Marquis de Lafayette Returns

In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, returned to America for the first time in nearly half a century. This program will explore the Marquis de Lafayette's time in Washington DC during his National Tour, tracing his route through the region and highlighting the locations and people the famous General held closest to his heart. Public Historian and Author Elizabeth Reese will discuss her book Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America's National Capital Region, sharing insights on why the bicentennial still resonates today.

Credit: White House Historical Association

Page
White House History Live
Collection
The Nixon White House 1969 - 1974

On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. During his time in the White House (1969–74), President Nixon sought to unite a divided nation after the social, political, and cultural turbulence of the 1960s. Before becoming president, Nixon served in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as
Collection
State Dinners

A State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous of White House affairs. It is part of an official State Visit and provides the president and first lady the opportunity to honor the visiting head of state and his or her spouse. In this collection, explore the history of
Collection
Weddings and the White House

From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden on the South Lawn in November 2022, the White House has long been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions. In over two hundred years, there have been nineteen documented weddings and four receptions hosted
Page
Video from Lectures and Events
Page
Inauguration 2021 Virtual Events
Scholarship
Additional Resources for Slavery in the President's Neighborhood

For Teachers Classroom Resource Packet: Slavery, Freedom, and the White HouseJames Madison's Montpelier: Fate in the BalanceThe Enslaved Household of Thomas JeffersonElizabeth Keckly: From Slavery to the White HouseWHTTI Session with the Decatur House Advisory CouncilThe Burning of the White House (Makematic)White House Valets (Makematic)Student Plays
Event
White House History Live: President Garfield, From Radical to Unifier

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. Bestselling author and historian C.W. Goodyear will discuss his new biography of James A. Garfield. This work offers fresh insight and nuance to the
Video
Women and the Nixon White House

Join historian and Pat Nixon biographer Heath Lee and former Nixon White House staffer Barbara Franklin as they discuss the evolving role of women in public service. The conversation will focus on the Nixon initiative to bring more women into leadership roles in the federal government, including the influential roles that Pat Nixon and other prominent women played to promote
Video
The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics of American Style

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, author of "Red, White and Blue on the Runway: The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics of American Style," discusses the first—and only—fashion show ever held in the White House, hosted by Lady Bird Johnson on February 29, 1968. Using eyewitness accounts as well as carefully preserved records, artifacts, garments, and images, the book takes readers behi
Video
The Trials of Harry S. Truman

Biographer Jeffrey Frank discusses his new book on Harry Truman. The conversation focuses on Truman’s unexpected ascension to the presidency, the domestic and international challenges he faced, and how his personality and leadership style affected some of the most important decisions he made at the White House.
Event
White House History Live: When Washington Burned

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. Dr. Robert Watson will join us to discuss his new book, When Washington Burned: The British Invasion of the Capital and a Nation’s Rise Fr