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 - White House history

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 squareon the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre LEnfant, 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 "Presidents 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. Trumans 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`s 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 Lincolns presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Clevelands 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 - Design and art 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 squareon the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre LEnfant, 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 "Presidents 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 Presidents private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.

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).[5] Several other Georgian era Irish country houses have been suggested as sources of inspiration for the overall floor plan, details like the bowfronted 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 Chteau 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 18121817, 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 cole Spciale d'Architecture (Bordeaux Architectural College) in 1789 viewed Salat's drawings,[6] 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.

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 Halls

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 husbands 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 Jacksons 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 semiindustrial 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 dcor. 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 Capitals 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. Kennedys 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 Staffs 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 Presidents 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 rooms 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 rewired 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 Roosevelts 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.

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. Stuarts portrait is full of details that symbolize Washingtons 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 nations 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 Presidents 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 Americas 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

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.

FIRST LADIES

First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting President. However, several women who were not Presidents' wives have served as First Lady, as when the President was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the President was unable to fulfill the duties of the First Lady herself. In these cases, the position has been filled by a female relative or friend of the President. The current first lady is Michelle Obama. At present, there are six living former first ladies: Betty Ford, widow of Gerald Ford; Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter; Nancy Reagan, widow of Ronald Reagan; Barbara Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush; Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Secretary of State and wife of Bill Clinton; and Laura Bush, wife of George W. Bush.

Origins of the title

The use of the title first lady to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive began in the United States. In the early days of the republic, there was no generally accepted title for the wife of the President. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady", "Mrs. President", and "Mrs. Presidentress," Martha Washington was often referred to as "Lady Washington." According to legend, Dolley Madison was referred to as "first lady" in 1849 at her funeral in a eulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor. However, no written record of this eulogy exists.

Role of the First Lady

"First Lady" is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and receives no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with, or in place of, the President. There is a strong tradition against the First Lady holding outside employment while occupying the office.[2] The first lady frequently participates in humanitarian and charitable work; over the course of the 20th century it became increasingly common for first ladies to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the first lady to hire a staff to support these activities. Additionally, many have taken an active role in campaigning for the President with whom they are associated. Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of Bill Clinton took the role one large step further when she was, for a time given a formal job in the Clinton administration to develop reforms to the health care system. She continued to lead policy proposals on various domestic issues, travel abroad as a representative of the State Department, and advise the President while keeping West Wing offices for herself and her staff. She became a United States Senator from New York in 2000 and is the only spouse of a President to be elected to the United States Congress to date. She was also a leading contender in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. She is currently the Secretary of State in the Obama Administration, being the first former First Lady ever to be in a President's cabinet.

Chapter IV Surprising facts about 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 Chteau 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 THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY

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. Barack Obama is the president who live in The White House today. He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7.