Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The White House for Kids: A History of a Home, Office, and National Symbol, with 21 Activities
    The White House for Kids: A History of a Home, Office, and National Symbol, with 21 Activities
    The White House for Kids: A History of a Home, Office, and National Symbol, with 21 Activities
    Ebook310 pages1 hour

    The White House for Kids: A History of a Home, Office, and National Symbol, with 21 Activities

    By Katherine L. House

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    An intriguing, in-depth look at the most famous home in the United States, this kid-friendly activity book educates young readers on the White House. Blending facts from numerous primary sources with engaging anecdotes—from learning that George Washington never actually slept in the White House and Abraham Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom to how Gerald Ford's daughter Susan held her high school prom in the White House—this book provides the complete story of the presidents’ home. Details on the many changes, updates, renovations, and redecorations that have occurred over the years are featured as well as a look at the daily lives of the White House’s inhabitants, including past presidents and their families along with the enormous staff that makes the White House run smoothly. This rich history is packed with an assortment of cross-curricular activities that allow readers to walk in the footsteps of presidents—they can play key passages of “Hail to the Chief,” practice signing a bill into law, make a White House punch, and re-create an aerobic game designed for President Hoover—making it a perfect book for any young mind with an interest in the White House or American history.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChicago Review Press
    Release dateFeb 1, 2014
    ISBN9781613744642
    The White House for Kids: A History of a Home, Office, and National Symbol, with 21 Activities

    Related to The White House for Kids

    Titles in the series (64)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Children's Historical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      ‘James Monroe’ Is An Unclouded Look At A Complicated Legacy

      Nov 10, 2020

      Biographers find themselves reckoning with the Founding Fathers’ complicity in slavery – and James Monroe is no exception.

      2 min read

    • Article

      7 Things You (probably) Didn’t Know About The White House

      Nov 23, 2023

      Construction on the White House began in 1792 on a site in Washington DC selected by the first US president, George Washington. Over the next eight years, a mix of free African-American and white wage labourers, enslaved workers and skilled craftsmen

      5 min read

    • Article

      Defining Grant’s Legacy

      Jun 1, 2021

      Defining Grant’s Legacy
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Queen of Clubs

      Dec 4, 2021

      The Queen of Clubs
      2 min read

    • Article

      1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

      Jul 1, 2022

      1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
      2 min read

    • Article

      Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, Reckons With Its History Of Slavery

      Jun 8, 2021

      Arlington House has reopened after a 3-year renovation. It seeks to memorialize Robert E. Lee and acknowledge his role in the Confederacy while also telling the story of those enslaved there.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bluegrass Journey

      Dec 12, 2023

      Bluegrass Journey
      3 min read

    • Article

      Washington Danced Here

      Jan 22, 2019

      Washington Danced Here
      3 min read

    • Article

      West Words

      Sep 29, 2020

      ‘The greater portion of the laborers employed by us are Chinese, who constitute a large element in the population of California. Without them it would be impossible to complete the western portion of this great national enterprise within the time req

      3 min read

    • Article

      Losing The Lost Cause

      Jun 29, 2021

      Losing The Lost Cause
      4 min read

    • Article

      Treasures Of The Villa

      Sep 7, 2021

      Treasures Of The Villa
      13 min read

    • Article

      Queens And Kings Of The Hill

      Jul 24, 2018

      Queens And Kings Of The Hill
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The White House for Kids

    5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The White House for Kids - Katherine L. House

      INTRODUCTION

      SIXTEEN HUNDRED PENNSYLVANIA Avenue. It’s the most famous address in the United States. Even if you don’t know your best friend’s house number, chances are you know the address for the White House. After all, it’s the most famous house in the country—the place where its most well-known citizen lives and works. Inside its walls, first families have experienced lifes’s ups and downs, joys and sorrows.

      Though it has a simple name, the White House has become much more than a house or an office. It’s a widely recognized symbol of the United States—and a symbol of freedom and democracy. It’s a place where Americans come to protest government policies and to rejoice following the end of a war. It’s been the setting for some of the most pivotal moments in American history—both happy ones and sad ones. Today its artifacts and antiques constitute an important museum, a tribute to our country’s heritage.

      The White House for Kids tells the story not only of the building but also of the people who have lived and worked there. You will learn about the demands of being president, as well as the benefits. You will find out what first kids have liked about being a president’s child—and why it’s not so easy. Discover the challenges of working in the White House, from the point of view of paid workers such as butlers and chefs to that of America’s busiest volunteer, the first lady. Find out how various presidents have entertained—and why it’s a significant part of their job.

      Activities in each chapter offer a glimpse into the lives, duties, and passions of the people who have lived and worked in the president’s house. You can learn about the building’s past by building a model of it or look into the future by envisioning a modern presidential complex. You can get a taste for entertaining by making White House fruit punch or cooking a first daughter’s favorite chocolate chip cookies.

      Ever wonder why the president uses so many pens to sign his name? Find out—and try creating your signature in the same manner. Follow in the footsteps of a presidential photographer by honing your photography skills, or prepare for a party by crafting elegant paper flowers. To take a more active part in presidential history, learn to play Hooverball or be like Ike by building a golf putting green.

      Whether or not you aspire to be a future president or first spouse, make it a policy to explore the story of the White House—and the nation—through the lively anecdotes and activities within these pages.

      The South Portico and South Lawn are visible in this 2008 photo. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-04960

      During the Truman renovation, a storage shed was built on the South Grounds for construction materials. This photo was shot in March 1950. National Park Service, Abbie Rowe, Courtesy of Harry S. Truman Library

      1

      BIOGRAPHY OF A BUILDING

      LIGHTS GLOWED AT dusk from the ground floor of the White House. A small crowd gathered on the front steps, eagerly awaiting the arrival of someone important. Earlier that day, workers had planted a blossoming cherry tree. At 6:15 PM on March 27, 1952, a black limousine pulled up to the mansion’s north entrance.

      Out stepped President Harry Truman, tanned, relaxed, and trim in his three-piece suit, accompanied by his adoring wife, Bess. Cameramen waited to snap their picture. White House ushers smiled, and the longtime doorkeeper took the president’s coat. The Trumans had arrived home, but this was no ordinary homecoming. For the first time in more than three years, the president and his wife would be living in the White House.

      This 1950 photo shows work being done on the interior of the White House during major renovations. National Park Service, Abbie Rowe, Courtesy of Harry S. Truman Library

      The home they were returning to looked virtually the same from the outside. But inside, construction workers had made many changes—both visible and invisible. The goal? To keep an old, dilapidated building from falling down and to make it more modern. In fact, the aging White House had become downright dangerous.

      Ceilings sagged, a chandelier swayed under the weight of the level above it, and a piano leg fell through a floor, causing the plaster ceiling in the room below to crash to the floor. It’s a thousand wonders it didn’t fall down around our ears, Truman’s daughter, Margaret, wrote later.

      The entire project cost nearly $6 million (about $56 million in today’s money). In fact, it would have been cheaper to tear down the building and construct a new one. Harry Truman didn’t want that. By the fall of 1948, when the Trumans moved out, the White House was more than a home. It was an important symbol and historic site.

      Every president except George Washington had lived there. Many of the country’s most important decisions had taken place within its walls. Treaties and important bills had been signed there. Indian chiefs, kings, queens, and everyday people had walked through its rooms. Slain presidents had been mourned there. It had even survived the British army’s attack on Washington during the War of 1812.

      No, said the plain-talking president from Missouri, the country must figure out how to fix the White House. And that’s exactly what happened, although the job proved monumental. While the Trumans moved into a house across the street, bulldozers and construction crews moved into the White House. Workers tore out the floors and interior walls of the most famous home in the United States. They built a sturdier foundation and added a steel skeleton to the old house. They added closets, installed air conditioning, and updated the kitchen and laundry facilities.

      The president explained the work in his diary. They took the insides all out, he wrote. Dug two basements, put in steel and concrete like you’ve never seen in the Empire State Building, Pentagon or anywhere else. When the Trumans returned, the White House boasted 132 rooms, compared to 68 when they left. Amazingly, the state floor—where the president entertains world leaders—looked almost the same as it did when the White House was built.

      The Beginning

      GEORGE WASHINGTON achieved many firsts, but he never slept in the White House. He died in 1799 before the building was finished. Even so, Washington played an important role in selecting the location of the city named for him, as well as the site of the President’s House, as it was known at the time. (Before Washington, DC, became the capital, Philadelphia and New York had both had the honor.) Washington also worked closely with the city’s planners and the architect who designed the home.

      Determining what a president’s house should look like was not an easy task. After all, the idea of a president was a new one. If the house appeared too plain, the president—and the young country—might not earn respect. If it were too ornate, it would remind people of kings and queens, which would also send the wrong message. After all, the Founding Fathers had rebelled against a king in England.

      How could the young government interest the best architects in designing a home for the president? With a design contest! The winner would receive $500 (a generous sum), or a medal worth that much. George Washington urged an Irish-born architect named James Hoban to enter. The first president also provided input on the design. Hoban’s simple yet dignified plan won. City planners liked several elements of the design, including its flexibility. They knew that if necessary, it would be easy to add on to the home later.

      The cornerstone of the building was laid October 13, 1792, but construction moved slowly. Kilns were built on the site so handmade bricks could be fired. Stone was dug from a quarry several miles south of Washington and had to be sent up the Potomac River by boat. The new country was short of funds, and it was hard to attract laborers to the sparsely settled city for the project. As a result, some of the people involved in planning the new city loaned slaves to the project. The slaves, of course, weren’t paid. Instead, their masters received compensation for the slaves’ work. It also took time for skilled stonemasons to travel from Scotland. The crews chiseled intricate carvings on the outside of the building that can still be seen today.

      This sketch of the north side of the President’s House shows the building before the North Portico was built. Published in a British book in 1807, it is believed to be the earliest image of the building.

      Frontispiece of Stranger in America by Charles Janson, courtesy of Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division

      Despite many delays, workers could not ignore a big deadline set by Congress. The government needed to be located in the new city by December 1, 1800. With little time to spare, second president John Adams moved into the unfinished building on November 1. His wife, Abigail, joined him about two weeks later.

      At the time, not a single room in the President’s House was finished. The main stairwell hadn’t been built, and there were no bells for calling servants. Inside, it was damp and cold. Trees were plentiful but firewood was not. No one was available to saw and cut the logs. Residents had to go outside to use the bathroom, where workers’ shacks cluttered the grounds. The important home did not have a yard or fence.

      Without a place to hang her laundry, Abigail Adams resorted to hanging it up in the room known today as the East Room. It didn’t matter. The large audience room, as the first lady called it, was not finished enough to allow entertaining. I had much rather live in the house at Philadelphia, she wrote. At the same time, she seemed to see the potential in the building, believing it was built for ages to come. The large structure turned out to be the biggest house built in the young nation until after the Civil War.

      The Adamses didn’t have to deal with these inconveniences long—less than four months. Adams’s vice president, Thomas Jefferson, defeated him in the election of 1800 and moved into the house in March 1801. Jefferson quickly added two indoor toilets. He also had a stone wall built and began landscaping the grounds.

      One of Jefferson’s ideas influenced the look of the White House as we know it today. He designed low-lying wings with flat roofs and covered walkways supported by a row of columns that extended from the east and west sides of the house. He used the wings for offices and storage. Elements of his west wing survive and form part of the West Colonnade. Jefferson’s east wing was torn down in the 19th century but later rebuilt.

      The War of 1812

      ALL MORNING on August 24, 1814, Dolley Madison peered through a spyglass searching for her husband. The young country was at war with the British. President James Madison had left the President’s House to check on American troops in nearby Maryland. Dolley waited for him, hoping her beloved Jemmy was not in danger. He had warned her to be prepared to flee at a moment’s notice, in case the British army marched toward Washington.

      For the most part, she was ready to go. Official papers—as many as would fit—were pressed into a trunk. Other valuables of the young government had been placed in a wagon. As the afternoon wore on, she could hear distant cannons. Meanwhile, workers scurried around preparing a midafternoon meal. About 3 PM, a messenger sent by Mr. Madison arrived. Clear out! he urged. The Americans had been defeated in a nearby skirmish and were retreating.

      Two men, one of whom was a family friend of the Madisons’, dropped by the president’s home offering to help. Still, Mrs. Madison wasn’t ready to leave. Not yet. Not until she knew that a large portrait of George Washington would be safe. It was painted by American artist Gilbert Stuart and had been hanging in the President’s House since 1800. Workers, including the Madisons’ slave Paul Jennings, struggled to get the portrait off the wall. Finally, when they succeeded, Mrs. Madison agreed to depart. The two men carted off the painting for safekeeping, and it was returned to the government a few weeks later.

      The first lady fled the city and managed to meet up with her husband eventually. Although the Madisons had escaped the British, the city of Washington did not. At 7:30 that evening, British soldiers and sailors arrived in the nearly deserted capital. They had one mission: to destroy the city. Earlier in the war, American forces had burned the city of York, which was the capital of Upper Canada, part of the British Empire. Now it was payback time.

      First Lady Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-68175

      Activity

      WHY IS THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE WHITE?

      MANY AMERICANS have learned that the White House got its name after the War of 1812. A legend says the president’s home was painted white to cover up burn marks. But like many legends, this one isn’t true. The walls were already covered by whitewash when the building was under construction. Why?

      The sandstone was porous, meaning it absorbed water. In the winter, this was especially problematic. The water absorbed by the stone would freeze and

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1