INTRODUCTION

The White House has served as the home for the president and his family since
November 1800, when President John and Abigail Adams became the mansion's first
residents. Over the years the White House has been the site of many family gatherings,
including birthday parties, holiday dinners, and even weddings and funerals.
The size of a president's family has varied, and one family made a lasting impact
on the White House grounds. President Theodore Roosevelt's six children so filled the
home with joy and laughter that he ordered the construction of a temporary building to
serve as office space for his staff. Today, that building is called the West Wing.
Only thirteen years after the house was completed, disaster struck. The War of
1812 brought invading British armies who set the house afire. James Hoban rebuilt it
according to the original design, but this time the sandstone walls were painted white.
The next major renovation began in 1824. Appointed by Thomas Jefferson,
designer and draftsman Benjamin Henry Latrobe became "Surveyor of the Public
Buildings" of the United States. He set to work completing the Capitol,the presidential
home and other buildings in Washington D.C. It was Latrobe who added the graceful
portico. This pedimented roof supported by columns transforms the Georgian home into
a neoclassical estate.
Over the decades, the presidential home underwent many more renovations. In
1835, running water and central heating were installed. Electric lights were added in
1901. Although the building was often called the "White House," the name did not
become official until 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt adopted it.
Yet another disaster struck in 1929 - A fire swept through the West Wing. Then,
after World War II, the two main floors of the building were gutted and completely
renovated. For most of his presidency, Harry Truman was not able to live in the house.
 CHAPTER I
THE HISTORY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

For more than 200 years, the White House has been more than just the home of
the Presidents and their families. Throughout the world, it is recognized as the symbol of
the President, of the President's administration, and of the United States.
The White House history began when President George Washington signed an
Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside
in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President
Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new
residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new
federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine
proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his
practical and handsome design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792.
Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in
it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first
residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in.

The White House in 1800

 The White House has a fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the
British in 1814 and another fire in the West Wing in 1929. Throughout much of Harry S.
Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was
completely gutted and renovated while the Truman family lived at Blair House, right
across Pennsylvania Avenue.

White House after it has been renovated

Presidents have expressed their individual style in decorating and receiving the
public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805.
Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply
followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. In 1829, a horde of 20,000
Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel.
After Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for
the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover
Cleveland’s first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential
review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House.
This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today.
 CHAPTER II
THE DESIGN AND ART OF THE WHITE
HOUSE

2.1. About the building:

For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency,
the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the
nation's capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in
December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not
exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with
city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was
held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and
Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome
design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792.
Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in
it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first
residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each
President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the
President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is
open to the public, free of charge.

2.2. Design influences:

The building Hoban designed is verifiably influenced by the first and second
floors of Leinster House, in Dublin, Ireland, which later became the seat of the
Oireachtas (the Irish parliament). Several other Georgian era Irish country houses have
been suggested as sources of inspiration for the overall floor plan, details like the bow-
fronted south front, and interior details like the former niches in the present Blue Room.
 These influences, though undocumented, are cited in the official White House
guide, and in White House Historical Association publications. The first official White
House guide, published in 1962, suggested a link between Hoban's design for the South
Portico, and Château de Rastignac, a neoclassical country house located in La Bachellerie
in the Dordogne region of France and designed by Mathurin Salat. The French house was
built 1812–1817, based on an earlier design. The link has been criticized because Hoban
did not visit France. Supporters of a connection posit that Thomas Jefferson while
visiting the École Spéciale d'Architecture (Bordeaux Architectural College) in 1789
viewed Salat's drawings, and on his return to the U.S. shared the influence with
Washington, Hoban, Monroe, and Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also
412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as
many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its
residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and
bowling lane.

2.3. White House Rooms:

 The Blue Room
The Blue Room is the center of the State Floor of the White House. Over the
years, the Blue Room's oval shape and breath-taking view of the South Lawn of the
White House have captivated its visitors. The Blue Room has been the customary place
for presidents to formally receive guests. Flowers are a traditional decorative feature of
the room as is a distinctive marble-top table purchased by James Monroe in 1817.
In this room on June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland became the first and
only president to be married in the White House. His bride, Frances Folsom, was not only
27 years his junior but also, at the age of 21, the youngest first lady in history.
  Entrance and Cross Hall
The Entrance Hall, as its name implies, leads guests to the White House from the
visitor's entrance into the East Wing of the building. In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson
had turned the Entrance Hall into an informal exhibition space for artifacts from the
expedition to the Western Territories by White House aide Meriwether Lewis and
Captain William Clark. Upon taking office, President Ulysses S. Grant began the
tradition, which still endures today, of hanging presidential portraits in both the Entrance
Hall and the perpendicular Cross Hall.

 The East Room

This large room flanking the East corner of the White House has served an
incredibly diverse array of uses over the past two centuries.

First Lady Abigail Adams used it as a laundry room, while her husband’s
successor, President Thomas Jefferson, divided the southern half of the still-unfinished
room into an office and bedchamber for his aide, Meriwether Lewis.
 Jefferson's successor, President James Madison, used the room as his Cabinet
Room. The East Room was not fully decorated until 1829 during President Andrew
Jackson’s administration, though it wasn't until 1902, when President Theodore
Roosevelt commissioned a restoration, that the room was restored to its appearance
before the fire of 1814.
Over the years the large, multipurpose space has been the site of weddings,
funerals, press conferences, receptions and receiving lines. Upon occasion, President
Woodrow Wilson turned the area into a movie theater, and Jacqueline Kennedy used it as
a theater for the performing arts.
The room has unfortunately served much more somber ends: The bodies of both
Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy have lain in state in the East Room.
Additionally, during the Civil War, Union troops were at one point quartered in the room.

 The Diplomatic Room

Located along the Downstairs Corridor, the Diplomatic Reception Room was the
furnace room until the 1902 White House renovation, which transformed the semi-
industrial space into a beautiful parlor. The room has since been a gathering place for
guests prior to White House events. The Diplomatic Reception Room was first used for
hosting diplomats on January 8, 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt and First
Lady Edith Roosevelt held a reception there.
  The Green Room
The Green Room, located on the first floor of the White House, serves primarily
as a state parlor and has long been a favorite of Presidents and their families due to its
intimate scale and distinctive décor. During his tenure in office, President John Quincy
Adams named it the "Green Drawing Room," though the inspiration for the name may
have come from President Jefferson's use of the space as a dining room, when he would
cover the floor with a green-colored canvas for protection.
Among the most historically significant events in our nation's history occurred
here -- the signing of our first declaration of war. President James Madison officially
declared war on the British in 1812 in the Green Room. (Two years later, British forces
would burn the Green Room -- and the rest of the White House -- to the ground.)
Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln held the funeral for his youngest son
William Wallace here in February of 1862.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy redecorated and refurbished the Green Room,
along with many other notable rooms in the White House, in 1961.
  The Red Room
The Red Room received its name in the 1840s from its vivid color scheme, made
all the more striking by its small size. While many First Families have enjoyed the room,
two first ladies in particular made special use of it:
Beginning in 1809, First Lady Dolley Madison held Wednesday Drawing Rooms
that opened the doors for socializing between members of opposite political parties
during a period of fierce partisan segregation. Her success as the Capital’s hostess
redefined the role of the First Lady and helped usher in pivotal discussions in the run-up
to the War of 1812.
Very shortly after her husband's inauguration in 1933, First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt hosted the first of many press conferences for women reporters in the Red
Room. Because women reporters were excluded from the president's press conferences,
Mrs. Roosevelt's press conferences erased a social barrier. Though originally Mrs.
Roosevelt discussed cooking and housekeeping topics, as her involvement in social issues
and her rate of travel increased, the subject matter at these press conferences turned to
discussions of domestic policies.
  Renovations
With six children, President Theodore Roosevelt was cramped when he moved
into the White House on September 27, 1901 following the death of President William
McKinley. Office and living space were mostly confined to the second floor of the White
House. For safety reasons, the floors of the State Dining Room and East Room were
reinforced with wooden planks whenever a large number of guests were expected for an
event. The new president soon realized the White House needed to be expanded and
restored, so he supervised a large-scale renovation that lasted through 1902 and brought
the iconic building into the 20th Century.
President Roosevelt ordered the construction of a temporary office building to the
west of the White House. Today, the building is known as the West Wing. The
renovation not only relocated staff offices, but it also renovated the living space of the
White House, expanded the State Dining Room, repaired the rooms on the State Floor,
remodeled the basement and transferred the visitor's entrance from the north to the east.
On Christmas Eve, 1929, a fire broke out in the West Wing. When the charred
interior was rebuilt, a new feature was added: air-conditioning. Four years later, another
president named Roosevelt made changes to his fifth cousin's "temporary office building"
-- Franklin Roosevelt expanded the West Wing and relocated the Oval Office to the
southeast corner in 1934. He also built a swimming pool, which was converted into a
Press Briefing Room during the Nixon Administration.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy redecorated almost all of the White House in order
to highlight more historically and decoratively significant pieces and create a more
tasteful and comfortable atmosphere for the First Family and staff. Her famed tour of the
newly renovated White House was broadcast on CBS in 1961 and solidified her place in
the American psyche as a public tastemaker. Her work led to the formation of a curatorial
staff, who now work to preserve and decorate the White House in collaboration with
incoming Presidents and First Ladies. The East Garden was renamed in Mrs. Kennedy’s
honor.
  The State Dining Room
When Thomas Jefferson became President in 1801, he turned the State Dining
Room into his office and used the adjacent Red Room to receive guests and meet visitors.
Several years later, President Andrew Jackson improved both the ambiance and
odor of the room when he moved the White House stables out from under its windows.
President Jackson also officially named the space the State Dining Room.
In the 1902 renovations, the State Dining Room underwent the most dramatic
transformation of any room on the State Floor of the White House. Previously, the room
had only been able to hold 40 guests for dinner. By removing a staircase, the architects
significantly expanded the State Dining Room to its current holding capacity of 140
people.

White House State Dining Room

 THE WEST WING

 The Cabinet Room
The Cabinet Room opens directly into the Oval Office and overlooks the famed
Rose Garden. It serves as both a public and private space for presidents to communicate
their priorities and receive advice and feedback from cabinet secretaries and advisors.
The centerpiece of the room is a large oval table, a gift from President Richard M. Nixon
in 1970, surrounded by leather chairs. Each chair is specifically assigned, with a small,
engraved brass placard on the back indicating the position of the person meant to sit
there. The president is seated in the center on the East side of the table.
  The Oval Office
The Oval Office serves as the president's personal office and as a location for
private meetings and conversations with aides and advisors. It's situated in the center of
the West Wing, connected to both the Cabinet Room and the Chief of Staff’s office. It is
frequently used to stage televised addresses and hold both private and public
conversations with everyone from newly appointed members of congress to NCAA
champions to visiting heads of state. Though perhaps the most iconic room in the White
House, the Oval Office was not used as the President’s personal office until after its
renovations in 1902. President Taft was the first to relocate the office to this room and is
responsible for changing its shape from rectangular to oval. Though the room’s
eponymous shape is considered its most distinctive feature, the preference for oval rooms
dates to the time of our first president, President George Washington -- other old rooms
in the White House, such as the Blue Room, are also ovular. For President Taft, the Oval
Office may have symbolized his view of the modern-day president. Taft intended to be
the center of his administration, and by creating the Oval Office in the center of the West
Wing, he was more involved with the day-to-day operation of his presidency than his
recent predecessors had been.
What President Taft could not imagine in 1909 when he built the Oval Office was
that the office itself would become a symbol of the Presidency.
 Over the years Americans developed a sentimental attachment to the Oval Office
through memorable images, such as John Kennedy, Jr. peering through the front panel of
his father's desk or President Nixon talking on the phone with astronauts after a
successful voyage. Television broadcasts, such as President Reagan's speech following
the Challenger explosion, would leave lasting impressions in the minds of Americans of
both the office and its occupant.

 The Press Room

The White House press corps gathers here to hear daily briefings from and ask
questions of the White House press secretary and other spokesmen for the executive
branch. It is centrally located within the West Wing and includes doors to the Rose
Garden that allow the members of the media quick access to outdoor events.
Originally constructed in 1933 as a therapy pool for the Polio-stricken President
Franklin Roosevelt, President Richard Nixon converted the space into the current press
briefing room in 1970. Television news had become increasingly popular, and more
space was needed to accommodate the networks' video equipment.
 The Press Briefing Room was renamed the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
on February 11, 2000 in honor of James Brady, the White House press secretary who was
shot and seriously injured following an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan
in 1981. In 2006, the press relocated to temporary space in the White House Conference
Center while the room underwent the first, full-scale renovation to replace aging utility
infrastructure, including failing and inadequate air conditioning and insufficient electrical
capacity. Renovation highlights included improved media work space with new work
stations and briefing seating. Cooler, energy efficient lighting was installed, along with
interactive media screens behind the Press Secretary's podium. The room was also re-
wired with more than 500 miles of fiber-optic cable.
The swimming pool space below the briefing room floor remained structurally
intact and was utilized to house electronics for supporting press operations.

 Roosevelt Room
The window-less Roosevelt Room occupies the original site of the president's
office, built in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt's expansion of the White
House. Seven years later, when the West Wing was expanded and the Oval Office was
built, the room became a part of two waiting rooms. When President Franklin D.
Roosevelt relocated the Oval Office from the center of the building to the southeast
corner in 1934, this room received a skylight.
The second President Roosevelt called this room the Fish Room, since he used it
to display an aquarium and his fishing mementos. President Kennedy continued the
room's nautical theme by mounting a sailfish that he caught in Acapulco, Mexico.
 President Richard Nixon named the room in 1969 to honor both Presidents
Roosevelt for their expansions and improvements to the West Wing. Traditionally, the
mantelpiece holds bronze busts of both presidents (as well as President Theodore
Roosevelt’s Nobel Peace Prize, the first awarded to an American) and their portraits hang
on opposing walls. Today the room is used as a conference room and features a
multimedia center for presentations.

2.4. WHITE HOUSE ART

Pride of the American nation, the White House collection of fine arts owes its
existence to the scores of individuals and organizations that have nurtured and supported
it. They have been diverse in outlook, taste and purpose, but their vision and generosity
have given coherence to the collection as a whole.
All the Presidents and First Ladies, including even the Washingtons, though they
never occupied the Executive Mansion, have in one way or another made significant
contributions. Portrait of President George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Gilbert Stuart's
idealized portrait of the first President (at right), cornerstone of the collection, both
inspires us and evokes calm assurance of national community.
First Ladies of recent decades deserve great credit for much of the art featured in
this collection on-line. Jacqueline Kennedy set the goal of collecting works by the
country's finest artists. Lady Bird Johnson enthusiastically continued that pursuit. Patricia
Nixon's efforts added 18 portraits to Presidents and First Ladies.
Elizabeth Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Hillary
Rodham Clinton also have taken a special interest in the history of the mansion.
 Mrs. Clinton initiated eight exhibitions of twentieth century American sculpture
during her term. Each recent First Lady has worked tirelessly to encourage contributions
of funds and gifts of art.
They, and the collection itself, have been immeasurably helped by former curators
of the White House--Lorraine Pearce, William Elder, James Ketchum, and Clement
Conger--and by the present curator, Betty Monkman, and other members of the curatorial
staff. From the care of the White House paintings to the authentication of new
acquisitions, these experts have implemented professional standards worthy of the best
museums.
Exceptional contributions of time, knowledge, and personal resources on the
collection's behalf have come from three men: the late James W. Fosburgh, an original
member of Mrs. Kennedy's Fine Arts Committee for the White House; Robert L McNeill,
Jr., a longtime member of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House; and
the late Dr. Melvin Payne, Chairman of the Board of the National Geographic Society,
which cooperated with the White House Historical Association in the publication of the
book upon which this on-line collection is based and other books about the presidential
residence. The Association, chartered in 1961, has been a major benefactor, making
possible the acquisition of dozens of works of art. Today it continues to "enhance
understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion."
Most of the early paintings in the White House were portraits of presidents and
first ladies. The most famous and important painting in the White House is the full-length
portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) in 1797. This is the
only object that has remained in the White House since 1800, when John Adams became
the first president to live there. President Washington (1789-1797) never lived in the
White House, but as our first president he led the nation through its first struggles.
Stuart’s portrait is full of details that symbolize Washington’s career and the ideas that
were important to his generation. The sheathed sword in his left hand reminds us that he
was commander of the Continental Army in the Revolution. Washington wears the black
suit of a civilian, though, not a military uniform. He gave up the army to lead as an
elected citizen, not a military dictator. Under the table there are books on the history of
the American Revolution and the Constitution and Laws of the United States.
 On August 24, 1814, as British soldiers approached the nation’s capital, First
Lady Dolley Madison insisted that this portrait of Washington be saved. Since there was
not enough time to unscrew the painting from the wall, Mrs. Madison ordered the picture
frame broken and the actual canvas was safely stored. When the British burned the White
House, most of the objects inside were destroyed. In 1817, after the President’s House
was rebuilt, the Washington portrait was displayed in the White House. It has been there
for visitors to see ever since.
When it came to decorating the White House, the Executive Mansion was
considered a home for much of the 19th century. Presidents and first ladies obtained
paintings and sculpture suited to their personal tastes, much as any homeowner would. As
the United States grew older, the residents of the White House began to consider that the
structure took on the characteristics of a museum, as well as a home. bhThe centennial of
1876 spurred a great pride in America’s past, and this fueled the creation of art that
would document the people, places and values that were the ingredients of the American
character. During the administration of Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877), the public could
come to the White House on weekdays between the hours of 10 and 3 and tour the
artworks displayed in the East Room, including the larger-than-life portrait of George
Washington by Gilbert Stuart. If one obtained a letter from a Congressman, the state
parlors would also be available for touring. Americans began to view the White House as
a place where important historical events had occurred, and they wanted to experience
those spaces.
As is logical, many of the first paintings commissioned or collected were
presidential portraits, but for the past forty years the White House has attempted to
display a wide range of works by the finest American artists. Highlighted in the Student
text are selections from the hundreds of works that make up the White House collection.
They represent portraiture, landscape and sculpture.
 CHAPTER III
THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE WHITE
HOUSE
3.1. THE PRESIDENTS

Since George Washington's election in 1789, 43 men have served as President of

the United States. They have led in times of peace and war, hardship and plenty, and
served in tenures as short as one month and as long as 12 years. Learn more about
America's Presidents.

1. GEORGE WASHINGTON 1789-1797

On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the

balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York,
took his oath of office as the first President of the
United States. "As the first of every thing, in our situation
will serve to establish a Precedent," he wrote James Madison,
"it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may
be fixed on true principles."

2. JOHN ADAMS 1797-1801

Learned and thoughtful, John Adams was

more remarkable as a political philosopher
than as a politician. "People and nations are forged
in the fires of adversity," he said, doubtless thinking
of his own as well as the American experience.
3. THOMAS JEFFERSON 1801-1809

In the thick of party conflict in 1800,

Thomas Jefferson wrote in a private letter,
"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal
hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

4. JAMES MADISON 1809-1817

At his inauguration, James Madison, a small,

wizened man, appeared old and worn;
Washington Irving described him as
"but a withered little apple-John.
" But whatever his deficiencies in charm,
Madison's buxom wife Dolley compensated
for them with her warmth and gaiety. She was the toast of Washington.

5. JAMES MONROE 1817-1825

On New Year's Day, 1825, at the last

of his annual White House receptions,
President James Monroe made a pleasing impression
upon a Virginia lady who shook his hand:
"He is tall and well formed.
His dress plain and in the old style....
His manner was quiet and dignified.
From the frank, honest expression of his eye ...
I think he well deserves the encomium passed upon
him by the great Jefferson, who said,
'Monroe was so honest that if you turned
his soul inside out there would not be a spot on it.' "
6. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 1825-1829

The first President who was the son of a President,

John Quincy Adams in many respects paralleled
the career as well as the temperament and
viewpoints of his illustrious father. Born in Braintree,
Massachusetts, in 1767, he watched the Battle of Bunker Hill
from the top of Penn's Hill above the family farm.
As secretary to his father in Europe,
he became an accomplished linguist and assiduous diarist.

7. ANDREW JACKSON 1829-1837

More nearly than any of his predecessors,

Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote;
as President he sought to act as the direct
representative of the common man.

8. MARTIN VAN BUREN 1837-1841

Martin Van Buren was

the eighth President of the United States
from 1837 to 1841. Before his presidency,
he served as the eighth Vice President (1833-1837) and
the 10th Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson.
He was a key organizer of the Democratic Party,
a dominant figure in the Second Party System.
9. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON 1841
"Give him a barrel of hard cider and
settle a pension of two thousand a year on him,
and my word for it," a Democratic newspaper
foolishly gibed, "he will sit ...
by the side of a 'sea coal' fire, and study moral philosophy.
" The Whigs, seizing on this political misstep,
in 1840 presented their candidate
William Henry Harrison as a simple
frontier Indian fighter, living in a log cabin and
drinking cider, in sharp contrast to an aristocratic champagne-sipping Van Buren.

10. JOHN TYLER 1841-1845

Dubbed "His Accidency" by his detractors,
John Tyler was the first Vice President
to be elevated to the office of President
by the death of his predecessor.

11. JAMES K. POLK 1845-1849

Often referred to as the first "dark horse" President,
James K. Polk was the last of the Jacksonians
to sit in the White House,
and the last strong President until the Civil War.

12. ZACHARY TAYLOR 1849-1850

Northerners and Southerners disputed
sharply whether the territories wrested
from Mexico should be opened to slavery,
and some Southerners even threatened secession.
Standing firm, Zachary Taylor was prepared
to hold the Union together by armed force rather than by compromise.
13. MILLARD FILLMORE 1850-1853
In his rise from a log cabin to wealth
and the White House, Millard Fillmore demonstrated
that through methodical industry and some
competence an uninspiring man could make
the American dream come true.
14. FRANKLIN PIERCE 1853-1857
Franklin Pierce became President
at a time of apparent tranquility.
The United States, by virtue
of the Compromise of 1850,
seemed to have weathered its sectional storm.
By pursuing the recommendations of southern advisers,
Pierce--a New Englander--hoped
to prevent still another outbreak of that storm.
But his policies, far from preserving calm, hastened the disruption of the Union.

15. JAMES BUCHANAN 1857-1861

Tall, stately, stiffly formal in the high stock

he wore around his jowls, James Buchanan
was the only President who never married.
Presiding over a rapidly dividing Nation,
Buchanan grasped inadequately the political
realities of the time. Relying on constitutional
doctrines to close the widening rift over slavery,
he failed to understand that the North would not
accept constitutional arguments which favored the South.
Nor could he realize how sectionalism had
realigned political parties: the Democrats split;
the Whigs were destroyed, giving rise to the Republicans.
16. ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1861-1865
Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address:
"In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen,
and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war.
The government will not assail you....
You have no oath registered in Heaven t
o destroy the government, while I shall have
the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it."

17. ANDREW JOHNSON 1865-1869

With the Assassination of Lincoln,
the Presidency fell upon an old-fashioned
southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced
states' rights views. Although an honest and honorable man,
Andrew Johnson was one of the most unfortunate of Presidents.
Arrayed against him were the Radical Republicans in Congress,
brilliantly led and ruthless in their tactics. Johnson was no match for them.

18. ULYSSES S. GRANT 1869-1877

Late in the administration of Andrew Johnson, Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant quarreled with the President and
aligned himself with the Radical Republicans.
He was, as the symbol of Union victory during
the Civil War, their logical candidate for President in 1868.

19. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES 1877-1881

Beneficiary of the most fiercely disputed election
in American history, Rutherford B. Hayes
brought to the Executive Mansion dignity,
honesty, and moderate reform.
20. JAMES GARFIELD 1881
As the last of the log cabin Presidents,
James A. Garfield attacked political corruption
and won back for the Presidency
a measure of prestige it had lost
during the Reconstruction period.

21. CHESTER ARTHUR 1881-1885

Dignified, tall, and handsome,

with clean-shaven chin and side-whiskers,
Chester A. Arthur "looked like a President."
Arthur demonstrated as President that
he was above factions within the Republican Party,
if indeed not above the party itself.
Perhaps in part his reason was the well-kept
secret he had known since a year after he succeeded
to the Presidency, that he was suffering from a fatal kidney disease.
22. & 24. GROVER CLEVELAND 1885-1889, 1893-1897

The First Democrat elected after the Civil War,

Grover Cleveland was the only President
to leave the White House and return
for a second term four years later.

23. BENJAMIN HARRISON 1889-1893

Nominated for President on the eighth ballot

at the 1888 Republican Convention,
Benjamin Harrison conducted one of the first
"front-porch" campaigns, delivering short speeches
to delegations that visited him in Indianapolis.
As he was only 5 feet, 6 inches tall,
Democrats called him "Little Ben";
Republicans replied that he was big enough
to wear the hat of his grandfather, "Old Tippecanoe."

25. WILLIAM MCKINLEY 1897-1901

At the 1896 Republican Convention,
in time of depression, the wealthy Cleveland
businessman Marcus Alonzo Hanna ensured
the nomination of his friend William McKinley as
"the advance agent of prosperity.
" The Democrats, advocating the
"free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold"
--which would have mildly inflated the currency--nominated William Jennings Bryan.

26. THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1901-1909

With the assassination of President McKinley,
Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43,
became the youngest President in the Nation's history.
He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency,
as he vigorously led Congress and the American
public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.

27. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT 1909-1913

Distinguished jurist, effective administrator,
but poor politician, William Howard Taft
spent four uncomfortable years in the White House.
Large, jovial, conscientious, he was caught in the intense
battles between Progressives and conservatives,
and got scant credit for the achievements of his administration.
28. WOODROW WILSON 1913-1921

Like Roosevelt before him, Woodrow Wilson

regarded himself as the personal representative of the people.
"No one but the President," he said, "seems to be expected ...
to look out for the general interests of the country.
" He developed a program of progressive reform and
asserted international leadership in building a new world order.
In1917 he proclaimed American entrance into
World War I a crusade to make the world "safe for democracy."

29. WARREN G. HARDING 1921-1923

Before his nomination, Warren G. Harding declared,
"America's present need is not heroics, but healing;
not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration;
not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity;
not the dramatic, but the dispassionate;
not experiment, but equipoise;
not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality...."

30. CALVIN COOLIDGE 1923-1929

At 2:30 on the morning of August 3, 1923,
while visiting in Vermont, Calvin Coolidge
received word that he was President.
By the light of a kerosene lamp, his father,
who was a notary public, administered the oath of office
as Coolidge placed his hand on the family Bible.
31. HERBERT HOOVER 1929-1933
Son of a Quaker blacksmith,
Herbert Clark Hoover brought
to the Presidency an unparalleled reputation
for public service as an
engineer, administrator, and humanitarian.
32. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 1933-1945

Assuming the Presidency at the depth

of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt
helped the American people regain faith in themselves.
He brought hope as he promised prompt,
vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address,
"the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

33. HARRY S. TRUMAN 1945-1953

During his few weeks as Vice President,
Harry S Truman scarcely saw President Roosevelt,
and received no briefing on
the development of the atomic bomb or
the unfolding difficulties with Soviet Russia.
Suddenly these and a host of other wartime problems
became Truman's to solve when, on April 12, 1945, he became President. He told
reporters, "I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me."

34. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER 1953-1961

Bringing to the Presidency his prestige
as commanding general of the victorious forces
in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower
obtained a truce in Korea and worked incessantly
during his two terms to ease the tensions of the Cold War.
He pursued the moderate policies of "Modern Republicanism,
" pointing out as he left office, "America is today the strongest,
most influential, and most productive nation in the world."
35. JOHN F. KENNEDY 1961-1963

On November 22, 1963, when he was

hardly past his first thousand days in office,
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed
by an assassin's bullets as his
motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas.
Kennedy was the youngest man elected President;
he was the youngest to die.

36. LYNDON B. JOHNSON 1963-1969

"A Great Society" for the American people and

their fellow men elsewhere was the vision of Lyndon B.
Johnson. In his first years of office he obtained
passage of one of the most extensive legislative programs
in the Nation's history. Maintaining collective security,
he carried on the rapidly growing struggle to restrain
Communist encroachment in Viet Nam.
37. RICHARD M. NIXON 1969-1974

Reconciliation was the first goal set

by President Richard M. Nixon.
The Nation was painfully divided, with turbulence
in the cities and war overseas.
During his Presidency, Nixon succeeded
in ending American fighting in Viet Nam and improving
relations with the U.S.S.R. and China.
But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions
to the country and ultimately led to his resignation.
38. GERALD R. FORD 1974-1977
When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9,
1974, he declared, "I assume the Presidency under
extraordinary circumstances....
This is an hour of history that troubles
our minds and hurts our hearts."

39. JIMMY CARTER 1977-1981

Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government

"competent and compassionate,
" responsive to the American people and their expectations.
His achievements were notable,
but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation,
and continuing tensions, it was impossible
for his administration to meet these high expectations.

40. RONALD REAGAN 1981-1989

At the end of his two terms in office,
Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction
the achievements of his innovative program known
as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate
the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government.
He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore
"the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism."
41. GEORGE H.W. BUSH 1989-1993
George Bush brought to the White House a dedication to
traditional American values and a determination to direct them
toward making the United States "a kinder and gentler nation."
In his Inaugural Address he pledged in "
a moment rich with promise"
to use American strength as "a force for good."
42. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 1993-2001
During the administration of William Jefferson Clinton,
the U.S. enjoyed more peace and economic well being
than at any time in its history. He was the first Democratic
president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term.
He could point to the lowest unemployment rate in modern times,
the lowest inflation in 30 years, the highest home ownership
in the country's history, dropping crime rates in many places,
and reduced welfare rolls. He proposed the first balanced budget in decades and achieved
a budget surplus. As part of a plan to celebrate the millennium in 2000, Clinton called for
a great national initiative to end racial discrimination.

43. GEORGE W. BUSH 2001-2009

George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States,
was sworn into office on January 20, 2001,
re-elected on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term
on January 20, 2005. Prior to his Presidency, President Bush
served for 6 years as the 46th Governor of the State of Texas,
where he earned a reputation for bipartisanship and as a compassionate
conservative who shaped public policy based on the principles of limited government,
personal responsibility, strong families, and local control.

44.PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

His story is the American story —
values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing
in a strong family, hard work and education as
the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that
a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.
 CHAPTER IV
SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT THE WHITE
HOUSE

The White House is recognized around the world as the home of America's
president and a symbol of the American people. But, like the nation it represents, the
White House is filled with unexpected surprises.

 The White House Has a Twin in Ireland

The White House was designed by James Hoban, who was born in Ireland and
had studied in Dublin. Historians believe that James Hoban based his plan on the Leinster
House, the Georgian style home of the Dukes of Leinster in Ireland. Leinster House is
now the seat of the Irish Parliament.

 The White House Has Another Twin - in France

The White House has been remodeled many times. During the early 1800s,
President Thomas Jefferson worked with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe on several
additions. In 1824, architect James Hoban added porticos based on plans that Latrobe had
drafted. The elliptical south portico appears to mirror the Château de Rastignac, an
elegant French house constructed in 1817.

 Slaves Helped Build the White House

The land that became Washington, DC was acquired from Virginia and Maryland,
where slavery was practiced. Historic payroll reports document that many of the workers
hired to build the White House were African Americans - some free and some slave.
Working alongside white labors, the African Americans cut sandstone at the quarry in
Aquia, Virginia. They also dug the footings for the White House, built the foundations,
and fired bricks for the interior walls.
  The White House Was Also Built by Europeans
The White House could not have been completed without European artisans and
immigrant laborers. Scottish stoneworkers raised the sandstone walls. Craftsmen from
Scotland also carved the rose and garland ornaments above the north entrance and the
scalloped patterns beneath the window pediments. Irish and Italian immigrants did brick
and plaster work. Later, Italian artisans carved the decorative stonework on the White
House porticoes.

 George Washington Never Lived in the White House

President George Washington selected James Hoban's plan, but he felt that it was
too small and simple for a president. Under Washington's supervision, Hoban's plan was
expanded and the White House was given a grand reception room, elegant pilasters,
window hoods, and stone swags of oak leaves and flowers. However, George
Washington never lived in the White House. In 1800, when the White House was almost
finished, America's second president, John Adams moved in. Adam's wife Abigail
complained about the unfinished state of the presidential home.

 The White House Was the Largest House in America

When architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant drafted the original plans for Washington,
DC, he called for an elaborate and enormous presidential palace. L'Enfant's vision was
discarded and architects James Hoban and Benjamin Henry Latrobe designed a much
smaller home. Still, the White House was grand for its time. Larger homes weren't
constructed until after the Civil War and the rise of Gilded Age mansions.

 Franklin Roosevelt Made the White House Accessible

The original builders of the White House didn't consider the possibility of a
handicapped president. The White House didn't become wheelchair accessible until
Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in 1933. President Roosevelt suffered paralysis
due to polio, so the White House was remodeled to accommodate his wheelchair.
Franklin Roosevelt also added a heated indoor swimming pool to help with his therapy.
  The White House Has Been Called Many Names
The White House has been called many names. Dolley Madison, wife of President
James Madison, called it the "President's Castle." The White House was also called the
"President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." The name
"White House" didn't become official until 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt
officially adopted it.

 The White House Wasn't Always White

The White House is constructed of gray-colored sandstone from a quarry in
Aquia, Virginia. The sandstone walls weren't painted white until the White House was
reconstructed after the British fires. It takes some 570 gallons of white paint to cover the
entire White House. The first covering used was made from rice glue, casein, and lead.
 CONCLUSION

Today, the home of America's president has six floors, seven staircases, 132
rooms, 32 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, 147 windows, 412 doors and 3 elevators.
Despite two hundred years of disaster, discord and remodelings, the original
design of the immigrant Irish builder, James Hoban, remains intact. The sandstone
exterior walls are original.
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is the 45th and current president of the
United States. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality.

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the
United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.and
has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. The term
"White House" is often used as a metonym for the president and his advisers.

The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the

neoclassical style. Hoban modelled the building on Leinster House in Dublin, a building
which today houses the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature. Construction took place between
1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. When Thomas
Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe)
added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage.
 In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army
in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior.
Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the
partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction
continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824 and the North
portico in 1829.

Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore

Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.
Eight years later in 1909, President William Howard Taftnexpanded the West Wing and
created the first Oval Office, which was eventually moved as the section was expanded.
In the main mansion, the third-floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by
augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing
was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades connected the new
wings. East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space.
By 1948, the residence's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found
to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely
dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once
this work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt.

The modern-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, West
Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building—the former State
Department, which now houses offices for the president's staff and the vice president—
and Blair House, a guest residence. The Executive Residence is made up of six stories—
the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story
basement. The property is a National Heritage Site owned by the National Park Service
and is part of the President's Park. In 2007, it was ranked second on the American
Institute of Architects list of "America's Favorite Architecture".
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 "Inside the White House: History". WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved January 21,2017.

 Michael W. Fazio and Patrick A. Snadon (2006). The Domestic Architecture of
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 364–366.
 Brandus, Paul (2015). "Nov. 1, 1800: The White House Welcomes Its First
President—John Adams".Under This Roof: A History of the White House and
Presidency. Lyon Press. Archived from the on November 23, 2016. Retrieved
March 4, 2017– via West Wing Reports.
 "John Adams". WhiteHouse.gov.
 William Seale, "James Hoban: Builder of the White House" in White House
History no. 22 (Spring 2008), pp. 8–12.
 "Primary Document Activities". White House Historical Association.
 "The White House". National Park Service. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
 "African Americans in the White House Timeline". White House Historical
Association. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
 "Overview of the White House". White House Museum. Retrieved November 9,
2007.
 Seale, William (1986). The President's House, A History. Volume I. White House
Historical Association. pp.1
 Seale, William (1992).The White House, The History of an American Idea. The
American Institute of Architects Press. pp.35.