. By relying on Jefferson’s words, Meacham provides the means for the reader to visualize and understand Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power does not shy away from the controversies in Jefferson’s life or the clashes he had with other significant Americans. Jefferson was a strong personality who held strong beliefs, which he sometimes contradicted in practice. The biography is well-researched and well-written. Readers familiar with Jefferson will be introduced to new stories and the words of Jefferson. Readers unfamiliar with Jefferson will find this biography easy to read and come to realize the significance of America’s third president.

The Place

The Jefferson Memorial in located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. As a part of the National Park Service, the Memorial is free and always open for visitors. Inside the Memorial is a 19 foot statue of Thomas Jefferson and inscribed, on the walls, are various quotes by Jefferson.

It is impressive for any visitor to walk into the Rotunda and gaze up at one of the Founding Fathers. The quotes on liberty and government remind the visitor of Jefferson’s insight. Outside the Rotunda, visitors to can walk down the steps to the edge of the Tidal Basin. The Jefferson Memorial also offers one of the best views of the Cherry Blossom trees. They are usually in bloom in March and April.

A Nation Remembers

“By the dawn of the twentieth century, Arlington had matured into something more than a Civil War cemetery; it had become a national symbol for sacrifice and honor, a rallying point for veterans, for ordinary visitors, and for solemn ceremony” (119).

The Book

On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole provides the reader with a history of America’s most famous cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery was born out of the Civil War and has been inexplicable linked to each of America’s wars since then. The land originally belonged to Mary Custis Lee, the wife of Robert E. Lee and great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. When Robert E. Lee chose to resign from the Union and lead the Confederate army, Arlington became a part of the Union’s defense of Washington, DC. Throughout much of its early history, the cemetery was a bridge, and was caught, between the struggle between the North and the South.

Arlington began as a 200 acre cemetery in 1864 and has grown to 624 acres. The white tombstones were put into practice in 1874 and the Tomb of the Unknown was dedicated on November 11, 1921. The United States Army Old Guard is tasked with the twenty-four hour guarding of the Tomb of the Unknown. The best part of On Hallowed Ground is Poole’s description of the Old Guard and their reverence for the Unknown Soldiers.

Overall, Poole does a good job explaining the creation of the cemetery and the people involved. However, some aspects of Arlington’s history and traditions are glossed over in deference to other events. For example, Poole spends an entire chapter on President Kennedy’s funeral, while only a couple of pages detailing the Old Guard. This decision plays into the complaints Poole details from the families who lost ordinary soldiers: more important people were often given more prominent burial plots and better funerals than the ordinary soldier.

The Place


Arlington NationalCemetery is located across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Tours are available and they stop at the Tomb of the Unknown, President Kennedy gravesite, and Arlington House. Visitors can pick up a map at the Visitor Center to find the gravesites of famous Americans or family members.

The Tomb of the Unknown is humbling and the viewing of the changing of the guard is a unique experience. As you stand in the crowd, all you hear is the clicking of the soldier’s heels and you are struck by the sacrifice of the Unknowns and their families. Across from the Tomb of the Unknown are several memorials for the USS Maine, the Iran Hostage Rescue Team, and the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia. At the Arlington House, you have a sweeping view of the Potomac River and Washington, DC. Just in front of Arlington House lies Pierre Charles L’Enfant. L’Enfant was a Frenchmen who served in the Revolutionary War and designed the layout for the new capital city: Washington, DC. For his devotion to his adopted country, L’Enfant’s grave has the best view.

A visit to Arlington is not your typical tourist stop; it is a cemetery and visitors are expected to be reverent and respectful.

The World's Largest Office Building

“In the Pentagon, the War Department now had a headquarters that was four times the size of the British War Office at Whitehall, the German Kriegsministerium in Berlin, and the Japanese General Staff headquarters building in Tokyo-combined” (296).

The Book

The Pentagon: A History by Steve Vogel provides an in-depth history of the five-sided building that has become an American icon. I recommend all the books I write about in my blog, but this one is one of the best I have read. Vogel takes the reader through each step of the process and introduces a colorful cast of characters.

Prior to 1941, the War Department was scattered in numerous buildings throughout the Washington, DC area. In peacetime, this was a minor issue. As the war clouds loomed in Europe and Asia, this was becoming a crisis. Brigadier General Brehon Somervell was picked to lead the construction of a new, temporary, War Department building. The pentagon shape was conceived over a weekend to follow the height restriction and space requirements. Somervell promised the first workers would move in one year after construction began. The groundbreaking was September 11, 1941 and the first workers moved into their offices on May 1, 1942. 

The final chapters of the book focus on the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and the reconstruction of the damaged Pentagon. For anyone who watched the terrorist attacks on television or in person, these chapters bring back many emotions. Instantly you remember where you were and the thoughts you had. The construction crews were committed to rebuild the Pentagon quickly and the first workers moved back in on August 15, 2002. I think Vogel’s final paragraph sums it all up well, “The Pentagon had been conceived over a long weekend. Its design had been one step ahead-and sometimes one step behind-its construction. The pentagonal shape, like so many aspects of the building, was essentially an accident, born of the speed in which the project was pursued. The construction had been slapdash; columns were missing, concrete pours uneven, drawings wrong or missing altogether. Yet somehow the Pentagon was designed wisely and constructed well. Somervell’s building had proven itself one for the ages” (500). 

The Place

The Pentagon is a fascinating place to visit. Tours are provided and you must make reservations in advance. A member of the Armed Forces guides you throughout the halls of the Pentagon explaining each area. There are restrictions when visiting-no photography allowed in the Pentagon and cell phones must be turned off. However, the tour gives visitors a look at the inside of the War Department and the chance to walk where many American heroes have walked.

Included in the tour is the Memorial Chapel for those who died in the September 11^th attacks. This is a solemn location that reminds visitors of the ultimate sacrifice so many people made that day. Outside of the Pentagon is the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Each bench represents one of the people who perished and the benches are placed in age order, from the youngest to the oldest. Both Memorials are moving and give visitors a chance to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001.

Thomas Jefferson's Retreat

“A three-story farmhouse designed to look like a one-floor villa, Monticello is a masterpiece of architectural deception” (142). 


The Book 


In Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson, author Alan Pell Crawford writes about Jefferson’s time at Monticello after he left the presidency. The first nine chapters focus on the land Monticello sits on, Jefferson’s early life, the Revolutionary War, and Jefferson’s time as a public servant. Crawford includes just enough information on Jefferson’s life before retirement to bring the reader up to speed.


Jefferson moved to Monticello when he was 27 and spent majority of the rest of his life there. In designing and adding on to Monticello, Jefferson used half-octagonal shapes that stemmed from his interest in circles and squares (73). Several generations of Jeffersons lived with the family patriarch, which often led to tension. Crawford uses short chapters on specific topics to show the reader that Jefferson was a man just like everyone else. In his final years, Jefferson dealt with bad harvests, debt, family infighting, declining health, and weather damage to his land. The reader comes away with a personal look at the author of the Declaration of Independence, which includes his good and bad points.



The Place   

Monticello is a beautiful place to visit: full of history and views of the surrounding countryside. Just like Mount Vernon, I visited Monticello once as a kid and a second time when I was living in Washington, DC. During the two visits a brand new visitor center was completed to welcome visitors to Jefferson’s home. A video introduces visitors to Jefferson and Monticello before a walk up the hillside. From Jefferson’s front door you can look down the hill and see the University of Virginia. Inside visitors can take in artifacts from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, paintings and busts of family and friends, and a special clock that Jefferson designed.


Jefferson’s library is well stocked, just as it was when he lived there. As visitors file past Jefferson’s rooms they can see his bed that folded out from the wall, in order to conserve space. Outside are the extensive gardens, family cemetery, and walkways that extend from the house. Monticello is a two and half hour drive from Washington, DC and sits just outside Charlottesville, VA. James Madison’s home, Montpelier, is forty-five minutes north of Monticello. Constitution Highway connects the homes of these two Founding Fathers.

Washington's Home

“…Mount Vernon was far more than simply a house. It was an extension of [Washington] himself, a tangible emblem of his character, his personality, his hopes, his dreams” (xvi).  

The Book

George Washington’s Mount Vernon by Robert F. Dalzell Jr. and Lee Baldwin Dalzell is an unusual biography. Instead of focusing on the man, it focuses on the place while exploring the impact of and on the man. Mount Vernon was passed down through generations of Washingtons and the present buildings were designed by George Washington. Mount Vernon went through three major reconstructions while owned by Washington and majority of the time Washington was away from home. The Dalzells’s use Washington’s letters to show the reader how involved he still was in the construction. Washington was in constant contact with his managers, even as the commander of the Continental Army.

The Dalzells also introduce the reader to the architecture of the periods and the type of men who would have worked on the construction. Washington’s travels throughout the colonies introduced him to different ways to build a structure. He built an unusual house which is evident in the different types of architecture he was influenced by and the changes over the years. These sections can be hard to read at times, but they lend a better understanding to the eventual outcome.

The Place   



Mount Vernon is a place that combines history with hands on learning. I have visited Washington’s home twice: once as an elementary school kid and once after college. Both times I felt the same awe as I walked up the drive to the front of the house. Washington focused on a visitor’s first impression and that focus is still in place today. You can tour the house and spend some time sitting on the piazza (river front porch) watching the Potomac River. Down the road is a replica of Washington’s sixteen sided barn where wheat was threshed and the tomb where George and his wife Martha were laid to rest.

In the years in between my two visits, a visitor’s center and museum were added. These two add so much to the Mount Vernon experience. As you walk through the museum, you see Washington develop from a young surveyor to the President of the United States. Interactive videos explore the relationship of George and Martha Washington and the battles of the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War video includes cannon smoke and “snow” falling from the ceiling. Much time and effort were obviously put into Mount Vernon to make it, once again, a place for the people to visit.