Building the President's House with Enslaved Labor
In several ways, James Hoban’s life resembles the classic immigrant success story. Born to a modest family in County Ki...
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Matthew Costello
Matthew Costello is Vice President of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History and Senior Historian for the White House Historical Association. He received his Ph.D. and master’s in American history at Marquette University, and bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has published articles in The Journal of History and Cultures, Essays in History, and White House History Quarterly. His first book, The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President, was published by University Press of Kansas and was a finalist for the 2020 George Washington Book Prize. He is currently working on a second book that explores how Theodore and Edith Roosevelt, as well as their children, shaped the presidency and White House. Matthew also teaches a course on White House history at American University.
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A Brief History of the Presidential Seal
The Presidential Seal is synonymous with presidential authority and executive power. However, there were many different iterations, modifications, and alterations...
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Christmas with the Johnson Family
The White House celebrates many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the...
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Picketing the White House
In the second half of the nineteenth century Americans headed west to seek greater opportunities for themselves and their families....
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A Very Truman Christmas
The White House has many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the...
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The White House Chief Usher
The White House Chief Usher serves as the general manager of the Executive Mansion. In addition to administrative and fiscal...
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The Slave Quarters at Decatur House
Nestled in the heart of Washington, D.C., Lafayette Park attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. From school...
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The “Miracle on Ice”
After the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became locked in a global battle...
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A Country Evening in the East Room
President Richard Nixon and First Lady Patricia Nixon instituted many changes and improvements to the White House during their time...
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“From Indian Village to Vice Presidency”
On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice President of the United States of America. As the first woman,...
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The Chandeliers of the East Room
After ascending the staircase from the Ground Floor to the State Floor, the first room that visitors on a tour...
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The Enslaved Households of President Martin Van Buren
While many tend to think that slavery was strictly a “southern” issue, this system of racial captivity and exploitation existed acro...