These days, I really learned a lot about American history.
Today, we went to Monticello(an Italian word which means little mountain) and saw Thomas Jefferson's grave, plantation and house. Jefferson, who was an "enthusiast" in architecture, designed his own house for both working and living usage. In 1768, Jefferson began leveling the Monticello mountaintop for a house. Thus began a 40-year period of design, construction, and remodeling to create his "essay in architecture". The house is extraordinary, not only in design, but in the unique way Jefferson related it to the landscape by incorporating open-air living spaces, most notably the L-shaped terraces that serve as extensions of the main floor.
Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826), philosopher of the American Revolution, is best remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence. The ideas of the Declaration---that "all men are created equal" and have a right to "life, liberty,and the pursuit of happiness"---established the foundations of self-government and individual freedom in America. Jefferson's eloquent words of 1776 still inspire people around the world today.