John and Abigail Adams: A Tradition Begins
John and Abigail Adams had a wealth of experience in establishing and living in official houses prior to their move...
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Betty C. Monkman
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Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey
The official "pardoning" of White House turkeys is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the...
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The White House State Dinner
A state dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous...
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The White House Collection: Reminders of 1814
When the President’s House was consumed by fire in 1814, furnishings purchased over twenty-five years by the United States gov...
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The White House Collection Research Sources in the Office of the Curator
A house more thoroughly documented than the White House is difficult to imagine. Historians and students of White House history...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1800s
John Adams spent the majority of his presidency in Philadelphia, but later occupied the President's House in Washington, D.C.,...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1810s
In 1809, James and Dolley Madison moved into the completed President’s House that contained worn furnishings from past administrations. Mrs. Ma...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1820s
Reconstruction and refurbishing of the burned President's House continued into the 1820s. To refurnish the large house, President James Monroe...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1830s
Andrew Jackson’s 1829 inaugural reception drew throngs of supporters to the President’s House. Their exuberant descent on the house left...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1840s
The clamor over Martin Van Buren's perceived abuse of the furniture fund continued after he left office in 1841. Successor William...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1850s
During his short term as president, Zachary Taylor refurbished the second-floor family quarters, the area where Margaret Taylor, his ill...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1860s
James Buchanan, our only bachelor president, chose his niece Harriet Lane to assume hostess and decorating duties. With a $20,000 furnishings...