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Because you get to not only debunked these things, but you get to try to figure out where they really started and why people grew so attached to them, because that also tells you a little bit more about how people understand the passed and how they use it or misuse it. So, remember earlier in the semester, we talked about the Jackson Magnolia. In fact, i think a number of you went into detail about the Jackson Magnolia. Alex, was it you who wrote about the Jackson Magnolia . Okay. You already know all this. For everybody else, think back to when john pisko visited the class and we talked about the story behind the Jackson Magnolia. Who remembers the story . Not alex, because he wrote a whole paper on it. But anybody else . Andrew jacksons wife died right before he went to office so he planted the tree because it was your favorite tree. And he brought the seeds from the hermitage in tennessee, and do you remember what jonathan told us . He said that there really isnt any type of contemporary evidence. Andrew jackson never mentions planting a tree. There is nothing in the newspapers. So it seems like this is a story that has of course, these romantic origins, and it is has continued to grow from that ever since. So this is actually the first known exterior photograph of the white house. It was taken by a welsh born photographer named john plume jr. In january 1846. So if you are looking at the white house, this is 1846. In theory, Jackson Plant in history already. Right . I do not see a magnolia anywhere. This also bolsters the case that perhaps the magnolia came a little bit later than people think. Here is an outdoor shot. This one is by lewis walter from 1857 to 1858. You can see the white house conservatory on top of what is the west colonnade going to the area today that is the west wing, so you do not have all the greenhouses, but you do have the conservatory above the west colonnade and again, and that place where you usually have the Jackson Magnolia, it just looks more like a barren tree in the middle of winter. It certainly does not look like a Jackson Magnolia. However, this is a photograph that was taken of the cassius clay battalion, union army, april 1861, and, here you go. That looks like the Jackson Magnolia to me. If we look at that tree, and it is probably at that point, maybe about 15 to 20 feet tall depending on when it was planted or if it was transported. But the photographic evidence seems to suggest that that famous tree attributed to Andrew Jackson more than likely was planted later, probably some time in the 18 fifties. However, that story and that legend has continued to grow and grow overtime. Here is another shot. This is actually matthew breeding. This is during the civil war. You can see the flag pull on the south lawn. And of course there is part of jeffersons ha wall. And some Union Soldiers it were sensual keeping an eye on the white house grounds. Again, you look and you can see what looks like a young Jackson Magnolia. Again, early 18 sixties, it looks like there is the famous tree that we all know. In 2007, you probably remember this, december 2017, the Jackson Magnolia made a lot of news because there were reports that the tree was going to be cut down because of safety issues, and its announced that it was it will be pruned and one of its major branches will be taken down and preserved and you remember from our visit to the white house, you could kind of see yes, the Jackson Magnolia is still there but its being held up by a steel poll, by these cables and its because pretty extensive rot on the inside of the tree. And what i did was i pulled out some of the new stories from december of 2017 so whats interesting is, i guess ill ask you what Media Outlets do you think published each story . So read this one and who do you think published this information . We. Any ideas . Alex . New york times . No. Alex . History. Com. No. Cnn first one of cnn. What about this one . We matthew . Fox . No. The Washington Post . Yeah. But you notice theres a key different from the first and second one . What word to the use . White house lawyer. If you go back, its not really kind of just repeats the story verbatim. What is the Washington Post acknowledges that there is lower to. It may not be entirely true, were just not sure. What about the final one . We any ideas . Its kind of using it as a way to be critical of the president . I also . Its talking about how theyre trying to take down not because its old but theyre trying to talk about how i want to take it out as a negative way to portray the president. You think there is a negative portrayal of the president . It feels like this article is pending blame on trump. Is that what you mean . Yeah. And what about the language before Jackson Magnolia . So called. So called. Exactly the new york post. Regardless of your politics. You could see how these stories not only continue the president , but even when the recirculating put out there, there are slants to how that story is told. inaudible he was considered a democrat. Because a living history that continues to happen today, public fascination with the white house has created many legends and myths. Some are still perpetuated by social media, the internet, journalists and even historians. The point of todays last year is not the simply discount or dismissed these fables but to compact them to why they were created in the first place. But reinforced time and time again. You never won the white house is white because of the british burning. Have you heard that before . You never heard that . Alex . If im not wrong, they used white wash to put it together which is why he was then called the white house. Exactly. So if you look at the exterior of the white house, that particular sandstone, much of it which came from virginia, particularly quietly creek and the acquire worries. A lot of the sandstone that was being produced had this gray color. You have to imagine the white house as a gray building. And what they did because its so poorest what you have to do is have to seal it to protect it from the winter months. Because if water gets into the stones pores it freezes, and then a cracks. Wate pores. So what the scottish stonemasons in workers that have built the white house. They applied a coat of lime based whitewash in 1798. Now whitewash is a lot different than the white paint that we theyve today. But that was really where the story began of start to call it the white house. It was a whitewash that was first applied. They do had some lead paint in 1818 this is after the burning. But that term the white house that already been established. The idea that we are start calling it the white house just because of the burning, know there was a whitewash that existed before then. They kept applying coats of white paint, up until the 1970s. During the Carter Administration is when the undertook a major project to strip all of the layers of paint off the white house. Some areas of the house youre talking 20 to 30 layers of pain that had to be removed. The project and the taking 25 years. It was created completed during the clinton administration. This gives you some visuals of what the white house looks like without its current variation of white paint. Again you could see its primarily gray, it has bits of white and it. Theres also these tense of red. You probably seen the smithsonian castle, on the national mall. Some of the sandstone quarries eventually when you dug too deep, you get these veins. These deep red veins. And sometimes the stone will turn completely blood red. Thats why we call it washington brown stone. It was made in the early part of the 19th century. Those actually sends. From Stafford County is primarily great. There was still flex flecks of red within the stone itself. By stripping all the paint we could actually see the very intricate detail of the carvings. You have to imagine layer after pain all of this was glob, cant really see the carvings. It took 25 years but they ended up finishing it in the clinton administration. We there are still scorch marks that you can see. On the exterior is pretty much all painted this is actually downstairs we were on the downstairs quarter. This is one of the doorways. You could see they left it and painted you see some of the scorch marks around the frame. You can see the variations of the stone. But i will tell you the stone was coming from other sources. We there is a shot of the north portico you get a sense of how white the building is really you can see the individual stones. As opposed to near you could see each individual stone. You hear streaks of red, this is in the reagan administration. Heres a shot of the north part of the white house. You can see the individual gray stones on the still painted portico in the north entrance. So lets just say hypothetically you wanted to paint your apartment, or dorm room or something the color of the white house. The closest you could yet is irans whisper white. Thats commercially available. Thats as close as you can get. White house myth number two. White house tunnels. Fact were just talking about this before class. The existence of tunnels, who use them and why did they use them . One of the stories that there was tunnels beneath the white house that a lot for a quick escape. That one could actually get to the river and Dolly Madison used to run there and Abraham Lincoln had an escape tunnel. Unfortunately these are not true. Know that the architect of the white house did build several sewer systems, my guess is dallas medicine probably wouldnt climb through the sewer. She wouldnt want to travel that way. And these are installed from Running Water but there wasnt any fullsize tunnels that anyone could use. And here courses octagon house. Is where the medicines lived for six months after the burning. Its up the street from the white house. During the civil war, general Winfield Scott did suggest the possibility of adding a tunnel, between the white house and the Treasury Building. Heres the Treasury Building down at the bottom. And then up to top you have the war department. At that point it would have probably been war, navy and state using that space as well. With the Treasury Department it was to the east of the white house. The idea is that this could be a citadel of sorts. We have the Confederate Army invaded then when president lincoln to be captured, they could quickly move into the Treasury Building. They could see safety and one of the vaults. Essentially the people that are guarding him would have to fight to the death. This was an idea we is lincoln didnt have to. Heres you get a sense of this imposing spectacle that this wouldve been a good place if youre in a move to a fortress like structure in the 19th century this would be a good place to do it. During Franklin Roosevelt administration, there actually is an underground tunnel built between the swing and the Treasury Building. In fact, they go as far as to furnish a room in the Treasury Building. Heres a picture of the room. Heres where we start to see the presidency entering that new age of world wars, and then the cold war. And that president ial security eventually changes. They have to have either structures in place to protect the president in the events of a and immediate attack, or in case there is a chance that there could be an aerial bombing, earlier a nuclear weapon. Targeting the white house and the united states. That the present has a place to go. During the truman administration. Thats one to sub basements are at it beneath the ground floor of the white house. Up to truman time in the white house, the really wasnt air central air conditioning, there was in central heating. This is a big part of the 1948 to 42 administration was modernizing the white house. They got it and rebuild it change something here and there, but its pretty much made at a concrete and steel. But they also do, they dig further on the ground. And part of the reason they do that is they need that space for things like utilities, air conditioning, electrical, climbing. But also to add this walkway, which now runs the length between the west wing, and the east wing. Heres the finished version. And that tunnel will go all the way to the east wing. And it hooks up with Franklin Roosevelt bomb shelter. So roosevelt at that tunnel, built for access to the Treasury Department. But remember he also has the east wing built in 1942. Thats the perfect time if you are building a structure to be also building something underneath it. He actually has a bomb shelter made, beneath the east wing. In closer years have to get to the Treasury Building. Truman now connection between the west wing and that secure complex. If the president is working in the west wing in the oval office, they have a quick way to get to the bomb shelter. And you probably have already seen it before. This is actually part of the president ial Emergency Operation center that was used on 9 11 by Vice President cheney, and several members of the bush cabinet. Remember for sometime, we werent quite sure where that plane was heading towards it certainly seems like when it turned in pennsylvania that i was coming to washington d. C. We knew it was one of the capital of the white house, we dont know because the passengers on that flight decide to take control of the plane and it crashed. Essentially what they did is they rushed white house staff, and members of the administration down into the Emergency Operation center. President bush was away was visiting a school in florida time and they advise him to stay away from washington d. C. Until they figured out what was happening with a lash plane. But for the members of the administration, there wasnt any real type of protocol for this type of scenario. Everyone that ive talked to was talk about that experience, essentially was told that secret service came in and told people to get out. And to get to a secure location. And get away from the white house because we dont know where this plane is. This is actually an image of that day. You can see things do look a little bit outdated, and this also spurred a new effort to modernize for new Technology Big husband and Communications Systems and the president ial Emergency Operation center. Myth number three, Dolly Madison saves the Gilbert Stewart portrait. We had to read a selection of sources for todays class and hopefully you did that. Now, big you probably all heard the story before. You probably heard it in great school, in high school. Who wants to tell us what you have heard. Alex . The british were coming in and they were bringing down washington, d. C. Dolly madison runs back into the white house with a few people, takes down the Gilbert Stewart portrait and runs out to save it. In that version of events, Dolly Madison, its like a last second thing. You can see the british on the horizon. She is about to leave, but she runs back in. At least you did acknowledge that there were other people there, but that she was there when they took it off and sent it away. Part of the reason why the story is so popular is because this was the story that was really put out there after the war of 1812, and Dolly Madison also played a part in keeping the story alive and well, but it was picked up for childrens schoolbooks. It was published in a variety of different story graphical works. It was a story that kept getting perpetuated and we will talk a little bit more about that as we dig into the sources. These were the selected letters of dolly payne madison. And it is anna cuts who is writing to her sister, Dolly Madison, circa august 23rd, 1814. The burning takes place on the 24th. I will put it up on the screen. My sister, tell me for god sake where you are and what you are doing and what you are going to do. I only have to time to ask mr. See to take out the floor part of the carriages, putting in the piano trying to escape anything he can get in there or wagon since the british are coming. We hear nothing but what is horrible here. I know not who to send this to and will say little. What do you take away from reading that letter . How its written, how its phrased . Yes. It is really short and sweet. Its like, i have to go, type thing. You can tell it is definitely rushed. It seems like she doesnt really finish entire sentences. There are clauses, and there is a pause, and she said something else. It is relatively short. She even says, i do not know who to really send this to. She just sent it to the white house, but it was to Dolly Madison, but she wasnt sure she would be there, even, or if she would be out with president madison, who was at that point out in the field to watch the battle. She does not know, it seems rushed. That is fair. Now, what about this . You had to read this. This is actually from the National Portrait gallery of distinguished americans published in 1836 by d. C. Socialite and historian, margaret manured smith and which she publishes, is based off of dolly medicines recollections. Big so there is no response to this letter. This is the sisters letter. Dolly madison always said that she responded, but that letter is lost. There is a story that it was eaten by mice. There is another story that it was burned. Many years later, 1836, now this is 20 years later, when Margaret Maynard smith was writing in her biography, she asked Dolly Madison, oh, can i see the letter . She says we do not have the letter, but i can give you a copy of what i remember. So, this is what she gives her. So again, tuesday, august 23rd, 1814. Dear sister, my husband left me yesterday morning to join general winder. He inquired whether had courage or firmness to remain in the president s house and on the assurance that i have no fear he left me beseeching need to take care of myself and the cabinet papers public and private. She mentions that she received two dispatches. The enemy seemed stronger than reported. I am accordingly ready. I have pressed as many cabinet papers in the trunk as to fill one karat. Our private property must be sacrificed as it is impossible to procure wagons for transportation. The letter goes on and on. So what do you notice about this letter . Yes, alex. She was making an escape. She was packing things away let me ask you this. If this is supposed to be her response to her sister, remember how frantic her sisters letter was. Does this letter seem frantic . Does it seem like it was written after the fact . So now, do you start to the question whether or not, how accurate the narrative is . Think about it for a moment. If somebody sends you something and you need to frantically get it done, and then, three months later, it is sort of like, tell that story again, but take your time, walk us through it every step. Youre going to add a lot more detail, and by that point and time, this is 1836, the story has become pretty well versed that Dolly Madison saved the Gilbert Stewart portrait. So at this point, she cannot really go back on that. She kind of has to align things with how the public has perceived the whole story. But what is interesting is, now this letter responds. She goes into wednesday morning, 12 00. Since sunrise, i have been turning my spyglass in every direction and watching with unaware eat exactly. 3 00, would you believe it my sister . We have a battle skirmish near laytons bird and i am here with and sound of the canada. Mr. Madison comes out. Two messengers come with us i wait for him. At this late hour a wagon has been procured. I had it filled with the most valuable portable articles belonging to the house. Whether it will reach its destination or fall into the hands of the british, events must determine. Our kind friend mr. Carroll, has come to hasten my departure, and i insist on waiting until the large picture of general washington is secured, and it requires to be unscrewed from the wall. This process was found too tedious for these perilous moments. I have ordered the frame to be broken and canvas taken out. It is done, and the precious portrait placed in the hands of two gentleman from new york for safekeeping. And now, i must leave this house, or the retreating army will make me a prisoner in by filling up the road and i am directed to take. That is Dolly Madisons version of events, circa 1836. Matthew . Its weird how she said, general washington instead of president washington . Is it because she knew him . Is that how she thinks of him . Nowadays, i think we have become more accustomed to, there is a president and there is also a former president , but we still sometimes refer to people as president george w. Bush, president bill clinton. In those days, this was one of those president precedent thinks that washington was after. There should only be one president , so when he left the presidency, he preferred that people address him general. So typically, they called him general washington. So we have the frantic letter from sister anna cutts. We have Dolly Madisons response many years later as she remembers it. So not the actual response from august 23rd or 24th, and then we have this. This newspaper article from the baltimore sun. Dated may 20, fifth 1847. Did you find anything interesting about this particular article . It was sort of i dont want to say route, but it was a little critical of dolly matheson, because i think that one of the real save years, when its talking about the people that actually saved the painting, suggesting that she wasnt a real savior. I find this interesting. Its a little jab at her. Sure. This is 1847, right . Now we are talking about 33 years after the actual events, and there is still sort of this scuttlebutt in the newspaper about what exactly happened. Who did what . Who deserves credit . It gets to a point where even Dolly Madison who at this point, its quite elderly. I think she only lives a couple more years before she passes away in washington. She needs to weigh in and sort of, as the article suggests, a historical error corrected. That it talks about general john mason, because a new story had emerged that general john mason was the one who saved the portrait. And the two gentlemen from new york that dolly matheson mentions where these guys, jacob parker and robert foster. These were the two men from new york who did walk into the white house and essentially they were responsible for transporting the Gilbert Stewart to safety. Those men were certainly there. That was their account. Dolly madison agrees it was their account. But they do have some minor differences. There is also a daniel carroll. Remember, she mentioned mr. Carroll . Daniel carroll, he had gotten more involved in saying that his Family Member who had helped essentially transport Dolly Madison away from the white house, also is the one who saved the portrait, so again, we still dont have any clear answer. But what is interesting is that Dolly Madison writes a letter to robert depositor in february 1848, again this is towards the end of her life. Listen to this letter. Dear sir, i did not receive your favor containing the newspapers and therefore its main patients to assure you my gratitude for the interesting taken mind offense in the little narrative of the picture rescue. You will see by the enclosed what was said at the time the impression that mr. Carroll saved the portrait of mr. Washington. Ive heard his family believe he rescued it. On the contrary, mr. Carroll had left me to join mr. Mattis and when i directed my servants that is an interesting statement. I directed my servants in what manner to remove from the wall until it was done. She says she was there until it was done. I said so mr. Barker and yourself passing and accepted your offer to assist me by helping me to preserve this portrait which you kindly carried between you to the humble but safe room which sheltered it for a while. Because in my respect for general washington, not that i felt a desire to gain loyal, but should there be a merit the mayor in this case belongs to me. Please accept my respect in those wishes. The merit in this case belongs to me. Who here has heard of Paul Jennings . What do you guys remember about Paul Jennings . We talked about him earlier this semester. He is a key player. He wrote a biography later on. He wrote a recollections, sort of like some of his life experiences, but also his experience with the madisons, so he was born and the First White House member . He did. At the time when it was published, essentially during the civil war, there was some question about how authentic or how accurate this account could be. Its partially because of his formerly enslaved status, because at that point, he was a free american african man. It is similar to what we saw with elizabeth kelly. Question the narrative based on their social status or form or social status as formerly enslaved people, but jennings has a very interesting version of the story as well. And that was the last source that you had to read for today. It is a little bit longer, and it talks about the events of august 24th. So, what did you notice about this last source . What did you pick out that was a little bit different from the other sources . It was a relaxed day. It was very relaxed and not rushed. inaudible one of the things that is interesting is because jennings is working to set the table for what they expect to be a victory meal at the president s house, and a messenger rides up and says clear out, clear out. Certainly, it gives the impression that the british, they are on the march and they are going to be in washington at any minute. That is sort of the story. Let us rush. Let us get out of there. The jennings seems to imply that it took a while for the british to actually get to washington. We know from other accounts that it was true. The british did not really reach washington until about twilight. They dont actually burn the president s house until much later that night. His version sort of coincides with other eyewitness accounts

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