Watch

About this show

Thomas Jefferson is a two-part portrait of our enigmatic and brilliant third president. Thomas Jefferson embodies within his own life the most profound contradictions of American history: as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he gave voice to our fervent desire for freedom, but he also owned more than 150 slaves and never saw fit to free them.

FacebookRedditGoogle ClassroomEmail
Watch Latest Episode Watch Latest Episode
Funding provided by General Motors, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Related Stories from PBS Wisconsin's Blog

A historic and triumphant oil painting of the signing of The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull.

Connect and reflect on THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION with PBS Wisconsin through the America@250 Initiative

Poster for The American Revolution, a PBS film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Blue silhouettes of Revolutionary War soldiers appear over parchment with “We the People.” Text reads: “A story 250 years in the making. Premieres Sun Nov 16 8/7c on PBS.”

Watch THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION series, premiering on PBS Wisconsin Nov. 16

Composition of Leonardo da Vinci artworks with the title treatment Leonardo da Vinci a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon.

‘Leonardo da Vinci,’ a new film from Ken Burns, premieres Nov. 18-19

Jackie Robinson wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball uniform and 'B' hat with title of film on right-hand side.

Commemorate Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 with PBS Wisconsin

Buffalo herd grazing

‘Homecoming’ examines return of American buffalo to Indigenous lands, including Wisconsin

Ken Burns standing in front of a colorful quilt

Explore Ken Burns’ quilt collection at the 2022 Great Wisconsin Quilt Show – read a Q&A with him!

Olympic Runner Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games

Celebrate the Summer Olympics with PBS Wisconsin

Enjoy Ken Burns’ Country Music with a Wisconsin twist

Donate to Sign Up

Make your membership gift today

Activate Account

Only for new users: Activate Passport using your code or email address

Need some help? Go to FAQ or visit PBS Passport Help

Need help accessing PBS Wisconsin anywhere?

Need help accessing PBS Wisconsin anywhere?