Building The White House

The video discusses the establishment of Washington DC as the new capital along the Potomac River, including the design and construction of the White House. President Washington and Pierre Charles Lanfon selected the site, and James Hoban's design was chosen. The White House was built using local sandstone and involved labor from free African Americans, white European laborers, and enslaved people. John Adams was the first president to reside there, and Thomas Jefferson made further improvements. The White House symbolizes freedom but was built by enslaved people, highlighting a contradiction in American history.

How did Thomas Jefferson contribute to the White House after moving in?

What contradiction does the story of the White House reveal about American democracy?