Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.
Congress passed the Compensation Emancipation Act to end slavery in the District of Columbia and President Abraham Lincoln signed the...
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Significant Events
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The Battle of New Orleans
Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, and took charge of the city's defense, commanding that waterways be obstructed...
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Tensions in the Capital
President James Madison arrived back in Washington about 5:00 p.m. on August 27, 1814 and took up temporary lodgings at the F...
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Stephen Pleasonton Saves the State Papers
With news of the British force's approach, a senior State Department clerk, Stephen Pleasonton, swung into action, buying rough but...
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Saving the Washington Portrait
Many Washington residents, fearing the rumored British attack, had packed what they could on wagons or set out on foot...
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Rebuilding the White House and U.S. Capitol
The government hired James Hoban, designer of the original President's House to supervise the rebuilding of the mansion and executive...
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New England Convention
The Massachusetts legislature released an invitation on October 5, 1814 for a convention of the New England states to meet in Hartford,...
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Woodrow and Edith Wilson: Costumed for the World Stage
Clothes provide a barometer of life, livelihood, status, and culture. They tie the wearer to a moment in history. The...
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Foreword; White House History Number 33
Further pursuing our interest in the neighborhood context of the White House, as well as the presidential complex itself, this...
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Emancipation in the President's Neighborhood, 1850
On April 16, 2012, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, a day of jubilation for the...
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The Presidential Sweet Tooth
As the holidays approach, thoughts inevitably turn to sugar plums, gingerbread, and all of the other delectable treats that season...
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Emancipation Day, A Celebration in Washington, D.C.
THE NEGRO CELEBRATION IN WASHINGTON The occasion of the celebration, which took place April 19, was the abolition of slavery in...