Flight of the Madisons
The flight routes of James and Dolley Madison are not exact and much of the evidence of where they stayed...
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Significant Events
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Days of Destruction: The President's House
After torching the Capitol about 100 British soldiers and sailors headed west down Pennsylvania Avenue with four officers, including Ross and...
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Emancipators
On April 2, 1814 British Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation stating that "all persons who may be disposed" to escape...
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Notable Prominent Neighbors
Saint John’s Church, Lafayette Square, is the oldest building still in use in the neighborhood of the White House—exce...
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The American Protective League and White House Security During World War One
The United States remained neutral during the early years of World War I, from the outbreak of hostilities in August, 1914,...
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Distinguished Cellists in the White House
The White House has hosted many musical performances featuring artists playing a wide variety of instruments. When the first cello—an...
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The Naval War of 1812
Britain's navy began its war in North Atlantic waters with a crushing advantage over the United States in numbers of...
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The Navy Yard, Treasury Department & Other Buildings
Washington awoke to a humid, cloudy day as an occupied city on August 25. Cockburn and Captain John Wainwright of Cockburn's...
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The Octagon
On September 8, 1814, the Madisons moved into the Octagon, second in size only to the burned President's House, and the only...
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Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.
Congress passed the Compensated Emancipation Act to end slavery in the District of Columbia and President Abraham Lincoln signed the...
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Commodore Stephen Decatur: An Early American Naval War Hero
In President Theodore Roosevelt’s description of the capture of the HMS Macedonian by the USS United States in his 1882 bo...
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Presidents' Day at the White House
Just how does the president celebrate Presidents’ Day? Throughout the more than 200-year history of the White House, presidents themselves ha...