Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and Piscataway, lived in the Potomac Valley prior to the construction of the White House. Since that time, Native Americans have come to the Executive Mansion to share their cultural heritage, meet with presidents, protest, and advocate for Indigenous rights. In
A State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous of White House affairs. It is part of an official State Visit and provides the president and first lady the opportunity to honor the visiting head of state and his or her spouse. In this collection, explore the history of
Presidents have found different ways to escape the pressures and politics of the position. For early leaders, it was a matter of course that they would leave the White House for the summer to tend to personal businesses or farms. The modern-day presidency is a year-round job. So while the work often follows, the countryside of Virginia or seaside of
The White House Historical Association and the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project present this collaboration in an effort to open a window into the Roosevelt White House. From 1935 to 1962, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a syndicated column entitled "My Day." This project selects representative samples of those columns, focused on the White House years, to display Mrs. Roosevelt’s thoughts on a
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to office at the height of the Great Depression. He ushered in an environment of hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action for America. His wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, broke many precedents by holding press conferences, giving lectures and radio broadcasts, and traveling. The Roosevelts brought change and hope to the American people
The young national capital at Washington, D.C. became the center of the War of 1812 with Great Britain during the summer of 1814. The burning of the public buildings by the British was a humiliating defeat that struck at the symbolic heart of the country. Up from the ashes of that bitter blow, a resilient nation emerged stronger and more unified.
The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly presidential portraits, commissioned or purchased by Congress, or donated by presidential descendants. In the era before photography, some presidents invited painters to set up studios in the White House to record significant events and paint their likeness. In the late
“Backstage at a White House Wedding: Behind the Main Event.” Life Magazine, June 18, 1971: 40-49. Google Books. “Beene Speaks Out on that Wedding Dress.” Women’s Wear Daily, Dec 07, 1967: 1, 36. ProQuest Central.“Brilliant Wedding at the White House.” The Baltimore Sun. February 18, 1906. 1-2.Chrisman-Campbell, Kimberly. The Way We Wed: A Global History of Wedding Fashion. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2020.“Correspondence of the Baltimore Sun, Washington
Matthew R. Costello is chief education officer for the White House Historical Association where he oversees education programs, historical research, public programming, partnerships, and the digital library. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in American history at Marquette University. He received his B.A. in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a scholar, he
Kate Clarke Lemay is a historian at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. She is a Fulbright Scholar; a presidential counselor to the National WWII Museum; an advisor to Panorama, the journal of the Association of Historians of American Art; and an advisor to the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation. Dr. Lemay’s books include Triumph of the
Since 1878, American presidents and their families have celebrated Easter Monday by hosting an 'egg roll' party. Held on the South Lawn, it is one of the oldest annual events in White House history. Some historians note that First Lady Dolley Madison originally suggested the idea of a public egg roll, while others tell stories of informal egg-rolling parties at the