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In 1816, a group of white elites formed the American Colonization Society with the intent to send free African Americans to live in Africa. In 1821, the ACS purchased a piece of land in West Africa and created the colony of Montserado, later known as Liberia. 
The capital in the colony was later named Monrovia in honor of President James Monroe, a strong supporter of the ACS. Two other presidents that relied on enslaved labor at the White House also supported the organization.
President Thomas Jefferson became an early supporter of the movement and President James Madison was elected the third president of the ACS in 1833, serving until his death in 1836.
In 1871, a free Black man named James Wormley opened up the Wormley Hotel just blocks away from the White House at 15th St and H St NW.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Donet D. Graves, Esq.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Donet D. Graves, Esq.
It quickly became one of the preeminent private hotels in Washington, D.C., and the establishment of choice for foreign dignitaries, politicians, businessmen, and the wealthy.
In today’s article from our Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood research initiative #SPNInitiative, explore how the Wormley Hotel, a refined and prominent Black-owned establishment, initially rose to success: whitehousehistory.org/an-early-black…
President Abraham Lincoln notably included free Black laborers in his domestic staff during his presidency. It was noted that President Lincoln treated his Black staff with dignity, something many of them had not experienced before.
Image Credit: Library of Congress
Image Credit: Library of Congress
Beginning her service during the Buchanan administration, Cornelia Mitchell served as the first presidential cook to run the White House kitchen after emancipation in 1863. She was considered one of the best cooks in Washington.
She was responsible for the food served at many public and private events and her food was well-liked by President Lincoln. Even during the Civil War, Mitchell maintained a well-run kitchen that produced quality food.
In today’s article, explore the extraordinary life of William Costin—a free African-American activist and scholar who successfully challenged Black Codes in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia #SPNInitiative: whitehousehistory.org/william-costin…
Learn about the complicated past and the paradoxical relationship between slavery and freedom in the nation's capital with our research initiative, Slavery in the President's Neighborhood #SPNInitiative: whitehousehistory.org/spn/introducti…
Join us live on Facebook this Tuesday, 5/5, at 5:00pm et for White House History Live! Historian Lina Mann will discuss 5 previously untold stories about the role of enslaved people in White House history #SPNInitiative: facebook.com/events/4628214…
Happy #EmancipationDay! Emancipation Day festivities have been an American tradition for over 150 years. This print depicts the celebration of the abolition of slavery in April of 1866, four months after the passage of the 13th Amendment. 1/11
Image Credit: Library of Congress
Image Credit: Library of Congress
#OTD in 1862, President Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act into law. Proceeding the Emancipation Proclamation nearly nine months, the Act abolished slavery in the District and freed approximately 3,100 enslaved African Americans. 2/11
The Act also compensated former slave owners up to $300 per enslaved person and offered financial assistance of up to $100 to newly freed people to help them emigrate out of the city. 3/11
#OTD 172 years ago, seventy-seven men, women, and children attempted to make the largest recorded escape of enslaved individuals in American history. 1/11
One conspirator was a former White House worker—Paul Jennings, the enslaved valet of President Madison. In 1847, Jennings became a free man and worked as a wage laborer for Secretary of State Daniel Webster while becoming a part of Washington’s abolitionist community. 2/11
Jennings worked alongside both white and black citizens in Washington, D.C. to devise an escape plan. Daniel Drayton chartered The Pearl, from its owner, Edmund Sayers, and sailed the seventy-seven hopefuls onboard down the Potomac River—toward freedom in New Jersey. 3/11
Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the renowned English architect, St. John’s Church stands as one of Washington, D.C.’s most historic and culturally significant churches.
Image Credit: Library of Congress
Image Credit: Library of Congress
Beginning with President James Madison, every President of the United States since has attended a service at the church. Popularly nicknamed “the Church of the Presidents,” it even features a reserved pew for the Commander-in-Chief: Pew 54.
As one of the few surviving structures from the early days of Washington, the church has also witnessed how slavery impacted the nation’s capital and shaped the surrounding neighborhood.
Many people think of the White House as a symbol of democracy, but it also embodies America’s complicated past and the paradoxical relationship between slavery and freedom in the nation’s capital.
The Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood research initiative tells the stories of the enslaved and free African Americans who built, lived, and worked at the White House, as well as the surrounding homes on Lafayette Park.
#SPNInitiative
Image Credit: New York Public Library
#SPNInitiative
Image Credit: New York Public Library
We are excited to announce the official launch of our #SPNInitiative’s new webpage: whitehousehistory.org/spn/introducti…
