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White House History with Margaret Brennan: The President Abroad

The White House Historical Association's 2024 series White House History with Margaret Brennan will feature several conversations dealing with various topics about diplomacy and the White House. The second event will take place on June 26, 2024, and will explore “The President Abroad." The panel will converse about presidential travel, how government agencies and departments work to coordinate and plan diplomatic events, and th

Secret City

Author James Kirchick joins the program to discuss his New York Times Bestseller, Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. Utilizing thousands of pages of declassified documents, interviews with over one hundred people, and material unearthed from presidential libraries and archives, Kirchick illuminates how homosexuality shaped each successive presidential administration through the end of the twentieth century against the

Spectacle of Grief

Dr. Sarah J. Purcell joins us to discuss her book Spectacle of Grief: Public Funerals and Memory in the Civil War Era which examines how funerals of major figures from that era allowed a diverse set of people to contribute to changing American national identities. Purcell will also discuss how mourning rituals for figures like Col. Elmer Ellsworth, whose White

Passover Celebrations at the White House

More than 70% of Jewish Americans take part in the Passover Seder, making Passover the most celebrated of Jewish holidays. Since 2009, the White House has joined in celebrating Passover in various ways. Rubenstein Center Research Fellow Dr. Phillip Lieberman will discuss this tradition, as well as the ebb and flow of presidential participation in the Jewish Feast of Freedom.

Protest at the White House

There is a rich history of protests and demonstrations at the White House and Lafayette Park, from the suffragists' silent pickets to a peace vigil that has spanned across decades. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our education resource about protest at the White House, click here. For more information about this

First Ladies

The role of the First Lady of the United States has changed over the years. These women have shaped the White House as well as the nation. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. To learn more about the evolving roles of the first lady, click here. For information and short biographies about all

Presidential Transportation

U.S. Presidential transportation has evolved over time, from George Washington's horse-drawn carriage to the modern "Air Force One" and "The Beast." For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our educational resource about transportation and the White House, click here. This video was produced in partnership with UNTOLD. Untold is a project of

Building the White House

The White House stands as a symbol of freedom, but the story behind its construction reveals some important contradictions. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For more information about the design, building, and rebuilding of the White House, click here. For more information about Slavery in the President's Neighborhood research initiative, click here.