Slavery at the White House: Enslaved Labor in the White House
Gallery
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This mid-nineteenth-century photograph is of Paul Jennings, a valet and servant enslaved by James and Dolley Madison at the White House. After his time in the White House, Jennings negotiated for his freedom and became a property owner, author, and abolitionist in Washington, D.C.
The Estate of Sylvia Jennings Alexander -
This advertisement reports on the February 1844 robbery at the White House.
NewsBank/American Antiquarian Society -
In 1937, after being interviewed by journalist Ernie Pyle, William Johnson gained national recognition as the last surviving individual to be formerly enslaved by an American president. As a result, President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited him to the White House for a meeting. President Roosevelt gifted Johnson a silver-headed, engraved cane, and he embarked on a tour of the capital city.
Library of Congress
About this Gallery
Explore the stories of enslaved workers at the White House through closer examination of several objects in the collection.
