Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Scholarship

Thomas Jefferson's Cabinet

On November 26, 1791, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson attended the first cabinet meeting in American history. At 10:00 am, he arrived at the President’s House on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He walked upstairs and entered George Washington’s private study on the second floor. The room was relatively small—fifteen by twenty-one feet—and overcrowded with fur

Scholarship

The Remarkable Story of Ona Judge

In April 1774, one of Martha Washington’s enslaved housemaids, Betty, gave birth at Mount Vernon to a daughter named Ona Judge.1 Ona’s father was Andrew Judge, a white indentured servant who was employed on the estate. Ona probably lived with Betty in a small cabin near the mansion house, completing simple chores, helping her mother with easy tasks in thei

Scholarship

Andrew Jackson's Cabinet

On March 10, 1829, President Andrew Jackson moved into the White House. Fifteen years earlier, the British had burned the White House during the War of 1812. Presidents James Madison and James Monroe oversaw the rebuilding of the Executive Mansion, but presidents made important changes and updates to the building over the next several administrations. John Quincy Adams, Jackson’s predecessor, established the so

Scholarship

Ulysses S. Grant's Cabinet

On March 4, 1869, Ulysses S. Grant took the oath of office and became the eighteenth President of the United States. His inauguration was a joyful occasion—many Americans celebrated Grant as the military hero that defeated the Confederacy. After Andrew Johnson’s dismal administration, Americans welcomed Grant’s election as an opportunity to restore the glory and honor of the presidency.The Gr

Scholarship

The Households of President John Adams

On April 21, 1789, John Adams took the oath of office to become the first Vice President of the United States. Over the next twelve years, John and Abigail Adams followed the federal government as it was relocated from New York City to Philadelphia, and finally to Washington, D.C. In each city, they formed an official household, hosted family members, welcomed

Scholarship

The Enslaved Household of President George Washington

On April 16, 1789, George Washington left his home at Mount Vernon to travel to New York City to be inaugurated as the first President of the United States. He was accompanied by Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, and Colonel David Humphreys, Washington’s longtime friend and secretary. Although the president-elect made no mention of their presence in his diary, he wa

Scholarship

Vietnam War Protests at the White House

On November 1, 1963, a group of military officials overthrew the South Vietnamese government and assassinated President Ngo Dinh Diem after he refused to resign—all with the tacit approval of the John F. Kennedy administration.1 While U.S. involvement in Vietnam dated back to the Dwight Eisenhower administration, the escalation of the war during the 1960s and 1970s dominated national politics, ta

Scholarship

The Enslaved Household of President John Quincy Adams

Of the first seven U.S. presidents, John Quincy Adams (JQA) and his father John Adams were the only two who did not bring enslaved people into the White House. At least, that’s the story that most people know.1 In John Quincy Adams’ case, the truth may be more complicated. Although his long fight against Congress’ “gag rule” later earned him

Scholarship

Abraham Lincoln's Cabinet

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office and became the sixteenth President of the United States. While he had no way of knowing the extent challenges ahead, a pall hung over the celebrations as the nation hovered on the brink of civil war. To lead the nation during the looming crisis, Lincoln appointed a group of opinionated, stubborn,