I’ve often been asked, “Why do you study the Revolution and Early Republic? Is there really anything else to write about?” The remarkable story of this portrait and Hercules the chef shows just how much we still have to learn. Hercules was sold to President George Washington in 1767. He was a talented chef and [...]
Category: Spot of Parchment
Spot of Parchment August 2019
The number one question I get about my work is do you work in the White House? The second is who is Stephen Decatur and why do I feel like I know that name? I’ll share a little about who he was, but I mostly want to focus on the story of his death. It’s [...]
Spot of Parchment July 2019
Many people know Henry Clay for his long tenure in Congress and his controversial appointment as Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams. But do you know the name Charlotte Dupuy? In 1825, the newly-appointed Secretary of State, Henry Clay, moved into the Decatur House. It was the perfect home for a Secretary of State [...]
Spot of Parchment June 2019
On the morning of August 19, 1814, President James Madison received word that British forces had landed at the mouth of Patuxent River and were marching toward the White House. A few days later, he received a secret dispatch relaying the news that the British were approaching Washington. The next morning, he mounted his horse, [...]
Spot of Parchment May 2019
Last month I wrote a social media post for work about John Quincy Adams’ White House trees. But I wanted to share it with you and explain a little more about why I think this story is so remarkable. As many of you probably know, JQA was a life-long learner and habitual student. One of [...]
Spot of Parchment April 2019
Those of you who know me, know that I'm obsessed with animals, especially dogs. One of my favorite recent discoveries has been learning about First Lady Grace Coolidge. She absolutely loved animals of any kind, especially her dogs. Her official portrait, painted by Howard Chandler Christy in 1924, is my favorite of the first lady [...]
