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Many presidents have used ships for both relaxation and diplomacy. From fishing to meetings with foreign dignitaries, water travel provides variety and a momentary change of scenery from life and work in the White House. From 1936 to 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enjoyed travel aboard the USS Potomac. The ship, originally named the Electra, was built in 1934 as a Coast Guard
Pennsylvania only has had one official representative in the White House: President James Buchanan, whose administration lasted from 1857 to 1861. The state’s influence on the building and its tenants has nevertheless been profound, from its construction in the 1790s to the present day. Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States from 1790 until 1800, spanning both of George Washington’s two
The White House is often referred to as the “people’s house.” Indeed, many people from across the United States have influenced the White House in a variety of ways. From elder statesmen to young innovators, the state of Indiana can proudly claim numerous connections with the White House – both with the physical building and with those who have occupied it. Ind
While there have only been a handful of Texans who have called the White House “home,” this group has shaped the building’s history in many significant ways. The first Texas-born president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, lived briefly in Denison before his family moved to Abilene, Kansas. Eisenhower spent most of his childhood in Abilene and considered it his hometown; today it hou
As he left the White House in 1869, President Andrew Johnson supposedly exclaimed that he could “already smell the sweet mountain air of Tennessee.”1 Despite the considerable distance between Washington, D.C. and Tennessee, there have been numerous connections between the state and the Executive Mansion that highlight Tennessee influence in the history of the president’s home. Three presidents, all servin
The first vacations of President Calvin Coolidge were not very different from those of past presidents. Many commanders in chief returned home to briefly relax while fulfilling their presidential duties. President Coolidge often did the same in the early years of his administration. After two vacations along the east coast, however, the president decided to spend a summer in the
