The invisibles : the untold story of African American slaves in the White House
Jesse J. Holland (Author)
This book chronicles the African American presence inside the White House from its beginnings in 1782 until 1862. Holland examines the relationships between slaves and the presidents they served, concentrating on the slaves who served George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk. Includes William Lee, who worked for George Washington as "body servant," and Oney Judge, born at Mount Vernon, who was Martha Washington's favorite. During these years, slaves were the only African Americans to whom the most powerful men in the United States were exposed on a daily, and familiar, basis. By reading about these often-intimate relationships, readers will better understand some of the views that various presidents held about class and race in American society, and how these slaves contributed not only to the life and comforts of the presidents they served, but to America as a whole
Print Book, English, 2016
Lyons Press, An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, Guilford, Connecticut, 2016