“Slave of the Most Merciful”
This chapter details events that occurred in 1819. In the opening days of the year, Jefferson witnessed his life’s last major achievement. After years of preparation, the University of Virginia was approved, its charter passed by the state’s General Assembly on January 25. Officially instituted, Jefferson’s university yet still seemed somewhat aspirational in 1819. Much remained to do down below in Charlottesville. It would take time to attract sufficient students, and the construction of adequate buildings would extend through 1826, the same year that Jefferson died. Overseeing the school’s staggered start, Jefferson ensured that the end of his life also helped to advertise his fledgling university. His memorial, planted on Monticello’s own grounds, would proudly commemorate the college.