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porary card game. Mrs. Seaton, the wife of a South Carolina editor,
was more stately. Gentlemen in silk breeches and stockings, ladies
complained of the use of rouge and paint by the wives of the Presi-
in imported frocks, dined on the creations of a French chef and
dent and Cabinet members, and sarcastically remarked that at recep-
danced in the East Room, to illuminate which for an evening re-
tions it is customary to "pay your obeisance to Mrs. Madison, curtsy
quired $100 worth of candles. One evidence of the stiff formality
to his Highness, then take a seat."
of White House life in those rather pompous times is the fact that
These festivities came to an abrupt hiatus August 24, 1814, when
the President's wife could never return calls. No such restriction
the British burned most of the public buildings, including the White
exists today.
House. The French Ambassador of the day, seeking out General
With John Quincy Adams the spirit of New England returned.
Robert Ross, the. British commander, found him in the White House,
He records in his diary that he rose regularly at 5 a. m., took a 4-mile
piling furniture in one of the rooms preparatory to burning the
walk before breakfast, worked all day, and retired at 11 p. m. The
building. The fire left little but the stone outer walls, and even
social obligations of his office troubled him. He wrote in 1828, "This
these had in great part to be taken down and rebuilt. The interior
evening was the sixth drawing room. Very much crowded: 16 Sena-
had virtually to be constructed anew. Hoban, the original architect,
tors, perhaps 60 members of the House of Representatives, and multi-
was charged with this task in 1815, and faithfully reproduced the
tudes of strangers
these parties are becoming more and more
original building. Today the visitor sees not the interior of the
insupportable to me."
mansion of Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, but an accurate structural
At the state gatherings, such lions as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster,
reproduction of it.
and John Calhoun appeared in blue coats and breeches, with gilt but-
After the fire, the City Gazette remarked: "The destruction of the
tons, buff waistcoats, white ties, and high chokers, silk stockings, and
President's House cannot be said to be a great loss in one point of
pumps.
view, as we hope it will put an end to drawing rooms and levees;
When Andrew Jackson, a widower, came to the White House,
the resort of the idle, and the encouragers of spies and traitors." Yet
etiquette changed. The great democrat threw his home open to every-
Dolly Madison herself prevented the loss from being greater than it
one. On March 4, 1829, thousands who had come to Washington to
was. Gathering together a trunkful of Cabinet papers, silver plate,
attend the inauguration crowded into the mansion. "High and low,
valuable china, and the great portrait of Washington, she fled the
old and young, black and white, poured in one solid column into this
city, bringing them back unharmed after the invaders had left.
spacious mansion. Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and
While the damage by the fire was being repaired, the Madisons
sweating for breath-the dandy wishing he had no toes-and the
lived in the Octagon House, and later in the Gerry House, where
office seeker." They brawled, broke glassware in attacking the liquid
the grand levee in honor of Jackson's victory at New Orleans was
refreshments, stood on the damask-covered chairs and sofas, treated
held.
officials with scant ceremony and pressed about the President until
President James Monroe occupied the rebuilt Mansion in the fall
he fled by a back door.
of 1817, refurnishing the interior with articles especially imported
At Jackson's last public reception there was an even more dis-
from France, and with his own possessions. On New Year's Day of
orderly scene. Some New York friends, anxious to outshine the
1818 he gave a great reception in the reconstructed White House, and
Massachusetts farmers who once presented President Jefferson with
followed it with weekly receptions known as "drawing rooms." A
a 750-pound cheese, had sent Jackson a 1,400-pound cheese, which
contemporary records that every Wednesday evening the White House
ripened for a year in the cellar of the White House. On Washing-
received a great crowd of guests, "some in shoes, most in boots, and
ton's birthday anniversary in 1837, the local citizenry was invited
many in spurs, some snuffing, others chewing and many longing for
to sample the Pride of New York, and was joined by a host of visitors
their cigars
Some with powdered heads, others frizzled and
from Alexandria, Baltimore, and the surrounding country. The
oiled, some with heads a comb has never touched, half-hid by dirty
Senate adjourned in honor of the occasion, and Martin Van Buren,
collars, reaching far above their ears Other observers have
then President-elect, was present. George Bancroft wrote of seeing
recorded, however, that while the social life of the Monroe admin-
in the White House on this occasion "apprentices, boys of all ages,
istration was less brilliant than when Dolly Madison ruled, it
men not civilized enough to walk about the room with their hats
22
23
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"ocrText": "porary card game. Mrs. Seaton, the wife of a South Carolina editor,\nwas more stately. Gentlemen in silk breeches and stockings, ladies\ncomplained of the use of rouge and paint by the wives of the Presi-\nin imported frocks, dined on the creations of a French chef and\ndent and Cabinet members, and sarcastically remarked that at recep-\ndanced in the East Room, to illuminate which for an evening re-\ntions it is customary to \"pay your obeisance to Mrs. Madison, curtsy\nquired $100 worth of candles. One evidence of the stiff formality\nto his Highness, then take a seat.\"\nof White House life in those rather pompous times is the fact that\nThese festivities came to an abrupt hiatus August 24, 1814, when\nthe President's wife could never return calls. No such restriction\nthe British burned most of the public buildings, including the White\nexists today.\nHouse. The French Ambassador of the day, seeking out General\nWith John Quincy Adams the spirit of New England returned.\nRobert Ross, the. British commander, found him in the White House,\nHe records in his diary that he rose regularly at 5 a. m., took a 4-mile\npiling furniture in one of the rooms preparatory to burning the\nwalk before breakfast, worked all day, and retired at 11 p. m. The\nbuilding. The fire left little but the stone outer walls, and even\nsocial obligations of his office troubled him. He wrote in 1828, \"This\nthese had in great part to be taken down and rebuilt. The interior\nevening was the sixth drawing room. Very much crowded: 16 Sena-\nhad virtually to be constructed anew. Hoban, the original architect,\ntors, perhaps 60 members of the House of Representatives, and multi-\nwas charged with this task in 1815, and faithfully reproduced the\ntudes of strangers\nthese parties are becoming more and more\noriginal building. Today the visitor sees not the interior of the\ninsupportable to me.\"\nmansion of Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, but an accurate structural\nAt the state gatherings, such lions as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster,\nreproduction of it.\nand John Calhoun appeared in blue coats and breeches, with gilt but-\nAfter the fire, the City Gazette remarked: \"The destruction of the\ntons, buff waistcoats, white ties, and high chokers, silk stockings, and\nPresident's House cannot be said to be a great loss in one point of\npumps.\nview, as we hope it will put an end to drawing rooms and levees;\nWhen Andrew Jackson, a widower, came to the White House,\nthe resort of the idle, and the encouragers of spies and traitors.\" Yet\netiquette changed. The great democrat threw his home open to every-\nDolly Madison herself prevented the loss from being greater than it\none. On March 4, 1829, thousands who had come to Washington to\nwas. Gathering together a trunkful of Cabinet papers, silver plate,\nattend the inauguration crowded into the mansion. \"High and low,\nvaluable china, and the great portrait of Washington, she fled the\nold and young, black and white, poured in one solid column into this\ncity, bringing them back unharmed after the invaders had left.\nspacious mansion. Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and\nWhile the damage by the fire was being repaired, the Madisons\nsweating for breath-the dandy wishing he had no toes-and the\nlived in the Octagon House, and later in the Gerry House, where\noffice seeker.\" They brawled, broke glassware in attacking the liquid\nthe grand levee in honor of Jackson's victory at New Orleans was\nrefreshments, stood on the damask-covered chairs and sofas, treated\nheld.\nofficials with scant ceremony and pressed about the President until\nPresident James Monroe occupied the rebuilt Mansion in the fall\nhe fled by a back door.\nof 1817, refurnishing the interior with articles especially imported\nAt Jackson's last public reception there was an even more dis-\nfrom France, and with his own possessions. On New Year's Day of\norderly scene. Some New York friends, anxious to outshine the\n1818 he gave a great reception in the reconstructed White House, and\nMassachusetts farmers who once presented President Jefferson with\nfollowed it with weekly receptions known as \"drawing rooms.\" A\na 750-pound cheese, had sent Jackson a 1,400-pound cheese, which\ncontemporary records that every Wednesday evening the White House\nripened for a year in the cellar of the White House. On Washing-\nreceived a great crowd of guests, \"some in shoes, most in boots, and\nton's birthday anniversary in 1837, the local citizenry was invited\nmany in spurs, some snuffing, others chewing and many longing for\nto sample the Pride of New York, and was joined by a host of visitors\ntheir cigars\nSome with powdered heads, others frizzled and\nfrom Alexandria, Baltimore, and the surrounding country. The\noiled, some with heads a comb has never touched, half-hid by dirty\nSenate adjourned in honor of the occasion, and Martin Van Buren,\ncollars, reaching far above their ears Other observers have\nthen President-elect, was present. George Bancroft wrote of seeing\nrecorded, however, that while the social life of the Monroe admin-\nin the White House on this occasion \"apprentices, boys of all ages,\nistration was less brilliant than when Dolly Madison ruled, it\nmen not civilized enough to walk about the room with their hats\n22\n23"
}