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Christmas with the Kennedys
The White House celebrates many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the Executive Mansion bring unique familial rituals that they are often blended with time-tested White House and presidential customs. During the holiday season, the president and first lady participate in public traditions such as receiving a tree for the Blue Room,
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Second Spouses
For much of American history, the spouse of the Vice President of the United States did not maintain a prominent public role. However, as the Office of Vice President has evolved over time to include more responsibilities, power, influence, and resources, the “Second Spouse” has also grown in recognition and stature. One notable historical exception is Floride Calhoun, the wife of V
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Eliza McCardle Johnson: Conflicting Memories and Vanishing Evidence of the Enslaved Past
In 1980, Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett, great-granddaughter of First Lady Eliza McCardle Johnson and President Andrew Johnson, gave an oral interview at Harpers Ferry about the history of her family. Alluding that her ancestors wanted to keep certain family secrets hidden from the public, Mrs. Bartlett recalled when her father sold documents to the Library of Congress in 1904: “My daddy [Andrew Jo
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Mapping Lady Bird Johnson's Whistle-Stop Tour
Less than a month before the 1964 presidential election, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson traveled for four days through the American South by train. In a practice known as whistle-stop campaigning, the first lady set out with her team, invited guests, and members of the press aboard the personalized “Lady Bird Special.” They visited eight states and stopped in forty-seven towns. The
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A White House Worker Remembers President Kennedy's Assassination
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had developed a bond with White House doorman Preston Bruce. The slain President's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, invited Bruce to walk with members of the Kennedy family to JFK's memorial service at St. Matthew's Cathedral. Here are some of Bruce's recollections:"My heart ached to see Mrs. Kennedy march up
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Laura Bush and the Comforts of Home
In 2001, First Lady Laura Bush chose "Home for the Holidays" as the White House Christmas tree theme. Artists from all 50 states and the District of Columbia designed model replicas of historic homes and houses of worship to hang as ornaments. In 2002, Mrs. Bush adopted the theme of "All Creatures Great and Small." Perched on the boughs of the official tree
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White House Workers Timeline
The White House Historical Association has undertaken a research initiative called "Slavery in the President's Neighborhood." With this initiative, the Association seeks to tell 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,
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African Americans in the White House Timeline
The White House Historical Association has undertaken a research initiative called "Slavery in the President's Neighborhood." With this initiative, the Association seeks to tell 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,
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The Presidents Timeline
GEORGE WASHINGTON | 1789-1797 JOHN ADAMS | 1797-1801 THOMAS JEFFERSON | 1801-1809 JAMES MADISON | 1809-1817 JAMES MONROE | 1817-1825 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS | 1825-1829 ANDREW JACKSON | 1829-1837 MARTIN VAN BUREN | 1837-1841 WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON | 1841 JOHN TYLER | 1841-1845 JAMES K. POLK | 1845-1849 ZACHARY TAYLOR | 1849-1850 MILLARD FILLMORE | 1850-1853 FRANKLIN PIERCE | 1853-1857 JAMES BUCHANAN | 1857-1861 ABRAHAM LINCOLN | 1861-1865 ANDREW JOHNSON | 1865-1869 ULYSSES S. GRANT | 1869-1877 RUTHERFORD B.
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The First Ladies Timeline
Martha WashingtonAbigail AdamsMartha JeffersonDolley MadisonElizabeth MonroeLouisa AdamsRachel Jackson / Emily DonelsonHannah Van Buren / Angelica Van BurenAnna Harrison / Jane HarrisonLetitia Tyler / Julia TylerSarah PolkMargaret TaylorAbigail Powers FillmoreJane PierceHarriet LaneMary LincolnEliza Johnson / Martha Johnson PattersonJulia GrantLucy HayesLucretia GarfieldEllen Arthur / Mary Arthur McElroyFrances Cleveland / Rose ClevelandCaroline HarrisonIda McKinleyEdith RooseveltHelen TaftEllen Wilson / Edith WilsonFlorence HardingGrace CoolidgeLou HooverEleanor RooseveltElizabeth TrumanMamie EisenhowerJacqueline KennedyClaudia JohnsonPat NixonBetty FordRosalynn CarterNancy
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History of China State Visits to the White House
On January 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter received Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and his wife, Madame Zhuo Lin, for an official visit to Washington D.C. The occasion marked the highest-ranking Chinese visitor to the White House since Madame Chiang Kai-shek visited in 1943.
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Splendor and Scrutiny of White House Tableware
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau attended a State Dinner at the White House on March 10, 2016, they enjoyed a meal that was the result of months of thoughtful preparation. From the floral arrangements to the menu, no detail was overlooked—and this included the plates off of which they ate. Guests at White House fun