The Formerly Enslaved Households of President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson’s close association with Abraham Lincoln, as both his vice president and his successor, often disguises Johnson’s own...
Have you ever wondered...
How did Dolley Madison save George Washington’s portrait?
Completed in 1797, Gilbert Stuart’s painting of George Washington was the first piece of artwork purchased for display in the White House.
On August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops invaded Washington, D.C. Seeing Stuart’s painting of Washington, Dolley Madison ordered it saved, and it was carried off with the assistance of White House staff, enslaved individuals, and passing citizens to a safe hiding place in Maryland. Later that night, British troops set fire to the White House and destroyed many of the first family’s possessions. They could not, however, claim the capture or destruction of George Washington’s famous portrait. The portrait currently hangs in the East Room of the White House.
Featured Questions
We've Also Been Asked...
-
How did the White House get its name?
-
What is the Resolute Desk and where did it come from?
-
Has the White House ever been renovated or changed?
-
How was the location of the White House selected?
-
Did President Abraham Lincoln actually sleep in the Lincoln bedroom?
You Might Also Like
-
-
Gallery Glamour and Innovation: Frankie Welch
Frankie Welch was one of the first designers to design “across the aisle,” creating gowns and scarves for first ladies Pat...
-
Gallery Glamour and Innovation: Ann Lowe
Dressmaker, seamstress, couturier, and “America’s best kept secret,” Ann Lowe was born in Clayton, Alabama in 1917. Lowe (nee Cole) learne...
-
Gallery Glamour and Innovation: Elizabeth Keckley
Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was born enslaved in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. She is the child of an enslaved woman, Agnes Hobbs,...
-
2022
-
Gallery This is the new Exhibits Gallery
This is the space for your description that will show at the unique gallery URL
-
TEST
-
Gallery Test
-
Gallery test
-
Olympian Wilma Rudolph Visits the White House
Wilma Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee. As a child, she suffered from several serious illnesses, including...
-
viget test article again
-
Gallery Ellie Test Gallery
This galley is about a transcending White House event that happened in the 1970s.
