The Enslaved Household of John Quincy Adams - Photo 1

Slavery was ubiquitous and inescapable during the Adams family’s tenure in Washington, D.C. This Civil War-era photograph shows a slave-trading operation in Alexandria, VA, less than ten miles in the White House. During John Quincy Adams’ presidency, this building housed the offices of Franklin and Armfield, the largest dealer of enslaved people in the United States.