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Scholarship
Slavery and Strategy in Decatur House
On February 11, 1829, members of Congress convened to certify votes for President and Vice President of the United States as Andrew Jackson had recently defeated incumbent President John Quincy Adams after an acrimonious campaign.1 As the Adams administration came to an end, Secretary of State Henry Clay made plans to vacate his post in Washington and return to Ashland, his Kentucky
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Scholarship
The Households of James Buchanan
James Buchanan is often regarded as one of the worst presidents in United States history.1 Many historians contend that Buchanan’s sympathy toward the South and reluctance to stop the first seven states from seceding led to the American Civil War, but less attention has been given to how his upbringing and earlier experiences shaped his views on slavery.2 Although Pe
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Scholarship
Slavery at The Octagon
On June 14, 1801, John Tayloe III wrote to his architect: “my object is to be done with the Building as quickly as I can—with the least Trouble & Vexation—for the Expence of it already alarms me to Death whenever I think about it”.1 Tayloe, a wealthy planter from Virginia, was anxiously awaiting the completion of his winter residence in the youn
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Scholarship
The Enslaved Household of Tench Ringgold
From 1818 to 1831, Tench Ringgold served as U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia. His home (today known as the DACOR Bacon House) sits on the corner of F and 18th Streets, about three blocks from the White House. Built in 1825, the house is a notable example of Federal-style architecture.1 Tench Ringgold came from an old Maryland merchant and slave-owning
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Scholarship
"liberated & set free at Mr. Monroe's dying request": Peter Marks' White House Story
On July 4, 1831, President James Monroe died after months of illness. Many Americans mourned the loss of the last “Founding Father” president. But for one man, Peter Marks, the impact of Monroe’s death was very different.Peter Marks (sometimes spelled Marx) was enslaved in Monroe’s household for most of his life. Sometime in the final few months of his life, Mo
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Article
Slavery, Freedom, and the Struggle to Keep a Family Together
Although President Thomas Jefferson owned hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children in his lifetime, he brought only a handful with him to the White House. In need of additional help, he hired the labor of an enslaved man named John Freeman from Dr. William Baker, the Maryland physician who owned him. The practice of hiring out enslaved workers in
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Video
White House History with David Rubenstein - Slavery in the President's Neighborhood Program
Video from the inaugural edition of our 2020 lecture series, White House History with David Rubenstein: Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood at historic Saint John’s Church on Lafayette Square.
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Gallery
Nancy Syphax–Life and Legacy: Zipporah Marcella Joseph
Nancy Syphax was a member of a prominent Washington, D.C. family that was considered to be among the “Black Elite” during the nineteenth century.1 Unfortunately, Nancy did not share the same status as most of her family. Instead, she worked as an enslaved house servant in the President’s Neighborhood at Decatur House for John Gadsby from at least 1836 until
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Gallery
Nancy Syphax–Life and Legacy: Colonel Edward Creston Gleed
Nancy Syphax was a member of a prominent Washington, D.C. family that was considered to be among the “Black Elite” during the nineteenth century.1 Unfortunately, Nancy did not share the same status as most of her family. Instead, she worked as an enslaved house servant in the President’s Neighborhood at Decatur House for John Gadsby from at least 1836 until
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Gallery
Nancy Syphax–Life and Legacy: Zipporah Joseph (Parks) Hammond
Nancy Syphax was a member of a prominent Washington, D.C. family that was considered to be among the “Black Elite” during the nineteenth century.1 Unfortunately, Nancy did not share the same status as most of her family. Instead, she worked as an enslaved house servant in the President’s Neighborhood at Decatur House for John Gadsby from at least 1836 until
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Gallery
Slavery in the President's Neighborhood: Primary Resource Gallery
While there are few written accounts of the enslaved and free African Americans who built, lived, and worked at the White House, their voices can be found in letters, newspapers, memoirs, census records, architecture, and oral history. In this collection, explore primary sources and learn about the enslaved individuals that built, lived, and worked at the White House and in
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Gallery
Slavery in the President's Neighborhood: The People
While there are few written accounts of the enslaved and free African Americans who built, lived, and worked at the White House, their voices can be found in letters, newspapers, memoirs, census records, architecture, and oral history. In this collection, learn about some of the enslaved individuals that built, lived, and worked at the White House and in the President’s