Thomas Jefferson considered the French Revolution a sequel to the United States’ struggle for liberty, and thanks to the five years he spent in Paris in the 1780s, he had a front-row seat on the coming of this watershed moment in French history. Indeed, Jefferson was in Paris for the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.
Bastille Day, July 14, 2020, Thomas Jefferson, interpreted by our own Bill Barker, and the Marquis de Lafayette, interpreted by Colonial Williamsburg’s Mark Schneider, discussed their lifelong friendship, experiences during the American and French Revolutions, and differing views and actions concerning slavery.
Monticello's livestreams are made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.