>> 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.