Sarah Fling

Scholarship

The Formerly Enslaved Households of President Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson’s close association with Abraham Lincoln, as both his vice president and his successor, often disguises Johnson’s own slave ownership. He is a complicated example of a southerner who simultaneously supported the Union and gradual emancipation while perpetuating slavery through the bondage of others—perhaps even fathering children with his enslaved servant. Some of these enslaved individuals were l

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Sugar, Slavery, and the Washington China

Upon stepping into the White House China Room, visitors encounter tableware from nearly every presidential administration or first family. Tucked into one of the impressive glass display cases is a small, porcelain sugar bowl. To many viewers, the bowl may seem like an ordinary piece of White House tableware. But what if a bowl could tell a bigger story? A

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Washington, D.C.'s "Contraband" Camps

On April 16, 1862, Congress passed the Compensated Emancipation Act, ending slavery in the District of Columbia and delivering long-awaited freedom to more than 3,000 men, women, and children.1 America’s capital city became a beacon of liberty for enslaved individuals in bordering slave states like Maryland and Virginia, many of whom ran away and crossed into the District to pursue their own li

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George DeBaptiste

President William Henry Harrison’s famously brief month-long tenure at the White House makes it difficult to research the inner workings of the Executive Mansion during his administration, and an 1858 fire at his family’s home in North Bend, Ohio, destroyed many documents related to this particular period of Harrison’s life.1 However, obituaries and recollections reveal a fascinating individual who wo

Scholarship

Japanese Silk Panels at the Decatur House

Inside the Decatur House’s California Room hangs a series of remarkable nineteenth-century Japanese silk panels that depict the changing seasons. The paintings, created by Japanese artist Utagawa Kunitsuru, were signed by the artist in 1872. They came to Decatur House sometime between this signing date and their first mention in a Washington Capital newspaper article in late 1873, which noted that th

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Material Culture at Decatur House

Without photographs, paintings, or other visual representations of the Decatur House Slave Quarters from the antebellum period, it is difficult to know exactly what the space looked like while it was inhabited by free and enslaved workers. Unfortunately, the furnishings of antebellum slave quarters are poorly documented—even more so when examining urban environments rather than plantations. However, primary source ev

Scholarship

Diversity in White House Art: Simmie Knox

On June 14, 2004, the official portraits of President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton were unveiled in the East Room of the White House. These paintings made history as the first official White House portraits created by a Black artist, Simmie Knox.

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“Kitchen Genius”: Dolly Johnson at the White House

Cuisine is a central part of life at the White House. From State Dinners and diplomatic receptions to private meals and family events, the White House executive chef and their team feed some of the most influential people in the world. The menus, ingredients, and flavors selected by the culinary staff often convey the personality, taste, budget, and lifestyle of

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Diversity in White House Art: Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe’s captivating flower paintings and Southwestern landscapes have made her one of the world’s most recognizable modern artists. O’Keeffe was born on November 15, 1887, and raised in Wisconsin. Throughout her childhood, she took art lessons at home with her siblings and later attended lessons at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Virgi

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Jerry Smith

Jeremiah “Jerry” Smith worked at the White House through eight presidencies. Government documents listed him as a laborer, but he took on a variety of unofficial roles, including valet, footman, custodian, and most notably, duster. Throughout his thirty-year tenure, Jerry witnessed three White House weddings, the aftermath of two assassinations, the installation of electricity, the construction of the West Wing, and

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The First Ladies and Slavery

Most Americans do not associate the first ladies with slave ownership. In fact, it may be surprising to learn that slavery was a significant aspect of the identities and lifestyles of one-third of the women who have held the role since the nation’s founding. Thirteen first ladies or White House hostesses— nieces, daughters, and sisters, who took the place of i

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Prom Night at the White House

Senior prom is a night to remember — especially if your venue is the White House! On May 31, 1975, First Daughter Susan Ford hosted the Holton-Arms School senior class for prom at the Executive Mansion, marking the first and only celebration of its kind to take place there. The class of ‘75 at the Holton-Arms School, located in Bethesda, Maryland, had saved for the