Kamienie milowe w historii Białego Domu

Abstract

It is amazing what a violent and diverse history the Executive Mansion has been through since the times when Abigail Adams entered the house for the first time. She was deeply disappointed because of its condition. She stressed that there was no place even to hang her laundry, except for an unfinished East Room. Since then subsequent first families residing in the White House have left their own imprints on the building, trying to shape it according to their own tastes. Thus, throughout the centuries the residence has been decorated in different modes, ranging from the French Empire style during the Monroe administration to the exotic Far East style fancied by Helen Taft. In some periods the building would fall into decay, as not all first couples were interested in its redecoration. On the other hand, some presidents and their consorts could clearly see the link between the condition of the Executive Mansion, so frequently visited by foreign ambassadors, and the status of the American government. Mary Todd Lincoln was the first presidential wife to understand that dependency. She used the renovated White House not only as a showcase for entertainment, but also as a symbol of her husband's administration. After Mary Lincoln, the first ladies who undertook restoration of the building were motivated by a variety of reasons. Some of them simply believed in tidiness, like Caroline Harrison, others, like Edith Roosevelt, considered the White House not only a comfortable place to work and live in, but also the emblem of national patriotism.