This President’s Day, February 17, in tribute to Thomas Jefferson’s legacy in public education, the University of Virginia and Monticello are launching their first-ever, collaborative Massive Open Online Course, providing a unique opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to learn about the “Age of Jefferson.”

Influenced by the Enlightenment, Thomas Jefferson thought reason and knowledge could be harnessed to improve the human condition. As he wrote in 1786, “I think by far the most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of knowlege [sic] among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom, and happiness.”

Join Peter Onuf, a leading scholar of Jefferson and the early American republic, for this free, online six-week course. Participants will learn not only why Jefferson’s legacy is essential to understanding global history, but also why UNESCO has designated Monticello and the University of Virginia as a joint World Heritage Site.

Sign up today on Coursera or iTunes U for the “Age of Jefferson!”