A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons

Taney rendered his interpretation of the country's founding documents plainly enough: Aug 27, NyiNya rated it it was amazing. When our illustrious Founding Fathers spoke of 'freedom,' it appears that they were thinking of a rather small percentage of their world. The Freedom they sought so valiantly did not encompass women or people of color.

In fact, if you were not a caucasian male, preferably of European origins, with a comfortable income, a good profession, and a nice hunk of property, you were a little bit out of luck in the Freedom Sweepstakes. James Madison was another freedom fighting early President who with clenched teeth and hating every minute of it, no doubt owned a number of his fellow human beings. A believer in 'separate and not too equal, Madison did indeed want to do the right thing but at the same time was not eager to discomfort himself. So he promised his slaves After a lifetime of slavery, of course, but life can't all be roses and light, can it.

Unfortunately, the will was not iron clad and Dolley Madison saw things otherwise. Born on Madison's Virginia plantation, Jennings grew up in the White House, served the President faithfully and watched over the old man on his deathbed. It was a long road, but the prize at the end, Freedom, must have heartened Jennings over those many years of enslavement. But freeing Jennings would have been financially foolish for poor Dolley, so despite all the promises, she reneged on her husband's promise. Instead she sends him out to work for others and kept "the last red cent" of his pay.

She failed to provide him with clothing, deciding that the scant food she offered was recompense enough. She suggested he seek "extras" such as trousers and shoes by soliciting tips from those who hired him, by begging or by working during those few hours when she could not find other employment for him. When her insurance man made her a decent offer, Mrs. Madison sold Jennings to him as "an investment" -- either to be resold or to be hired out for profit. Senator Daniel Webster, a man who opposed slavery with deeds as well as words, stepped in at this point, purchased Jennings himself, and immediately terminated his slavery.

Jennings was an amazing human being. Born into slavery, he managed to educate himself, learn a trade, buy his children's freedom while a slave himself, and see sons fight against the South and against trafficking in people. And when the stupid and frivolous Dolly was impoverished and abandoned, Jennings came forward and, given his own small means, helped support the old crone until her death. A man she considered subhuman -- who was nothing more to her than chattel or livestock -- gave her back some dignity, showed her some kindness when no one else cared.

How many of us would have the nobility of soul to do the same? I'd have swatted the old bat off of her rocking chair. And if she got up, I'd go back and do it again. The book is based on Jennings own diaries, journals and letters. So very little is available to us that shows slavery from the slave's point of view. The details of daily life are fascinating, but it's the attitude toward freedom and here I mean freedom not only in the grand sense, but also in it's most heartbreakingly small details This is a moving and powerful book, well and concisely written, and almost impossible to put down once you open it.

Sep 08, Louise rated it really liked it Shelves: As author Elizabeth Dowling Taylor unfolds the Jennings-Madison story you see Presidents Jefferson and Madison had a lot more in common than statecraft. Both thought, wrote and spoke extensively and loftily on the rights of man The first half of the book Chapters 1 - 4, divided from the second half by pictures covers the nature of slavery in the households of James Madison in his Montpelier plantation, the White House and the temporary presidential quarters following the burning of the Capitol by the British in The second half covers the widowhood of Dolley Madison, the Pearl incident which included a 15 year old slave from her household, the death of Dolley Madison's son the President's step-son , Daniel Webster and finally, two chapters exclusively on Paul Jennings and his progeny.

The Appendix is an excerpt from a book Jennings wrote on his time with President Madison. While there are very few pages on the White House contrary to what you expect from the title , the book gives the perspective of Paul Jennings as representative of those who served in formal environments, there and elsewhere, where rarified talk of rights and liberty filled the air. Author Taylor poses ideas on how such conversations were most likely understood by the servers who had no liberty. James Madison's will had rhetoric about his slaves consenting to their next master and some talk of freedom.

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Dolley Madison ignored this and postured that she would only sell slaves to friends and family which she similarly did not honor. With the help of Daniel Webster, Paul Jennings bought his freedom. In short, the Madison family, despite its rhetoric did not free one slave. While the drudge of life was taken care of, slave holders in remote locations with a large proportion of enslaved people had deep fears of revolt. The Madisons lived with an uneasy defensive posture towards notables such as Harriet Martineau, Edward Coles, Daniel Webster and General Lafayette who held higher moral ground.

I had a review copy and I hope the final will have an index. There is a good genealogy chart of the Jennings family. Mar 17, Nate rated it did not like it Shelves: I waited for this book for months from the library and was so excited when my hold finally came in. It was a book I loved before I even opened the cover Ugh, what an utter disappointment. This book is perhaps the best example of why a great historian does not make a great writer.

The book is simply just a mish-mash of tons of great research. The author will often mention a handful of names, jumping years in advance and then back again, then will throw in random locations acros I waited for this book for months from the library and was so excited when my hold finally came in. The author will often mention a handful of names, jumping years in advance and then back again, then will throw in random locations across the country; then the paragraph will be over and the next paragraph will start while having very little or absolutely nothing to do with the preceding paragraph.

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The amount of names in the first few chapters is absolutely ridiculous, it felt like over , whatever the exact number, it is far too many for anyone to keep track of. As you progress you realize that most of the names and random information don't matter, but how is the reader supposed to know that? To the author's credit, there are a few charts later in the book that I didn't initially see since one is in the middle and the other at the end , but they aren't nearly detailed enough to track everything.

Still, they should help you out in figuring out who is related to whom. Moreover, and sadly, the writing style is extremely flat. There is no rhythm or shape to it at all, and is mostly presented in the following manner: Overall this book was a huge disappointment, and I hate that I disliked it. You can tell the author really worked hard and did an amazing job at researching this immense project.

Unfortunately, that does not make up for the absolutely atrocious presentation of it. Jan 28, Laura rated it liked it. I enjoyed the the history lessons learned from the book. I agree with others who state that in the beginning there was too much jumping around betweem various dates and names. I got confused, and had to keep checking back on the prior page. The latter part of the book flowed much more easily. In the end, I was struck by how differently I was taught history in grade school Jun 28, A.

Lieberson rated it really liked it. This is a fascinating book especially for any one who is interested in American history. We learn not only about the life of Paul Jennings, his life as a slave to President James Madison and his life as a freed slave living and working in Washington, DC.

Paul Jennings (slave)

It is well written and well documented and the author includes photographs of the Jennings family. There has been a growing number of books in recent years that have demonstrated the role of slavery in the early American Republic, much of which has decreased the esteem in which our nation's founding fathers--especially the southern ones--have been held [1]. Likewise there is a contemporary trend, which this Berkley-trained author would be well aware of, to look at history from the point of view of ordinary people who were not the elites that usually make it into the historical record.

Yet f There has been a growing number of books in recent years that have demonstrated the role of slavery in the early American Republic, much of which has decreased the esteem in which our nation's founding fathers--especially the southern ones--have been held [1]. Yet for all of the attempts this book makes at populist history, it is quite remarkable that this book is about an elite--a literate mulatto gentleman whose rise from slavery ended with him a substantial property owner in Washington DC and the patriarch of a large family that, although daughtered out, remains a part of the contemporary professional black elite to this day.

This is a book that spends a lot of time talking about famous people from the perspective of their largely invisible black servants, and despite my lack of sympathy with the author's political worldview, this book is a worthwhile one in showing a life whose story deserve to be told and heard. Overall, this book is a conventional biography in terms of its chronological focus and its great interest in matters of political history.

Its most unconventional qualities include an appendix that contains the entirety of Paul Jenning's own memoir, which was the first White House memoir in existence, discussing his youth as a liveried slave of President Madison during his time in the White House. Aside from the memoir, this book is of value in demonstrating through the heroic research of the author and those who helped her that Paul Jennings, its subject, lived a life worth remembering and honoring.

Born in slavery to a mixed-race mother and a putative white merchant father, Paul was trained as a valet and coachman and worked alongside James and then Dolly Madison for many years. During that time he married, helped save the famous Stuart painting of George Washington from destruction during the War of , had several children, and eventually purchased his own freedom through a savvy use of networking. The author writes here with a great deal of admiration for Jennings, and that admiration appears to be deserved if one appreciates literate slaves who preserve the honor of their masters while simultaneously seeking to undermine slavery from inside and finding their own freedom and their own dignity.

Jenning's life led him to become a published author as well as the father of some brave Union soldiers who was also active in helping fugitive slaves, all of which is worthy of being honored. Whether or not someone appreciates this book depends on a few factors. Those who hold to a view of our founding fathers as saints who could do no wrong will likely find much to criticize in the author's strong assertions that while Madison was an extraordinary genius in political science that he was fairly ordinary as a slave owner. Dolly Madison comes off even worse with her betrayal of her father's antislavery principles, her own trafficking of slaves to support her extravagant hospitality in Washington DC, and the fact that she got unearned credit for saving the Washington painting that should have belonged to some of her quick-thinking hired and enslaved help.

Dolly Madison's neer-do-well son comes off even worse with his alcoholism and troublemaking leading him to a melancholy end. Within this book there is a tension between the rise of Jennings and his family from slavery to freedom and the decline of the slaveowning elites of the South like Madison and others.

As a historical work, this deserves a great deal of attention even where the author does not always come off as particularly likable in her judgments. Apr 22, Ai Miller rated it it was ok Shelves: I will admit that I wanted to read this book almost exclusively because of a borderline throwaway line in a National Geographic documentary from the early 90s. And this book wasn't as terrible as the review might make it seem, but it wasn't super great either, to be honest. There were parts where Taylor's writing about enslaved people struck me as like Which made this book a little difficult, given that it's about an enslaved man.

She at one point said that being polite and t I will admit that I wanted to read this book almost exclusively because of a borderline throwaway line in a National Geographic documentary from the early 90s. She at one point said that being polite and tactful was "second nature" to Paul Jennings and that really strikes me as terrifyingly close to like undermining the situation in which he lived that made it so he had to learn to do that? I get that it's meant for a popular audience, but I don't think that excuses a lack of really digging into what it meant to be an enslaved person.

Taylor does it at times, noting the differences in experiences between those working in the house versus those working in the fields, but there's a lot more that could and honestly should have been done in grappling with that. That being said, there was some decent information in there about enslavement in Washington, DC, and I do think bringing Jennings's life to the fore is an important project; I just wish it had been done with a little more care and reference to the larger historiography and theorization that's out there.

This book was interesting. It tells the sorry of Paul Jennings, a slave who served as the personal servant of James Madison. Most notable about Jennings is he wrote what is known as the first White House memoir. Sadly not many of the book were published and the story of Jennings slipped through the cracks. I enjoyed learning about a little known person in history and fans of nonfiction will probably enjoy this one too. May 22, Michelle added it.

A Slave in the White House is not another diatribe against the evils of slavery. It existed, it sucked, it divided the country, and it left lasting scars on entire generations past, present, and future. Rather, Elizabeth Dowling Taylor's focus is the extraordinary story of Paul Jennings, a man born into slavery to one of the most important Founding Fathers but who died a free man. Along the way, Jennings had close dealings with some of the most powerful people in the country. Taylor explores A Slave in the White House is not another diatribe against the evils of slavery.

Taylor explores Jennings' journey from slavery to freedom while taking a closer look at each of the political powers-that-be that held such sway over Jennings and his family. In many ways, Paul Jennings was a privileged man. Yes, he was born into slavery and had minimal freedoms or choices throughout a majority of his lifetime, and there is nothing that can ever remedy that.

However, through his role as personal valet and butler, he learned to read and write and was privy to a myriad of discussions among some of the most brilliant minds. He wore sumptuous clothes, and he traveled with the Madison family around the country. How many other people from this era, slave or free, could same the same? How many others, free or slaves, never learned to read, let alone write, and never stepped foot outside the town in which she or he was born?

The fact of the matter is that even as a slave, Jennings was among the privileged few. Jennings' story is extraordinary not only because of the many benefits he received as a slave that helped him obtain his freedom and become a productive member of society later in life but because of the people with whom he interacted and who helped him obtain his freedom. The research in A Slave in the White House appears thorough and well-documented, although at times it does read like an advertisement for genealogical websites. Taylor fails to maintain the neutrality that is essential to biographical writing.

While Jennings may have never spoken ill about the Madison family, especially Dolley, Ms. Taylor does not have the same qualms; in fact, her opinion of Dolley Madison is blatantly obvious. She makes her opinions known about Madison's hypocrisy, about Dolley's pretentiousness, and about Daniel Webster's unwillingness to vocalize and champion his opinion about slavery.

Along a similar vein, when documentation does not exist, Ms. Taylor inserts much of her own feelings and opinions.

For example, when discussing Jennings' frame of mind regarding his separation from his family, Ms. Taylor adds conjecture, assuming that Jennings felt a certain way even though there is nothing to prove her claim. This direct involvement into the narrative by the author is both disconcerting and disruptive, and it makes a reader question just how much of the narrative is actually true. All negatives aside, A Slave in the White House is a fascinating inside look at an era that changed the face of the nation, at a subject that continues to divide the country, and at the most powerful and influential men and women the country has ever seen.

It is an interesting read from a purely historical perspective; as a biography, it leaves a reader wanting. Taylor uses Jennings' own words, the story pops with authenticity. His is a viewpoint that is exclusive and rare, and he sheds new light onto such famous historical figures. Unfortunately, the story falters quite a bit when Ms. Taylor deviates from Jennings' story. At these points, there is too much hypothesis on the part of Ms.

Taylor, and the book becomes more of an editorial than a biography. Still, Jennings' story is worth discovering and well worth the time it takes to overcome the novel's deficiencies. Thank you to Palgrave Macmillan for my review copy! The subject was compelling. The overall rationalization of and contradiction between ideals and the realities of slavery are still in evidence in the U. As today there was a lot of self serving hypocritical as well as some genuine behavior.

Some of the repeated minutiae, especially the interminable detail about the Madison's daily lives that did not relate to the main character, was detracting from the main story. On the other hand some of the details of slav Audiobook-reader was decent. On the other hand some of the details of slave lives and the capriciousness of even a "good" master was compelling.

Overall for the view of how far back and deep racism and the desire for profit at the expense of others is imbedded in our society it was worth it. Feb 05, Shawn Thrasher rated it liked it. The subject matter and occasionally brilliant bits of writing make up for an uneven narrative thread; occasionally Taylor takes you down a path to a dead end the incident the Pearl could have been quite rivetting, for example, but unfortunately isn't. You'll want to read this to find out what a brilliant man Paul Jennings was, stuck in this world that's completely against him from birth, and how he struggles to make it out.

One brick wall is the historically beloved Dolley Madison, grand dame The subject matter and occasionally brilliant bits of writing make up for an uneven narrative thread; occasionally Taylor takes you down a path to a dead end the incident the Pearl could have been quite rivetting, for example, but unfortunately isn't. One brick wall is the historically beloved Dolley Madison, grand dame among First Ladies, who it turns out is neither a nice sweet old lady nor partiuclarly heroic she's had excellent PR throughout the years and would have made the perfect conniving, politically street smart modern First Lady, giving most if not all 20th century first ladies a run for their oney in political astuteness.

James and Dolley Madison and their crowd of "garden-variety" slave owners is the other reason to read the book; reading about the Madisons and to a lesser degree the Jeffersons and Monroes from a slave's point of view is interesting and disturbing. Founding Fathers, yes, but even heroes have flaws. Dec 10, Tracy rated it it was amazing Shelves: Thank you Goodreads for the copy of this wonderful book.

Paul Jennings story is something that appealed to the history lover in me and the author's ability to parlay her research into an enjoyable telling of his life and the lives of his ancestors made it a pleasure to read. Paul Jennings was born into slavery on the plantation of President James Madison. When his was young, he moved with the Madison's to the Executive Mansion and even played a major role in saving the famous painting of George Thank you Goodreads for the copy of this wonderful book.

When his was young, he moved with the Madison's to the Executive Mansion and even played a major role in saving the famous painting of George Washington when the British attacked in His duties as a "body servant" to President Madison made him closer to the man than anyone other than his wife Dolley.

After the death of the President, Mr. Jennings remained a slave serving Dolley Madison until, with the help of Daniel Webster, he was able to buy his freedom. It was great to learn about the past from a different point of view. Just reread this book which is a hundred times more interesting now that I volunteer at James Madison's estate in Virginia! American Revolutionary and early history is not my favorite time period, but I was very glad I picked up this audiobook.

I really appreciated that there were strong sources for this American Revolutionary and early history is not my favorite time period, but I was very glad I picked up this audiobook. A witness to the earliest presidents and a man who would live to see his own sons fight in the Civil War, this was really educational and complex. Dec 10, Jackie Jacobs rated it liked it Shelves: This book was just okay for me.

I was confused through the first half of the book. I felt that there was too much jumping around with names and dates. The first half of the book was hard to keep up with because of that and also because half of the time it felt like a story being told and the other half it felt like the author was just going through a timeline. The second half of the book was much better. There wasn't as much jumping around with names and dates and I had no problem understanding This book was just okay for me. There wasn't as much jumping around with names and dates and I had no problem understanding the life of Paul Jennings.

I was impressed with how much information the author was able to find and how detailed she was. I also liked that she included Paul Jennings own story "A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison" at the end as well as pictures of him and his family. I received this book for free from the Good Reads Giveaways. Dec 16, Joanna rated it really liked it Shelves: I was fortunate to win a copy of the book, "A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons" as a First Reads.

It was an enjoyable and informative book. Taylor approaches the subject of slavery and white supremacy in a scholarly voice. She expands the reader's view not only discussing Paul Jennings's treatment by James and Dolley Madison, but by comparing their actions with those of their peers. I particularly appreciate the inclusion of a map of Washington during Jenning I was fortunate to win a copy of the book, "A Slave in the White House: I particularly appreciate the inclusion of a map of Washington during Jennings's time there, a Jennings family genealogy chart, and a complete copy of Jennings's memoir, "A Colored Man's Reminiscenses of James Madison.

Dec 22, Valerie rated it really liked it. I won this book. It had some dry spots in the beginning but it contains a lot of background information on the people around PJ. We forget that many presidents owned or inherited slave money. This is a great book to learn about the experiences of slaves in the most famous house in our country.

PJ went with the Madisons from their home to the white house where he experienced freed slaves. He was finally freed in the end by buying his freedom with the help of the famed Webster. It's a fascinating I won this book. It's a fascinating book and story. Feb 08, Courtney rated it it was ok Shelves: I just found it a really tough read and didn't find that the story moved enough to keep me engrossed. To me it read like a "history book" and not like a narrative.

Paul Jennings (slave) - Wikipedia

Well researched and very thorough. Jan 07, Janet Dahl rated it it was amazing. Found this book to be very interesting but I love books about this time period. Learned some intesting facts about the Madison's and was impressed how Paul Jenning's was able to succeed and to take care of his family. Jan 23, Gail rated it did not like it Shelves: I did not finish the book because it started to bore me. After 91 pages, I was tired of the mass jumble of names and the plodding style of the writing. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. About Elizabeth Dowling Taylor. Elizabeth Dowling Taylor received her Ph.

Most recently a Fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Taylor is now an independent scholar and lecturer. She lives in Barboursville, Virginia. Books by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor. Trivia About A Slave in the Wh No trivia or quizzes yet. The freedom of some slaves, including the two Edmonson sisters , was purchased by families and friends.

The Edmonsons were sponsored to go to school in New York State and later spoke at abolitionist lectures. The two white captains, Daniel Drayton and Edward Sayres, owner and pilot of the schooner Pearl, were convicted on multiple counts of aiding a slave escape and illegally transporting slaves. They served four years in jail before being pardoned by President Millard Fillmore.

The following year, Jennings married again, to Desdemona Brooks, a free mulatto whose mother was white according to slave law, children took the status of their mother. She lived in Alexandria, Virginia. Jennings returned to Virginia in the s as a free-man, and was able to reunite with family he had been forced to leave years before. His three sons joined the Union cause during the American Civil War after escaping and joining Union lines.

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After the war, Jennings worked at the newly established Pension Bureau , part of the Department of the Interior , to handle claims of veterans and soldiers' families. He made the acquaintance of John Brooks Russell, an antiquarian. Fascinated by Jennings' story of his years with Madison, Russell wrote it down and published it for him in January in The Historical Magazine and Notes and Queries Concerning the Antiquities, History and Biography of America, where Russell had been a contributor.

His daughter Mary lived next door with her two children. His sons Franklin and William also lived in the area. After Desdemona's death, Jennings married a third time in , to Amelia Dorsey. He was buried at Columbian Harmony Cemetery in D. When that cemetery closed in , Jennings' remains along with others unclaimed by family members were reinterred in a mass grave at National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Maryland. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Paul Jennings and the Madisons, New York: Virginia Center of Digital History. Archived from the original on September 18, Paul Jennings and the Madison, New York: Josephine Pacheco, The Pearl: Archived from the original on October 10, The Papers of James Madison.

Early life and career Belle Grove Plantation, birthplace Montpelier. House of Representatives election, U. Age of Enlightenment American Enlightenment Marbury v. Slave Narrative Collection Captivity narrative. Lovisa von Burghausen — Olaudah Equiano c. Jewitt England — United States. Wilson Zamba Zembola b.