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Starting Tuesday, May 26 – Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00am-4:00pm

The Mere Distinction of Colour

We have seen the mere distinction of colour made in the most enlightened period of time, a ground of the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man.

JAMES MADISON, JUNE 6, 1787
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The Mere Distinction of Colour, at James Madison’s Montpelier

A New Type of Slavery Exhibition

Montpelier Tells a More Complete American Story

Open to the public on June 4, 2017, to a crowd of over 800 people, The Mere Distinction of Colour is the culmination of years of archaeological and historical research, with the goal of telling a more complete, holistic American story. The exhibition spans the cellars of the James and Dolley Madison’s plantation home and the South Yard of the property, where the domestic and field slaves lived and worked. 

Provocative, interactive, and emotional, The Mere Distinction of Colour offers visitors the unique opportunity to hear the stories of those enslaved at Montpelier told by their living descendants, and explore how the legacy of slavery impacts today’s conversations about race, identity, and human rights. Visitors will also see Montpelier’s connection to the national story of slavery – and discover the economic, ideological, and political factors that cemented it in the newly-created American nation and Constitution.

Montpelier Descendants, Madlynn Anglin (left), and Iris Ford. Photo by Eduardo Montes Bradley. Courtesy of the Montpelier Foundation

Drawing on historic letters and documents, the exhibition utilizes both artwork and artifacts to evoke the experiences of the enslaved. The messy and bipolar power of place is not lost in this emotional exhibition that confronts visitors with a historic site that is simultaneously a place where ideas of Liberty were conceived and, depending on “a mere distinction of colour,” a place where the same ideas were systematically denied.  

Brick mosaic of young enslaved boy constructed out of brick pieces excavated from the South Yard. Some of the shards contained fingerprints of the brick makers. Proun Design, courtesy of The Montpelier Foundation

The North Cellar

The National Story of Slavery & the Economic Impact of the Institution
The North Cellar focuses on the national story of slavery, and the importance of the institution to the bourgeoning American economy.

Though slavery is often thought to be a uniquely southern phenomenon, the reality is that each and every colony was in some way involved in keeping the slave trade alive and booming.

Slavery Debated

This section of the exhibition also discusses the variety of opinions well-known people of the time had about the institution of slavery. One of the biggest debates around slavery is that of economics versus morality, with America’s founders spanning both sides.

Montpelier Descendants, Madlynn Anglin (left), and Iris Ford. Photo by Eduardo Montes Bradley. Courtesy of the Montpelier Foundation

Slavery & The Constitution

This section of the exhibition discuss how slavery was codified in America’s founding document. 

I

Question

How many times is the word “slavery” explicitly mentioned in the Constitution?

II

Answer

Zero.

Although the words “slavery” and “slave” are never explicitly mentioned, there are 5 areas in the Constitution that discuss and protect the institution of slavery. 

This room has the entire text of the constitution displayed, and gives visitors the opportunity to interact with pieces of the document. 

Pressing a button on the Constitution panel lights up the corresponding decoder panel, further explaining how the passage relates to, and ultimately protected, slavery in the United States. 

Slavery’s Legacies

The final room of the north cellar addresses slavery’s lasting legacies in modern society. One of the biggest critiques from our descendant advisors was that we “can’t leave slavery in the past.” 

Based on this feedback, we created a 10 minute video, connecting the history of slavery to many of the racial and cultural issue we still contend with today.

The South Cellar

The Montpelier Story of Slavery as Told by Living Descendants
In the south cellar we tackle the local story of slavery and explain how Montpelier and the surrounding area fit into the larger narrative.

Through interactive panels and the voices of the descendants we talk specifically about Montpelier, those who were enslaved here, and their stories of their strength and resilience.

Offering Humanity to the Enslaved

Across the hall we aim to illuminate the humanity of those enslaved at Montpelier. Slavery is often talked about in terms of labor, the slaves themselves conceptualized as a monolithic labor force that becomes hard to relate to. None of us will be able to understand what it was like to plow a field, however, we can relate to the feeling of losing a loved one, or being separated from family and friends.

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The panels ascribe a variety of relatable human traits to enslaved individuals, before finishing with the common refrain “I was property.”

Archaeology Debunks Myths

A major theme throughout The Mere Distinction of Colour is debunking commonly-held myths about slavery. Through our extensive archaeological work, we are able to get a better understanding of the day-to-day lives of enslaved individuals. 

I

Myth

Everything slaves had was given to them.

II

Reality

Archaeology indicates that slaves cultivated rich social lives and purchased items from local markets. Fragments of personal items, like dolls and ceramic dishware, were excavated from Montpelier’s South Yard. 

Utilizing Primary Sources

The final 2 rooms of the cellars rely on primary sources that make slavery personal. In one room, you can see a slideshow of documents showing the buying and selling of slaves, and the discussion of people as currency.  

In the next room is the story of Ellen Stewart, a young woman born into slavery at Montpelier, who, throughout her life is forced to bear witness to the destruction of her family. All of her immediate family members are either sold away from Montpelier to cover debts, or passed away before she was 15 years old. 

The South Yard

The Power of Place
The reconstructed South Yard is where those enslaved at Montpelier would have lived and worked. It is made up of two double-quarters, a building that was used as a kitchen, and one used as a smokehouse. These buildings have been rebuilt to look as they would have during the Madison-era, their accuracy based on extensive archaeology and intact insurance maps from the period.

Montpelier’s reconstructed South Yard. The cabins were rebuilt based on archaeological research and insurance maps. Jenn Glass, courtesy of the Montpelier Foundation

Each of the outbuildings contain exhibition elements with the voices of one of the members of our descendant community retelling an oral history. Engagement with the Montpelier Descendants Community takes on many forms, from archaeological programs, to gatherings and celebrations, to advising on, and participating in, The Mere Distinction of Colour. 

Montpelier intentionally employs a broader definition of “descendant.” While other historic sites require DNA evidence, the Montpelier Descendants’ Community is an active and growing group of African Americans who have traced their lineage back to Montpelier or the greater Orange County area via documentary record or oral history. The result is a broad stakeholder group, some with documented ancestral ties, and others who feel a connection to, and ownership of, this history of Montpelier and it’s affect on the history of our nation.

Beyond the Exhibition

Since opening on June 4, 2017, The Mere Distinction of Colour has opened doors to broader conversations about race, rights, and history with local community members, educators, and constitutional practitioners. Slavery is a part of our American DNA. It’s imperative that historic sites embrace a more holistic view of American history, even the messy parts, in pursuit of the “exceptional” version of America we all strive to be a part of.

This isn't African American history, it's American history.

HUGH ALEXANDER, PAUL JENNINGS DESCENDANT

Patriotic Philanthropy

The Mere Distinction of Colour was made possible by a $10M pledge by patriotic philanthropist, David Rubenstein, to be used for restoration of the house and to complete the construction of the South Yard. With this generous gift, Montpelier has been able to restore the landscape to a more accurate representation of the Madison-era and also install The Mere Distinction of Colour exhibition.

Awards & Honors

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As the lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution and Architect of the Bill of Rights, Montpelier's mission is to communicate Madison's role in creating our modern, democratic government.
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Why did James Madison have a temple in his front yard? He didn’t come here to pray– it wasn’t that kind of temple. Maybe it reminded him of the ancient Roman temple where the “flame of Liberty” was kept burning. But what does “liberty” mean? Does it mean that you can do anything you want? Whenever you want? Of course not! Can you imagine a whole country of people doing whatever they want? Imagine how quickly things would get out of control!

Things were getting out of control after the colonies broke away from the King of England during the American Revolution. The new states didn’t have a good system to govern themselves. They needed a rulebook. They needed a constitution.

Enter James Madison. He read lots of books right here at Montpelier that gave him ideas about the rules that other countries played by, if they didn’t have a king. Madison went to Philadelphia and worked with people from many different states to write a Constitution. His ideas were so helpful that now he is known as the “Father of the Constitution.”

What does the Constitution say about who makes the rules? Instead of a king, it’s “We The People.” The Constitution gives citizens the FREEDOM to govern themselves, to choose their own leaders, and to make their own laws and rules. The Constitution also protects the people’s rights like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.

At first the Constitution didn’t allow everyone to participate in government, but over the past 240 years, Americans have made changes — things called Amendments– that let more people have rights, and vote, and run for office. Now “We the People” means just about “All the People!”

The United States Constitution is the modern world’s longest lasting Constitution, and many countries have used it as a model when they wrote their own Constitutions . And just think: it all began right here, on this plantation, Montpelier. That’s how Montpelier made its mark on the world!

Madison was the 4th President, but can you guess six other Presidents who came to Montpelier?

Madison’s best friends were Presidents 3 and 5. Maybe you’ll visit their homes, Monticello and Highland. Who were they? … Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe!

President Number 7 visited Montpelier in 1832. Someone in your family might have his picture right now – he’s on the $20 bill. Who was he? … Andrew Jackson!

Three other Presidents visited Montpelier after Madison’s lifetime. They might be harder to guess, but let’s give it a try.

President Number 19 came in 1878, and gave a speech in praise of Madison and the Constitution. In fact, his last name rhymes with “praise.” Any guesses?… Rutherford B. Hayes!

President Number 26 came to Montpelier on Thanksgiving Day 1907, when the duPonts lived here. A toy bear is named for him. Who was he? … Teddy Roosevelt!

And finally, President Number 41 came here in 1991 for the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. His son was a President too. Can you guess? … George H. W. Bush!

That’s a lot of Presidents who made their mark on Montpelier. And today you’re here! Now you’re part of Montpelier’s story too.

Sometimes the people who lived at Montpelier chose to make their mark, but other times they were forced to make their mark. From the time President Madison’s grandparents came to Montpelier, it was a plantation––a huge farm–where enslaved people of African descent grew crops like tobacco, wheat, and corn and did many other jobs to make money for the Madison family. People who were enslaved had many skills and worked hard, but they didn’t get the benefit.

It was not only enslaved adults that labored for the Madisons, but enslaved children were also forced to do a lot of different tasks such as gathering firewood, helping in the kitchens, hauling water, cleaning stables, and… making bricks. Look at this huge house in front of you— each and every one of these bricks was made one at a time, by hand. On plantations, brick-making was often a task given to enslaved children. They pressed wet clay into rectangular-shaped molds. Then the bricks were left in the sun to “bake,” and once enough bricks were made they “fired” them to harden them. Have you ever pressed your fingers into wet clay? What happens when you do that? Your fingerprints make a mark. That’s exactly what happened here when enslaved people were making bricks to build this house. As you walk around the house, see if you can find any fingerprints in the bricks. These fingerprints remind us that nearly 300 enslaved people, of all ages, made their mark on Montpelier.

Since enslaved adults and children did most of the work at Montpelier, they didn’t have a lot of time for fun. What did they do when they did have a little time to themselves? Archaeologists found artifacts – marbles, doll parts, and toy wagon wheels – that tell us that enslaved children sometimes played with toys. Other artifacts, like musical instruments called jaw harps, tell us that enslaved people made music. Many of the activities that enslaved people probably enjoyed, like storytelling or dancing, didn’t leave artifacts in the ground.

The Madisons had much more time to themselves. Written records describe one of their favorite ways to have fun: parties.

Dolley Madison wrote about a barbecue picnic that she and James hosted on the 4th of July 1816. Ninety guests sat at tables set up on the lawn by enslaved people. Enslaved waiters served them roasted meats and punch, and most likely, fresh vegetables from the garden.

We don’t have a written account of what enslaved people had to do to get ready for that party, but historians found one written account that gives us a clue. In 1824, the famous General Lafayette visited Montpelier. A young enslaved maid named Ailsey Payne was there. Years later, she gave a newspaper reporter her eyewitness account. She saw so many horse drawn carriages she could hardly count them. Young enslaved men rode and led the horses. Enslaved people stored all kinds of food and meat in the icehouse. Ailsey Payne helped clean every inch of the House and shined all of the glass, silver, and china.

Ailsey Payne left her mark on Montpelier by telling her story! Will you tell someone about your visit?

Have you ever been asked to “sweep the floor?” Maybe it’s your chore to sweep up the crumbs that fall to the floor after dinner (if you don’t have a dog to do it for you). But have you ever been asked to “sweep the yard?” Archaeologists at Montpelier believe that enslaved people who lived here did just that! They used brooms to sweep away all of the grass and weeds. The ground would have been like a smooth, hard, clay floor.

Sweeping the yard cut down pests and unwanted creatures like ticks, mice, and snakes. It was a natural way of getting rid of pests that ruined food or caused disease.

The building in front of you was once a kitchen. Enslaved cooks labored here from long before sunup to long after sundown to prepare meals for the Madison family and their guests. They could build their hot cooking fires outside in the swept yard so that the work was more tolerable.

Except for the two smokehouses, the buildings here were homes for enslaved families who mostly worked inside the Madisons’ House. Their homes could be crowded, dark, and unbearably hot in summer. Having a smooth, swept yard allowed them to move many of their indoor activities outdoors. Imagine how busy this place would have been!

The ancestors of enslaved people at Montpelier had also swept their yards in Africa.They passed their wisdom along to their descendants. This is just one example of how enslaved people and their ancestors left their mark on Montpelier.

Do you have pets?

The Madisons had a pet parrot named Polly, but most of the animals at Montpelier weren’t pets – they were working animals. Horses pulled plows that made the ground ready for planting wheat or corn. Horses also pulled wagons, loaded with barrels of Montpelier tobaccos or wheat flour, to market in Fredericksburg and Richmond, and brought supplies back. Aleck was an enslaved wagoner who drove and cared for the horses. On one trip to Fredericksburg, Aleck had to borrow 50 cents to go to the blacksmith for new horseshoes so the horses could make the trip back.

Besides horses, there were cows and sheep and pigs at Montpelier. Some animals were raised for food. Sheep were also raised for their woolly coats. Enslaved women spun the wool into yarn or thread, and weavers like Reuben, Amy, and Harriet wove it into cloth.

James Madison wanted to improve the American breeds of cows and sheep. He bought some Merino sheep, because their wool was so good. A friend gave him some Devon calves as a gift, because they were a better breed of cows.

Animals made their mark at Montpelier – and so did the people who worked with them and took care of them!

How do we know what we know about the past? We can’t ask the people who used to live here— they’re long gone. We have to piece together clues from “primary sources”— letters, journals, diaries, paintings, and newspapers. History is kind of like a giant jigsaw puzzle— as we put the pieces together, a picture of the past emerges!

The very first people to live at Montpelier were Native Americans, or Indigenous people. They didn’t leave written records behind, but they did leave artifacts– objects that were made or shaped or used with their own hands. People who study artifacts are called archaeologists. Montpelier’s archaeologists have discovered artifacts that are about 2000 years old. That tells us that Indigenous people were here, thousands of years before the Madisons, or enslaved people, ever set foot on this land.

The Manahoac tribe were the native people living on this land just before the Madisons arrived here. Artifacts show us that the Manahoac made their mark by making their homes here for periods of time. The artifacts found near President Madison’s house, and near his grandparent’s house at Mount Pleasant–objects such as ceramics, stone tools, and projectile points— show us that the Manahoac thought these were good places to live too.

Did you know that there are descendants of Manahoac people living and making their mark in Virginia today? They are now part of the Monocan tribe, one of the 7 Federally recognized tribes in Virginia.

Some of the people that left their mark on Montpelier are buried here in the Madison family Cemetery. Can you guess which of these gravestones marks the final resting place of James Madison? It’s the tallest monument, and it’s called an obelisk. Today it’s easy to spot Madison’s grave, but if you visited Montpelier in the first 20 years after his death, you wouldn’t know where he was buried unless you were a member of his family. James Madison passed away on June 28, 1836, and two days later, he was buried here, in an unmarked grave.

Why would a president of the United States be buried in an unmarked grave? Today we usually place a marker at the head of a grave, but in the 1700s and 1800s people didn’t always do that, especially in a family cemetery where everyone knew where their family members were buried. If you count the gravestones you’ll find that there are about 30, but we know there are about 100 Madison family members buried here.

It wasn’t until 20 years later that people, outside of the Madison family, decided to place the large gravestone to honor the “Father of the Constitution.” Now, ready for a creepy story? Before placing the gravestone, a deep foundation had to be dug to a depth below James Madison’s coffin. “The boards placed above the coffin had decayed…and the coffin lid was slightly out of place…” so the men digging the foundation opened the coffin lid and “looked in upon the remains…” of James Madison!

Some people made their mark at Montpelier by leaving it.

Anthony was just 17 years old when he decided to make his escape from Montpelier. He had been enslaved here all his life, working in the Madisons’ house, and he was ready to take a big risk for freedom. James Madison’s father placed an ad in the newspaper to say that Anthony had escaped. The ad said that Anthony had light hair and gray eyes, and it described his coats, pants, striped overalls, hat, and buckled shoes. The ad offered a reward for capturing Anthony.

Anthony didn’t want to be caught, so he told people his name was Robert Jones. But one year after he escaped, Anthony was found, about 70 miles from Montpelier. He told the men who captured him that he had traveled to port cities in Virginia, to Philadelphia, and even the West Indies.

But the very next day, Anthony escaped again. He managed to get papers that said he was a free man named Billy Willis. There was a rumor that he was heading to Philadelphia. The Madisons never heard from him again. What happened next is a mystery. But Anthony left his mark by taking a big risk for freedom.

The duPont Family bought Montpelier in 1901 and made many changes to the House and the property. Did you see the racetrack on your way in today? You might even have seen some horses!

Marion duPont Scott loved horses and horse racing. She helped make Montpelier one of the most important horse training centers in America. When three of her favorite horses passed away, she had them buried here and put up these markers to remember them.

Perhaps her favorite horse was Battleship. He was so small that people called him the “American Pony,” but Marion DuPont Scott knew that he had big talent. She sent him across the ocean to race in the British “Grand National,” an important steeplechase race that is still run today. The race is over 4 miles long, and the horses have to jump 30 fences! Many people thought that a small horse like Battleship couldn’t possibly win, but in 1938 he surprised them all! To this day, he is still the smallest horse ever to win the British Grand National. You might say that Battleship left his hoofprints on the history of horse racing!

Marion duPont Scott left another mark on Montpelier. She wanted to share Montpelier and its story with everyone. Thanks to her, you can visit Montpelier today!

Lots of people made their mark on Montpelier. But there are two people you might already know: James and Dolley Madison!

How did James Madison make his mark? He was a Virginia lawmaker, a US Congressman, the Secretary of State, and our 4th President! (Not all at the same time.)

But most importantly, Madison was “Father of the Constitution” and “Architect of the Bill of Rights.” He didn’t write those documents all by himself, but he shared lots of good ideas that still help us govern our country. Madison got his ideas from reading books right here at Montpelier, and he made notes to take to the Constitutional Convention.

Madison could spend so much time in public service because his family had money from owning this plantation. The Madisons enslaved people who grew crops and tended animals. The enslaved people didn’t have much choice about being here, but their hard work made Madison’s career possible. The enslaved people made their mark as the “invisible Founders” of our country.

Dolley Madison made her mark too. James was shy and quiet, but Dolley liked to bring people together for dinners and parties, especially in Washington, DC. That made it easier for James to connect with other people in government.

As you explore Montpelier, see what else you’ll find out about people making their mark!

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