James Madison's Montpelier We the People Spring 2013 | Page 16
We The People
Exploring
the
16
Arc American
History
of
Dig in: Class participants
and staff archaeologists work
to uncover the mysteries at the
Tobacco Barn Quarter in the field
below the Visitor Center.
James Madison’s Montpelier is a dynamic destination. The landscape has
the power to intellectually transport visitors into the late 18th and early
19th century, helping illuminate an “Arc of American History” dating back
nearly 300 years. The Tobacco Barn Quarter is a perfect example, bearing
evidence of smoke curing trenches and iron parts of a threshing machine.
It is also a history that is in perpetual evolution, thanks to a constant
process of discovery and interpretation. This process is advanced by a
team of professional archaeologists, methodically excavating deposits to
reveal the landscape as it once was – and recreate the living and working
conditions of the enslaved individuals who labored at Montpelier and made
the plantation their home.