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Fashion and Frugality
Sarah Childress Polk (1803–1891) was first lady from 1845 to 1849, during the administration of her husband, James Knox Polk. A fashion trendsetter, she used her keen intelligence, abiding religious faith, pleasant manner, and superb organizational skills to artfully regulate the White House, serve as her husband’s main political partner, and orchestrate an exhausting social schedule of receptions and dinners that helped Polk
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Article
James Madison's Brother Willey
"I am much at a loss how to dispose of Willey,” James Madison wrote to his father on December 8, 1779. “I can not think it would be expedient in the present state things to send him out of the State.”1 Then a member of Virginia’s Council of State, James Madison was referring to his eleven-years-younger brother, William Madison, and plans for Will
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Article
"A Well-Ordered Household"
One morning in early December 1802 a Federalist senator, just arrived from New Hampshire, was ushered into the President’s House with some fellow legislators. After a few moments “a tall highboned man” entered the room, wearing “an old brown coat, red waistcoat, old corduroy small clothes, much soild—woolen hose—& slippers without heels.” William Plumer later wrote a friend, “I thought this m
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Article
Truman Beach: The 33rd President at Key West
The president’s shirts were loose, comfortable, vividly patterned, and tropically bright. They represented a break from the blue-suit, white-shirt formality that had been Harry Truman’s hallmark since his days as a Kansas City haberdasher. They proclaimed temporary independence from the mansion Truman called “the big white jail.” Some people found them gaudy, garish, and unpresidential. Others simply called them Har
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Event
White House History Live: Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection
Join us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. Our Facebook Live series, White House History Live, delves into the stories that make up the history of the Executive Mansion. The White House Historical Association’s new digital exhibit, “Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection” explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the Un
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Video
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection
The White House Historical Association’s new digital exhibit, “Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection," explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. Learn more about these objects and the fascinating stories they tell from the exhibit’s curator and Association historian, Sarah Fling.
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Building the White House
The White House stands as a symbol of freedom, but the story behind its construction reveals some important contradictions. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For more information about the design, building, and rebuilding of the White House, click here. For more information about Slavery in the President's Neighborhood research initiative, click here.
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Interpreting African-American History in the President’s Neighborhood
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, including the president's neighborhood. In recognition of Black History Month, this episode of White House History Live will explore new educational tools and visuals for teaching and lear
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Video
Presidential Sites Summit 2022: March 17 Morning General Sessions
The 2022 Presidential Sites Summit was hosted by the White House Historical Association at the historic Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The Summit incorporated sessions on a variety of topics from fundraising and civic engagement to recognizing inclusive presidential histories. This video includes two such sessions from the morning of Thursday, March 17. The first session, Towards Inclusive History: Slavery and Race,
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Press Release
The White House Historical Association and Preservation Society of Charleston Unveil Historical Marker
The White House Historical Association and Preservation Society of Charleston placed a historical marker at Saint Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church on Thursday, May 5 at 1PM that outlines the story of White House Architect James Hoban and his legacy in Charleston. Hoban was a leading figure in the establishment of the Catholic Parish at St. Mary’s. He was a
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Press Release
The White House Historical Association Annual Symposium: “The Presidency and Historic Preservation”
The White House Historical Association, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, hosted its annual day-long educational symposium Thursday, May 26, 2022, 8AM-4:30PM at the historic Decatur House located at 748 Jackson Place NW, Washington, DC. This year’s program, themed "The Presidency and Historic Preservation,” included panel discussions on the topics of “Women in Historic Preservation,” “Presidential Sites of Enslavemen
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Video
The Burning of the White House
As the official residence of the president and first family, the White House holds a special place in all our hearts. But when British troops set it on fire during the War of 1812, White House staff rallied to save its contents. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here to learn more. For more information