Paul Jennings
Paul Jennings was born in 1799 at Montpelier, the Virginia estate of James and Dolley Madison. His mother, an enslaved woman...
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Many people think of the White House as a symbol of democracy, but it also embodies America’s complicated past and the paradoxical relationship between slavery and freedom in the nation’s capital. The Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood research initiative tells the stories of the enslaved and free African Americans who built, lived, and worked at the White House, as well as the surrounding homes on Lafayette Park. While there are few written accounts of their experiences, their voices can be found in letters, newspapers, memoirs, census records, architecture, and oral histories. By connecting these details from diverse sources, the White House Historical Association seeks to return these individuals to the historical forefront, intertwining their stories with the lives of the presidents, first ladies, and first families.
An Overview
An Overview
An Overview
An Overview
The Washington Administration 1789-1797
The Jackson Administration 1829-1837
The Story of the Infamous Yellow House
Hotelier and Slave Owner in the President's Neighborhood
Paul Jennings was born in 1799 at Montpelier, the Virginia estate of James and Dolley Madison. His mother, an enslaved woman...
Elias Polk was born into slavery in 1806 on a farm owned by Samuel Polk, father of the future president of...
The New Years’ Day reception became a White House tradition with President John Adams in 1801 and ended with President Herbert Ho...
Congress passed the Compensated Emancipation Act to end slavery in the District of Columbia and President Abraham Lincoln signed the...
While many tend to think that slavery was strictly a “southern” issue, this system of racial captivity and exploitation existed acro...
When First Lady Michelle Obama delivered this powerful statement during a speech before the Democratic National Convention on July 25, 2016, she...
Like many other slave-owning presidents, James K. Polk maintained a different public position on slavery during his presidency (1845-1849) than...
Born to an affluent family in 1790, John Tyler spent most of his life in Charles County, Virginia. He was raised...
On April 21, 1789, John Adams took the oath of office to become the first Vice President of the United States. Over...
Of the first seven U.S. presidents, John Quincy Adams (JQA) and his father John Adams were the only two...
Slave or Enslaved?—A Note On Language You may be wondering about the terms used in the Slavery in the Pr...
Additional Resources for Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood Arnebeck, Bob. Slave Labor in the Capital: Building Washington’s Iconic Fede...