Thomas Jefferson: A View from the Mountain

A Close Look at Thomas Jefferson's Life

A story that tears at the heart of America, this critically acclaimed documentary from the director of Bonhoeffer explores Thomas Jefferson and his personal and public dilemma about race and slavery. For centuries people have asked how it was possible that the man who wrote the creed for America, declaring that "all men are created equal and entitled to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," could also live his life as a slaveholder.

A View from the Mountain confronts this paradox and also highlights recent DNA tests that indicate he had an affair and offspring with a house slave, Sally Hemings. The documentary also brings Jefferson's words and ideas to life through dozens of original handwritten letters, excerpts from original manuscripts, deeds of slave manumission, period newspapers, his will, political cartoons, and every known image of Jefferson painted during his lifetime.