You are going to see pictures of spaces where enslaved families live. Look carefully at each of the pictures. Answer the questions below each picture. Answer can be recorded on the Enslaved Family Dwellings worksheet. 

Once the slideshow is completed, use the links in additional resources to learn more about each space. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. What was life like for members of the enslaved community at Monticello?
2. What kind of work did members of the enslaved community do?


Members of the Hemings/Hemmings family lived in a one-room cabin like this one near their workplaces along Mulberry Row and in the Main House.

The Hemings family was one of the largest enslaved families at Monticello. Some members of the family spelled their name with one M. Other members of the family spelled their name with two Ms. 

Other members of the enslaved community may have lived in similar structures along Mulberry Row and throughout the Monticello plantation. 

The original Hemmings family cabin no longer exists. Using Thomas Jefferson's notes and archaeological research, the cabin in the picture was rebuilt in the 2010s. 

This cabin represents the home of John and Priscilla Hemmings, a married couple who were enslaved by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. 

Look closely at this picture, and then answer the questions below. 

 How many people do you think could live comfortably in a space like this?  

What kind of objects do you see in this space?  

How do you think this space would be used?  

What can we learn about the people who lived in this room from this picture?  

Some members of the enslaved community lived in rooms in the South Wing. The South Wing is part of Monticello. Rooms run runs under the main house and con­tain the post-1809 kitchen, cook’s room, smokehouse, living quarters for enslaved workers and the dairy. The enslaved workers who lived here were still close to the places where they worked every day. 

This cabin represents the home of Edith Hern Fossett, an enslaved chef at Monticello. She lived in this space with her husband Joseph, and their children. 

Standards for Enslaved Family Dwellings

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework