Montpelier Research Internships


James Madison’s Montpelier announces opportunities for 2 undergraduate interns in the Research Department.

INTERNSHIP 1: The goal of the internship is to digitize and contextualize the Clara Ellis Payne scrapbook collection. Payne, whose ancestors were enslaved at or near the Montpelier plantation in Orange, Virginia, collected a trove of family history materials with significant research potential for members of the Montpelier African American Descendants Community. (For further information on the African American Descendants’ Project, see https://digitaldoorway.montpelier.org/project/montpelier-descendants-project/.) The intern will scan or photograph the scrapbooks, write descriptions of their contents, and distill genealogical information for public use.

By completing this internship, the student will gain experience in handling archival materials and using them for research. The student will also have exposure to the workings of Montpelier’s Museum Programs division and will contribute a blog post to the Digging Deeper blog on the Museum Programs website.

ELIGIBILITY: Applications are open to rising 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year UVA students from all fields of study who identify as African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (spring 2021 graduates are ineligible). Preference will be given to applicants with excellent research/writing skills, knowledge of African American history, and/or familiarity with Ancestry.com.

HOURS/STIPEND: This position will be 30 hours per week for 10 weeks (or 300 total hours during the summer). The intern will need to be able to work on site, within COVID-19 safety guidelines. This internship is supported by a $3,500 Museum Diversity Internship grant to offset cost of living during the internship period.


INTERNSHIP 2: The goal of this internship is to research the migration of African Americans from Orange County, Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a connection that has come to light through genealogical research with descendants of people who were enslaved at Montpelier and nearby plantations. (See https://digitaldoorway.montpelier.org/project/montpelier-descendants-project/ for further information on the African American Descendants’ Project.) The intern will use newspaper databases available at UVA to track mentions in Pittsburgh newspapers of residents with ties to Orange, and use Ancestry.com to research familes with connections to the two locations. The student will write a report tying their findings to the Great Migration and other broad historical trends. The student will regularly consult with the internship supervisor through Zoom conferences.

By completing this internship, the student will gain experience in doing primary source research using online research databases, and gain insight into the ways museums are expanding interpretation of African American history. The student will also contribute a blog post to the Digging Deeper blog on the Museum Programs website.

ELIGIBILITY: Applications are open to rising 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year UVA students from all fields of study who identify as African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (spring 2021 graduates are ineligible). Preference will be given to applicants with excellent research/writing skills, knowledge of African American history, and/or familiarity with WordPress and Ancestry.com.

HOURS/STIPEND: This is a half-time internship for a total of 150 hours over the summer (could be scheduled as 15 hours/week for 10 weeks, or 30 hours/week for 5 weeks). The internship can be conducted remotely, though the intern will need access to UVA library resources. The internship is supported by a $1,750 Museum Diversity Internship grant to offset cost of living during the internship period.


APPLY Complete and submit the Application Form & Montpelier Volunteer Application along with a resume, unofficial transcript, and statement of interest to Hilarie M. Hicks, hhicks@montpelier.orgDeadline is extended to May 7, 2021. Please identify which position you prefer, though you can be considered for both if you wish. Successful applicants will be contacted for a telephone interview.

Questions? Contact Catherine Walden, cew9f@virginia.edu.