The Presidential Geeks! President William Harrison! & President John Tyler!

President Harrison

President William Henry Harrison

 A native of Virginia, was born into a family that owned slaves back in 1773. His father, Benjamin Harrison V, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. During his teenage years, Harrison briefly attended an academy in Southampton County where he became involved with the antislavery Quakers and Methodists. This did not sit well with his pro-slavery father, who then had him transferred to Philadelphia to study medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush. However, Harrison did not find an interest in medicine and did not complete his training due to his father's passing shortly after he arrived in Philadelphia in 1791, leaving him without funds for further education.

Following the death of his father, 18-year-old Harrison joined the US Army as an ensign. Two years later, in 1793, his mother passed away, and Harrison inherited a portion of the family's estate, including approximately 3,000 acres of land and several slaves.

In 1801, Harrison relocated to the Indiana Territory

 Where he was appointed as Governor. In 1803, he advocated for the repeal of Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance in Congress, which would permit slavery in the territory. Harrison argued that this change was necessary to attract settlers and contribute to the territory's economic viability. He successfully persuaded Congress to suspend the article for 10 years, granting the territories covered by the ordinance the right to decide on slavery themselves. However, Harrison faced opposition when he attempted to fully legalize slavery in 1805 and 1807, causing controversy in the territory. In 1809, as the abolitionist party gained power through popular elections, they thwarted Harrison's plans for slavery and nullified the indenturing laws he had previously enacted. Despite President Thomas Jefferson being a slaveholder, he did not support the expansion of slavery into the Northwest Territory. Anti-slavery churches in Indiana rallied citizens to sign petitions and organize politically to defeat Harrison's efforts.

In 1836, Harrison became the Northern Whig! Northern Whig?

 Candidate for president, marking the first intentional nomination of multiple candidates by a major political party in American history. He campaigned in all the free states, except Massachusetts, as well as the slave states of Delaware, Maryland, and Kentucky. The strategy aimed to prevent Van Buren from securing a majority in the electoral college, but it ultimately failed. When Harrison ran as the Whig candidate again in 1840, he faced off against incumbent President Van Buren. He centered his campaign on his heroic military record and the struggling U.S. economy resulting from the Panic of 1837. Despite his origins in a slaveholding Virginia family, he presented himself as a humble frontiersman,

 reminiscent of the popular Andrew Jackson.

Harrison won the presidential election but tragically served only 31 days in office, making it the shortest presidency in U.S. history, before his untimely death. During his brief tenure, Harrison was unable to implement any policies regarding slavery or civil rights. Based on his record as Governor of Indiana, slave-holding states likely perceived him as a kindred spirit and advocate for their cause. He was the 9th President!

President John Tyler

President Tyler

For the first time in our nation's history!

 The Vice-President of the United States, through a constitutional provision, assumed the Presidency. As I take my oath as President of this Confederacy, I humbly pray to the all-wise and all-powerful Creator who made me, to guide me in fulfilling the principles of the Constitution that I have sworn to protect, preserve, and defend.

Following the funeral of President Harrison, President Tyler and his family moved into the Executive Mansion. While little documentation exist regarding the household staff, fragments of evidence suggest that both free and enslaved African Americans served at the Tyler White House.

In the book "The Underground Rail Road" by abolitionist William Still!

Slavery 

The experiences of African Americans who escaped slavery and sought freedom were recounted. One of these stories includes James Hambleton Christain, who claimed to be the half-brother of First Lady Letitia Christian Tyler and was born into slavery on Robert Christian's plantation.

Newspaper reports from that time also allude to the presence of enslaved individuals working at the White House. Just days before the Princeton explosion, an investigation was initiated into an alleged robbery at the President's House. The Daily National Intelligencer reported that a woman named Mary Murphy, described as a "colored woman," was charged with stealing silver tableware belonging to the United States. Additionally, it was mentioned that "a colored servant belonging to the President is also implicated in this theft."

According to the 1844 D.C. Criminal Court records, George Avery and Susan Goodyear faced initial charges of larceny, which were later reduced to receiving stolen goods. John Tyler, Jr. attended their court appearances, likely as a witness on behalf of his father. One newspaper article reported that Susan Goodyear was acquitted, while George Avery, who had testimonials vouching for his character, was also acquitted. Interestingly, James Hoban, Jr., the son of the architect who constructed the President's House, served as Avery's public defender.

Despite President Tyler's call for a "lofty patriotism¨

 Unity against factionalism, he soon found himself in conflict with Cabinet members and leaders in the Whig Party. The president's veto of legislation aimed at reviving the Second Bank of the United States triggered strong reactions from politicians and citizens alike. In the middle of the night, an angry mob converged on the White House, loudly banging on drums and kettles while hurling obscenities towards Tyler. They even burned an effigy of him, chanting "down with Tyler," "hurrah for Clay," and demanding the establishment of a bank.

Tyler's dissent from the Whig Party resulted in his expulsion, with most of his Cabinet resigning in response to the controversy. The situation escalated further on July 22, 1842, when Virginia Representative John Minor Botts presented a petition calling for Tyler's resignation. In the event of his refusal, the petition prayed for his impeachment based on his alleged ignorance of the nation's interests and his perceived lack of qualification for the presidential office. Although unsuccessful, this marked the first instance of Congress attempting to impeach a president in American history.

His passing also ushered in a new era of uncertainty for the enslaved individuals bound by the Tyler family. In 1864, Union soldiers descended upon Sherwood Forest, presenting the enslaved community with an opportunity to break free. Alongside their departure, the troops wreaked havoc on the property, pillaging the house and confiscating or destroying Tyler's documents. Consequently, our understanding of those who were enslaved by the Tyler family remains limited - yet we remain hopeful that further research will shed light on their experiences. 

President John Tyler drew his final breath on January 18, 1862..

 

If you want to known about the President Harrison & President Tyler wifes please read👎 

https://history-by-marie.blogspot.com/2023/08/its-new-era-in-history-there-are-no.html

https://history-by-marie.blogspot.com/2023/08/letitia-tyler-she-took-place-of-anna.html

https://history-by-marie.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-secret-engagement-number-3.html

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Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood!

President James Madison

President James Madison inherited over 100 slaves and Montpelier estate when his father died in 1801. As Madison moved to Washington, D.C. to become secretary of state, he relied on the labor of these enslaved individuals to run his household, as was common among the elite families of the time.  

The Madisons brought enslaved people from Montpelier and hired additional labor from D.C. slave owners, paying them directly. In one instance, Madison entered into an agreement with Benjamin Orr that Plato, a slave, would serve Madison under his direction for five years. While five years was an uncommonly long term of hire, such arrangements were quite common. The flexibility of hiring out enslaved workers was particularly important in urban areas with changing labor demands like D.C. Madison, like many of his contemporaries, continued to use this system throughout his lifetime.

Elizabeth Dowling Taylor

Elizabeth Dowling Taylor described James Madison as a "garden-variety slaveholder," adhering to Virginia's social norms for the treatment of his enslaved household. These norms involved long hours of labor that extended from dawn to dusk, six days per week, with just one day off on Sunday. Though Madison maintained control over his enslaved people, he did not engage in excessive cruelty that might have drawn the disapproval of his peers. Like many others of his time, Madison was anxious about the possibility of slave revolts. A Richmond uprising in 1800 led to after-effects of a mass slave uprising and the British's willingness to take in fugitives during the War of 1812, only heightened these fears. Nevertheless, Madison generally accepted slavery as a way of life. Unlike his wife's father, a Quaker who released his enslaved people after the Revolution, Mrs. Madison did not seem to share her father's belief in the immorality of slavery.

A Letter to Edward Coles

A letter to his friend and former secretary Edward Coles offers some insight on Madison’s attitudes toward slavery. Coles had been a slave owner himself, but after leaving Madison’s employ he moved to Illinois, freed his enslaved people, and bought enough land to give each freed family a farm. Madison praised this effort as “a fair experiment for their happiness,” but wrote that unless Coles could change “their colour as well as their legal condition,” the freedmen would lack the “moral rank” and “social blessings” to truly take advantage of their newfound freedom.  Coles later confided to his sister that he believed Madison would similarly free his own enslaved workforce when he died, as President George Washington had done.  He, however, was mistaken. Madison specified in his will that “none of [the enslaved people] should be sold without his or her consent,” to keep the families together, but he left them to his wife instead of freeing them. A letter to his friend and former secretary Edward Coles offers some insight on Madison’s attitudes toward slavery. Coles had been a slave owner himself, but after leaving Madison’s employ he moved to Illinois, freed his enslaved people, and bought enough land to give each freed family a farm. Madison praised this effort as “a fair experiment for their happiness,” but wrote that unless Coles could change “their colour as well as their legal condition,” the freedmen would lack the “moral rank” and “social blessings” to truly take advantage of their newfound freedom.  Coles later confided to his sister that he believed Madison would similarly free his own enslaved workforce when he died, as President George Washington had done.  He, however, was mistaken. Madison specified in his will that “none of [the enslaved people] should be sold without his or her consent,” to keep the families together, but he left them to his wife instead of freeing them.  His instruction not to sell enslaved people without consent was not legally binding, and Dolley Madison would go on to sell most of those enslaved people to alleviate her financial troubles later in life.

Thomas Freeman

During his presidency, most of the enslaved individuals at Montpelier remained there while President Madison brought some to the White House as household staff. One of the enslaved men already serving at the White House when the Madisons arrived was Freeman who primarily worked as a dining room servant. He had been hired and later purchased by Thomas Jefferson during his presidency. Following the end of Jefferson’s second term, Freeman resisted returning to Virginia as it would have meant leaving his family behind. Consequently, Jefferson agreed to sell Freeman to the incoming President, James Madison, which allowed him to stay. Freeman was released in 1815 according to the terms of his original sale contract. He went on to purchase a home, raise eight children, and become an essential figure in D.C.’s free black community. 

Joseph Bolden

Joseph Bolden, an enslaved man, like John Freeman, was brought to the White House in bondage. However, he left as a free man. Bolden was responsible for caring for the Madison family's horses and carriages. According to Mary Cutts, a niece of Dolley Madison, who lived with the family at the time, Bolden managed to free himself "with his own wages." Although details of his wages were not provided, it is assumed that either the Madisons paid him a stipend or Bolden worked for other families while he was free. Despite gaining his freedom, Bolden's wife, Milley, remained a slave. She was owned by Francis Scott Key, who would later compose what would become the national anthem. In 1810, Key wrote to Dolley Madison, expressing his servant's desire to buy his wife's freedom. Mrs. Madison agreed to lend the couple $200 to buy Milley and her child's freedom, provided that they worked for the Madisons to repay the debt. A deal was struck, and Joseph and Milley Bolden continued to work as hired servants at the White House for the rest of Madison's presidency.

Paul Jennings

One of the most well-documented members of President Madison's enslaved household was Paul Jennings who, at ten-years-old, became a footman at the White House. In D.C., Jennings was introduced to a significant free black community for the first time, and was witness to momentous events like the burning of the White House and Capitol Building by the British in 1814. When Madison's term ended, Jennings returned to Montpelier as Madison's valet, and married Fanny, an enslaved woman who lived nearby. Despite their separation due to slavery, they raised a family together. When James Madison passed away, Dolley Madison brought Jennings back to Washington, where his knowledge and connections within the free black community were useful in securing his freedom with the assistance of Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster in 1847. Jennings went on to write A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison, the first memoir of its kind about life inside the White House.

 Paul Jennings worked in proximity with the Madisons for decades, as he recounted in his memoir. He had even shaved Mr. Madison every other day for sixteen years until his death. Though the family valued his service, they exploited his labor, with Coles lamenting President Madison's failure to free Jennings upon his death. In an attempt to escape to New York, Jennings had forged freedom papers for enslaved people and perhaps even helped orchestrate the escape of nearly eighty others on the Pearl schooner. 

Sukey

During her time at the White House, Sukey (possibly short for Susan) was Dolley Madison's lady's maid. Much like her peer, Paul Jennings, Sukey was a teenager at the time of her employment. She was responsible for assisting Mrs. Madison in various everyday activities, from dressing to bathing to hairstyling. Despite this, Mrs. Madison's letters indicated a growing tension between her and Sukey, fueled by a combination of personal clashes, dependence, and allegations of theft. In an 1818 letter to her sister, Anna Payne Cutts, Mrs. Madison noted that Sukey "has made so many depredations on everything, in every part of the house that I sent her to Black Meadow last week but find it terribly inconvenient to do without her, & suppose I shall take her again." Even though Mrs. Madison believed that Sukey was stealing from her, she realized that she was heavily dependent on Sukey's labor and couldn't function without it. "I must even let her steal from me, to keep from labor myself," she told her sister.

Sukey spent her teenage years in the White House before returning to Montpelier with the Madisons, where she raised five children. In the aftermath of James Madison’s death, Sukey returned to Washington D.C with Dolley Madison. Unfortunately, the financial difficulties faced by the former First Lady began to take their toll on Sukey's family. In 1843, Madison sold Sukey's eighteen-year-old son Ben and sent him to Georgia. The rest of Sukey's children were either sold or died by 1848, except for her youngest daughter Ellen, who was just fifteen at the time. However, Ellen was soon to suffer the same fate as her siblings when Dolley Madison threatened to sell her as well. In a desperate attempt to escape, Ellen found a willing accomplice in the form of Paul Jennings, and they attempted to flee on the Pearl. Despite their efforts, Ellen was eventually captured along with the other fugitives. However, her freedom was eventually secured thanks to the tireless efforts of abolitionists who raised the funds to buy her freedom and find her work in Boston.

Ben

Ben, who had spent five years in Georgia, wrote a heartfelt letter to Dolley Madison pleading with her to purchase him back or sell him to another buyer in Virginia so that he could return home. Despite promising to be a loyal and devoted servant, his letter went unanswered. Unbeknownst to Ben, his family had already been sold; making a reunion impossible. However, Ben eventually returned to Washington after the Civil War and acquired a job as a tour guide at the U.S. Capitol. He would often regale visitors with tales about the Madisons. He later purchased a house on L Street, only one block away from the residence of Paul Jennings.

Henry Moncure

The enslaved community at Montpelier was fractured permanently, with Henry Moncure purchasing some of the enslaved people while Dolley Madison and her son Payne Todd kept others. Many of the retained individuals were sold to different purchasers at a later stage.

I was a slave! Ellen Stuart!

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