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The President of the United States encounters many people, and not all those individuals have good intentions. Politics can create a hostile environment for the president's work and private life. Above all, the first family needs to feel safe in their home, the White House. Over the centuries, security measures at the Executive Mansion have drastically increased. Learn about the
For more than 100 years, people have exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out using the White House as both their stage and audience. Many of these protests have influenced legislation and encouraged government action. Demonstrations at the White House have taken the form of nighttime vigils, marches, picketing, and other peaceful activities.
When people talk about technology today, smartphones, social media, and self-driving cars come to mind, but technology does not need to be electronic or even modern. At its simplest, technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge for a practical purpose. From the beginning of its construction in 1792 through the present day, White House occupants and staff have continually
Throughout the nineteenth century, the United States expanded westward toward the Pacific coast. With those aspirations achieved, the mid-twentieth century looked upward to explore outer space. The White House's ambitions to reach beyond the earth's atmosphere were largely fueled by the United States' space race with the Soviet Union. The subsequent competition between both nations brought about a surge of
The White House is located in a federal district on the eastern coast of the United States. Today, the majority of states are located west of Washington, D.C., and the White House. However, when President George Washington chose the location for the new capital city, the United States was much smaller and situated on the Atlantic coast. As the
The American colonies gained their independence by fighting a war against England. After the American Revolution, the newly formed United States began to establish itself as a nation by ratifying the Constitution, creating a capital in Washington, D.C., and building the President's House. As the home of the president, the White House has confronted war on various occasions in
The story of the White House cannot be told without discussing interactions between presidents and the press. From cordial to confrontational, this relationship is fueled by the public's desire for news about the leader of the nation and the administration's work. Methods of news delivery have greatly changed over the centuries, from printed newspapers to the 24-hour television news cycle.
Ever since John and Abigail Adams moved into the President's House in 1800, hundreds of individuals have worked behind the scenes to help the White House fulfill its roles as a home, office, and museum. White House staff serve the many needs of the first family in a variety of occupations. They prepare family meals, serve elaborate State Dinners, maintain the
Over time, the White House fine art collection has added portraits of every president and most of the first ladies. Not only do these portraits remind us how a particular president looked, especially important before the invention of photography, but they also offer historical clues through a variety of symbols, props, or backgrounds. While some presidential portraits are more famous