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and the Wonder Yeah or on Apple

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podcasts. From.

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Wandering. I'm Lindsey Graham and this

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is American history tellers. Our history,

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your store. After.

0:44

Six Years and Sixty Eight

0:46

Seasons American History Tellers is

0:48

releasing it's first book. The.

0:50

Hidden History of the White House

0:53

power struggle, scandals and defining moments

0:55

Published by William Morrow, an imprint

0:57

of Harper Collins. This. Book

0:59

is available now and hardcover and digital editions

1:01

wherever you get your books. Check out the

1:03

Lincoln The Show Notes to order your copy

1:05

now and if you listen to the audio

1:07

book, you'll hear me reading the introduction. So.

1:10

Wanted a special episode will go inside

1:12

the Book with it's author Corey Mead

1:14

and journalists Kate Anderson Brower who wrote

1:17

the foreword. Over. The last

1:19

two hundred years, the White House has been

1:21

known by many names. The. President's House,

1:23

The Executive Mansion, The President's Palace,

1:25

and ever since it's first occupants

1:27

John and Abigail Adams moved in

1:29

and the year eighteen hundred. the

1:31

White House has been synonymous with

1:33

Presidential power and American democracy. It's.

1:36

Walls have been witness to dramatic

1:38

scenes from our country's history: political

1:40

clashes, closed door meetings, and faithful

1:42

decisions that have changed the nation.

1:45

In. The hidden history of the White House. We

1:47

invite you to imagine yourself in the halls of

1:49

power, He dropping on some of the country's pivotal

1:51

moments. And. Your guide on his journey

1:53

is our first guest, Corey Need. He's.

1:55

An associate professor of English at the City University

1:58

of New York, and as the author. The

2:00

Hidden History The White House, as well as three

2:02

previous books. Then. Later will be joined

2:04

in this episode by best selling author Tate

2:06

Anderson. brought. In. Her book the

2:08

Residents Inside the Private World of the White

2:10

House brow or share stories on the staff

2:12

keep the White House running twenty four hours

2:14

a day. My conversation with

2:16

Corey need in cheat Anderson Brower is

2:19

up next. American

2:21

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Audible. Audible. Is promoting mysteries

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five hundred. Corey.

3:56

Mean welcome to American History Tellers! Thanks so much

3:58

for having me. No, I

4:00

have never been to the White House but I

4:02

imagine after writing a book about the White House

4:04

that you might have been have you visited I

4:07

first as of the White House I was thirteen

4:09

years old and what struck me about that visit

4:11

was the fact of actually being able to go

4:13

inside and the first place we showed up there

4:16

in the morning. we got mine, we got our

4:18

tickets and you know when it was our turn

4:20

we were guys into the house and got it

4:22

through the part of the house that decision allowed

4:24

to see and I was just until that moment.

4:27

I if you'd asked me I wouldn't have thought

4:29

it was possible. To visit. Of course you know

4:31

I was young but that's really what struck me that

4:33

we are walking to the very pleased for the present

4:35

was right then working. And during the

4:37

tour if you remember all those years

4:40

ago where you told any the stories

4:42

that you found in the book, the

4:44

one story I remember from the tour

4:46

was about Dolley Madison saving a famous

4:48

Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington. and

4:50

that ended up being part of the

4:52

leadoff chapter in the book. Well as

4:54

turn our attention to the book hundred

4:56

this project come together Ups: What's the

4:59

genesis? The genesis of this project was

5:01

for American history tellers wanting to branch

5:03

out because they know a lot of

5:05

the listeners are are so passionate. Readers

5:07

American History So the idea was what is

5:09

a book that would be timely and relevant

5:12

seriousness of the show and with the upcoming

5:14

Presidential election that on a book about the

5:16

White House would really sit because it's a

5:18

time when people are thinking about the next

5:21

occupant of the White House and with a

5:23

book allows is a chance to sort of

5:25

look at the very personalities and you know

5:27

moments of crisis or triumph for whatever else

5:30

that have marked the residence for l two

5:32

hundred years. Now. This building has

5:34

a long history and a lot of

5:36

history consequential history on his you plan

5:38

it out. What's the premise of the

5:40

book is how is it laid off?

5:43

The book is divided into three sections

5:45

of first part focuses on different aspects

5:47

of the construction and renovations of the

5:49

house. I don't mean that to sound

5:51

like it's an architectural overview. It's not

5:53

that it's still dynamic. Stories people front

5:55

of stories reduce various aspects of Baffle

5:57

residents itself. And then we move on.

6:00

Into consideration of who's been allowed access

6:02

to the House over the centuries. And

6:04

a third section deals with the fact

6:06

that the White House itself is really

6:08

a reflection of America on the larger

6:10

states. Like what happens, My house also

6:13

reflects the national mood and international mood,

6:15

and so stories that sort of showed

6:17

the White House as a place that's

6:19

also a symbol of something much larger

6:21

than itself. Let's give our listeners

6:24

a bit of a preview of the of the

6:26

first portion of the book: Deconstruction Of The White

6:28

House. Who Built The White House And When did

6:30

President start Living? The. First, worked

6:32

on the White House was done and

6:34

Seventeen Ninety One One about two hundred

6:36

and slave black workers dog the foundation.

6:39

and that was pretty brutal labor. And

6:41

since starting and Seventeen Ninety Two when

6:43

work began earnest, the first thing I

6:45

had to be done in This is

6:47

something that that struck me a lump

6:50

like about the fact that Washington D

6:52

C was built on a swamp. And

6:54

that's not entirely true. There were certainly

6:56

swampy areas, but was also very sickly

6:58

forested, very verdant landscapes. and so after

7:01

digging the foundation. The next

7:03

work and this again involved and

7:05

slaves or workers along with some

7:07

indentured servants with clearing the vast

7:09

avenues. Of washing see clearing the

7:12

trees from I'm so cutting them down.

7:14

digging out the stance that part of

7:16

the labour was also incredibly does backbreaking

7:18

brutal work so them when it came

7:20

time to actually build the residents after

7:22

that they also had to bring in

7:24

more skilled craftsman and initially the thought

7:26

had been enslaved black workers would only

7:28

be from sort of grunt work but

7:30

once the commissioner's overseeing the project saw

7:32

how skilled they were the kept many

7:34

of them on for some of the

7:36

more skilled Kraftwerk in addition to a

7:38

lot of cross and came from Scotland.

7:41

And Ireland some the stone workers,

7:43

and so the ultimate workforce was

7:45

a combination of enslaved and free

7:47

blacks, indentured servants and international workers.

7:50

The first residents of the White

7:52

house John Adams and his wife

7:54

Abigail, and when they moved in

7:57

and eighteen a once that was

7:59

still. Really inhospitable. Lots of it

8:01

was unfinished. It was freezing inside because of

8:03

a lack of windows. obviously was they had

8:06

to like hang her laundry and one of

8:08

the rooms. It was tank and dark and

8:10

then the landscape outside. It also looks apocalyptic.

8:12

almost. It was just discard sort of chart

8:15

landscape of dead stumps and things like that.

8:17

So it was a really miserable place to

8:19

be. So. This is a very

8:22

recent seat of presidential power for

8:24

the country, and early in it's

8:26

history, This is probably where the

8:28

story that you remember from your

8:30

tour comes in. It was only

8:32

thirteen years after it's eventual construction

8:34

that the White House was under

8:36

attack. Tell us as story. So

8:38

yeah I have to say this is one

8:40

of the things really delving into the story

8:42

was one of most surprising elements of this

8:44

book because I think a lot of people

8:46

know maybe to sort of headline factor of

8:49

like that the British or and the White

8:51

House. It was the War of Eighteen Twelve

8:53

and that had been going on for two

8:55

years. It was America versus England and a

8:57

lot of people had grown tired of the

8:59

war. They called it Mr. Madison's War reference

9:01

to present James Madison and has been going

9:03

poorly. And the British had dogs. I'm a

9:06

huge plate of warships. At the Buttocks River

9:08

down from Washington D Seats but nobody

9:10

the time thought that Washington itself would

9:12

be a target because at the time

9:14

the capital was just not have any

9:16

strategic value. There was just a few

9:18

houses and it was not. As Cede

9:20

power, Baltimore was the real seat of

9:22

power. so people assume the British would

9:24

march on Baltimore. So much so that

9:26

on the day that the British did

9:28

in fact march on Washington, Dolley Madison

9:30

was still planning a dinner party for

9:32

a number of guess as least three

9:35

pm in the afternoon when the British

9:37

did. Start the march to Washington. they were

9:39

met by sort of ragtag group of American volunteers.

9:41

The British can believe them when they saw them

9:43

because they looked like farmers basically with a lot

9:45

of them were that a nap uniforms and they

9:48

hadn't really had any training. maybe a day or

9:50

two of musket training. So they put up a

9:52

valiant fight. But they were overrun by the British

9:54

with a time where the you know the best

9:56

trained army in the world. And so when the

9:59

British Army marched on. Washington. They went first

10:01

to the capital and the capital wasn't quite

10:03

finished in the way we know today but

10:05

was still a very grand building and sad

10:07

when the British marched inside. A lot of

10:10

the regulars were stunned by how beautiful it.

10:12

they didn't think that America would have anything

10:14

that honest answer your would be equal to

10:16

some of the finest buildings on the continent.

10:18

So they were given the order to burn

10:21

the capital by the commanders. In a lot

10:23

of the regulars rak the upset because it

10:25

was such a beautiful place. No nos are

10:27

housed the Library of Congress so there were

10:29

thousands of our books on their you know

10:32

grand staircase as spots. They torched it a

10:34

little on fire and then they began the

10:36

march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House

10:38

and surveys found the table still set said

10:41

a dinner party the Dolley Madison had been

10:43

planning. so the first thing they did when

10:45

they entered the White House was sit down

10:47

and seized on the ham and the wine

10:49

that had been laid off the guests. Then

10:52

they marched upstairs and they went into the

10:54

my bedroom and they tried on the close

10:56

of like as him as and made fun

10:58

of how small he was. Elected

11:00

dollars dresses and mocked her bosom.

11:02

they spite them one imagines hats

11:05

on their bayonet and then they

11:07

took everything possible. They took furniture,

11:09

they took curtains that piles up

11:11

and they send on fire and

11:13

present Madison was and the Virginia

11:15

hills of the time and he

11:17

could look back and could see

11:20

the city burning and. The.

11:22

Destruction wounds vast. But the one

11:24

good thing with the White House

11:26

is that source Washington's wanted it

11:28

built with stone walls which it

11:30

was an stone walls And so

11:32

those walls actually withstood the fire.

11:34

So the next day it was

11:36

a smoking. Mess. And.

11:38

Must have been Terry was burned but the

11:40

wall still stood. Now.

11:42

You would think after being attacked once

11:44

that there would be tighter security at

11:46

the White House afterwards. But as we

11:49

find out in the book, not too

11:51

long after in March Eighteen Twenty nine,

11:53

the White House was over run again,

11:55

but this time by it's own citizens

11:57

in celebration of Andrew Jackson's Inauguration. I

11:59

understand. Was customary at the time for

12:01

incoming President to host and inaugural reception

12:04

that was open to the published by

12:06

Jackson's inauguration. Well it took things a

12:08

bit further will hurt. Or.

12:11

Jackson's inauguration and general just setting the

12:13

scene in the city that day. Jackson

12:15

was the first President that wasn't born

12:17

into wealth and status. He was man

12:19

of the people. That's also how he

12:22

stardom self. Although by the time he

12:24

was elected, he actually was a very

12:26

wealthy man with one the day of

12:28

his inauguration. Huge numbers. estimates vary between

12:31

twenty thousand and forty thousand people had

12:33

come to see to views inauguration and

12:35

the city was absolutely packed. And it

12:37

was packed with people of all stripes,

12:39

Space, or Jackson as. Someone like

12:41

themselves who represent themselves. So lots

12:44

of people that's the inhabitants of

12:46

Washington weren't used to seeing participate

12:48

in. So when Jackson actually gave

12:50

his speech from the Capital, the

12:52

streets were absolutely past and once

12:54

he finished his speech and he

12:56

walked outside, Nick on this magnificent

12:58

white horse He was an expert

13:00

horseman and began the procession down

13:02

the street to the White House.

13:04

Everybody lined up behind Jetsons horse

13:06

and began following him down to

13:08

the White House and one on

13:10

Market. Just remember watching him. Can I can

13:12

stream of people to bash the run out?

13:15

Noticed. Person. After person

13:17

and so you're right that traditionally held

13:19

that the White House or be a

13:21

post inaugural reception for incoming President, but

13:24

in the past those had always been

13:26

sort of only the stairs with only

13:28

you know diplomats and politicians attending had

13:30

been small affairs. but the nature of

13:33

Jackson's populism as popularity among the masses

13:35

meant that even by the time he

13:37

over the White House was already completely

13:40

overrun with people, they opened up the

13:42

our windows outside for people that the

13:44

climbing to twenty four cramming. At the

13:47

entrance and of course for observers who

13:49

are used to the past very sort

13:51

of muted elite of stairs. They were

13:53

shocked to see common people packing the

13:56

White House. and you know there were

13:58

reports of men standing. The beautiful

14:00

So chairs and couches and they're filthy

14:02

muddy boots Trained to get a glimpse

14:04

of Jackson once he answered and the

14:06

waiters were bringing out bowls of puns

14:08

and glasses and they kept colliding with

14:10

people who are there to see Jackson

14:12

spellings those glass all over the place.

14:14

Jackson himself have so many people lining

14:16

up to shake his hand and his

14:18

aides watch me worry that he was

14:20

going to suffocate so they formed kind

14:22

of protective barrier around him to keep

14:24

him from getting crushed by the crowd.

14:26

and things got some incredibly hectic that

14:28

the White House steward sinking. Very quickly decided

14:31

to try to get people to leave the

14:33

White House. He dragged tubs of spite punch

14:35

and liquor and pales adam the White house

14:37

lawn so people would follow it and it

14:40

worked. People started jumping out the windows, men

14:42

screaming at the front door to try to

14:44

get this liquor and so once that happened

14:46

Jackson's age managed to extricate him take him

14:48

back to his hotel. but the aftermath some

14:51

society asked us who showed up right after

14:53

Jackson left was just disgusted by the site

14:55

is it was broken glass all over the

14:57

for the last as rubble strewn everywhere and.

15:00

She was horrified by the fact that

15:02

have so many commentators, fair and children

15:04

running around and people of all stripes.

15:06

I'm speaking with Corey Mead about American

15:08

history tellers new book, the Hidden History

15:10

of the White House, our struggles, scandals,

15:13

and defining moments. After this quick break

15:15

will be joined by journalists Kate Henderson

15:17

Broward who wrote the book for. American.

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Anderson Brower Welcome to American History Tellers! Thanks

17:46

Satiny Lindsay Know Kate, when did you first

17:48

visit the White House? and of what was

17:51

your recollection of that as. Well, at

17:53

the end of swords Wu bless his

17:55

second term in a lighthouse. I was

17:58

a reporter at Bloomberg News. And

18:00

they needed somebody to go

18:02

to the White House for

18:05

the Presidents camp. David trap and

18:07

you know I was in my early twenties

18:09

so I eagerly volunteered to do does. It

18:11

was a weekend, it was early morning, no

18:14

one else wanted to do it basically and

18:16

I thought that I was going to Camp

18:18

David with George W Bush and then I

18:20

was gonna cover the President's head and can't

18:23

see that as you know was the Presidential

18:25

retreat outside of Washington So it's very excited

18:27

and it turns out that really be just

18:29

needed somebody to go to the south lawn

18:32

and watch Marine One the helicopter take off

18:34

and make sure that you do everything. Went

18:36

smoothly, And report back. To the editor

18:39

that bloomberg that everything had gone fine and

18:41

so that was my first introduction to the

18:43

White House. I work from the White House.

18:45

For several years as a

18:47

White House Reporter and as

18:49

a reporter a You're constantly.

18:52

On the sea floor of the White House

18:54

you're not in the residence you're not on

18:56

the second or third for is that are

18:58

reserved for the family. You don't go up

19:00

there but the state for of the White

19:02

House so you are in and out of

19:04

their throughout the day. So I was very

19:06

familiar with the state dining room the east

19:08

from but you are as a reporter is

19:10

sorted in and out. Said I was inside

19:12

the White House countless times as a reporter.

19:14

And it never bottles. So you likely

19:16

became very familiar with White House and

19:18

it's occupants. Can you give us an

19:21

idea of how many people with takes

19:23

to run the White House? The various

19:25

kinds of positions and roles. There are

19:27

about a hundred people. Who work behind

19:29

the scenes at the White House and

19:31

I didn't realize this when I was

19:33

a reporter. It was only towards the

19:36

end of my time as a White

19:38

House reporter when there was a lines

19:40

that Michelle Obama has said and we

19:42

went to the old family dining room

19:45

on the state for there were about

19:47

a dozen or less mostly female reporters

19:49

that covered the First Lady and a

19:51

butler came in dress in a tuxedo

19:53

and sorry Mrs. Obama on this elegant

19:56

china and she had a a relationship.

19:58

With him, they were at least. Than

20:00

a first name basis with him

20:02

and it was a very fascinating

20:05

glimpse into this world. Of

20:07

people who are butler's

20:09

engineers pains hers. Perks,

20:12

you name it. the White House

20:14

relies on these folks to run

20:16

at a day to day operations.

20:19

And they're They're from one administration

20:21

to the next. They are not

20:23

hired by the President was I

20:25

think is really unique. Serum was

20:27

seen tend to have a nonpartisan

20:29

group. Of. People who are

20:32

working for American. Democracy

20:34

and the White House and what

20:36

it stands for. And not one

20:38

presidents or another. And this

20:40

has been true for the whole history of the

20:42

White House. It's not only are these people dedicated

20:44

to their job, but he presents himself, grow very

20:47

close or the stuff. Oh, they're

20:49

extremely close to the staff you know

20:51

for Presidents and First Lady's They live

20:53

in this this whole world in the

20:55

White House. They live on the second

20:57

and third floors of the house so

20:59

it can be difficult because there's not

21:02

a lot of privacy. The only place

21:04

they can really let their hair down

21:06

is in the residence on the second

21:08

third floor and their about a half

21:10

dozen butler's and they are really the

21:12

ones who see everything the butlers and

21:14

in there are a couple of ballets

21:16

who worked for the military. And not

21:19

the residents death, but they are the

21:21

ones that are in the inner sanctum

21:23

and stay Get so close to the

21:25

President and First Lady that I know

21:28

from keeping in touch with several of

21:30

these butler's. You know when it's their

21:32

birthdays they receive a phone call occasionally

21:35

and one of the really wonderful things

21:37

is that when someone gets married or

21:39

someone passes away, sometimes the President's and

21:41

First Lady's go to the funerals are

21:44

the weddings. Which is really special. Know.

21:46

In your research and reporting, you spoken to many

21:49

of these people. You still keep in touch with

21:51

them or wonder if anyone in particular in the

21:53

behind the scenes crowd stands out. From

21:56

me the most fascinating story is

21:58

of Mary Prince. Here was.

22:01

The Carter's nanny she worked for

22:03

us the tartars. When the President

22:05

Carter was governor of Florida and

22:07

then she came with them to

22:09

Washington. insecure. Of Amy Carter. They're

22:12

very young daughter and her

22:14

soy is so amazing because

22:16

she had actually been charged

22:18

with murder. She was in her

22:20

mid twenties who is living in Georgia.

22:22

She's black and there was a site

22:24

outside of a bar. I interviewed marry

22:26

and I I know are fairly well

22:28

and she described house. He barely got

22:31

to talk to a lawyer before the

22:33

trial in see was sentenced to life

22:35

in prison and she met. Rosalynn Carter

22:37

it's real or work release program.

22:40

Where she was working outside of the

22:42

Governor's mansion in Georgia and Roseland Just

22:44

really took to her and asked if

22:46

she wanted to watch Amy and Amy

22:49

was three years old at the time

22:51

and the to just got along like

22:53

a house on fire and they had

22:56

so much fun together. Marry ended up

22:58

coming to the White House and President

23:00

Carter was actually her parole officer before

23:03

they got her conviction overturned. mean to

23:05

me that slanted assassinating stories of this

23:07

human release and serve you A Marry.

23:09

Still lives down the street from

23:12

President Carter in Plains Georgia. She

23:14

was at Roseland Carter's funeral.

23:16

She's a member of the part

23:19

of family essentially. Now Korea

23:21

with so many people taking care of the

23:23

White House, you would think that he would

23:25

be in good repair, but that's not really

23:27

the case all the time. In fact, as

23:29

you go into in the book and nineteen

23:31

forty nine but Truman's had to move out

23:33

as White House on went renovations, Give.

23:36

Us a taste of what was like before they moved out. So.

23:38

When the Truman's first moved in,

23:41

they were moving to this incredibly

23:43

shoddy. residents of floors are rotting,

23:45

carpets were threadbare, curtains or hangs,

23:47

strands of are you know cracks

23:49

in the ceiling, holes in the

23:51

plaster rats and they started to

23:53

be really alarming incidents. There was

23:55

a reception for the Daughters of

23:57

American Revolution in there was this

23:59

massive chandelier. Hanging overhead that

24:01

Mrs. Truman noticed suddenly began swinging

24:03

wildly back and forth over the

24:05

heads of the assembled. Guess the

24:07

most shocking incident happened one evening

24:09

when Margaret and a friend were

24:11

saying a piano do at. Upstairs.

24:14

And as they were doing the recital

24:16

the came to this particularly like fervent

24:18

part in the music. and suddenly Margaret

24:20

Steltz like there was an earthquake and

24:22

the piano literally broke through the floor

24:25

plaster went tumbling down of floor below.

24:27

So that was the sort of the

24:29

final straw for Truman as far as

24:31

realizing that big changes in be made

24:33

in the residents. And. Then

24:35

when the Truman's did move back in, everything

24:37

was new. New rules, new classroom, new paints

24:40

you planning, and a new feature called Project

24:42

Nine. What was that? Project Mine was a

24:44

fortified bomb shelter in the basement in case

24:46

of nuclear attack. And you know that's a

24:48

great example of what I mentioned before of

24:51

how changes in the White House reflect changes

24:53

and the nation at large. And so the

24:55

sort of post World War Two fear of

24:57

a the new nuclear world was, You know,

24:59

reflected in the fact of this feature that

25:02

was added during the massive White House renovation.

25:04

So. With each a new occupant, the

25:06

White House changes and it also traces

25:08

of course meal with the times with

25:11

new technology and or new threats as

25:13

bomb shelters are placed in. It's when

25:15

Richard Nixon entered the office. He introduced

25:17

new technologies well a tape recording system

25:19

that didn't work out for him. why

25:21

does he install it down. While

25:23

his stated reason for installing it was

25:26

because he didn't feel like senior staff

25:28

kept detailed enough memos about their meetings,

25:30

especially Kissinger who often one turn in

25:32

his memos on until significantly after the

25:34

fact she said and that hauled him

25:36

and his assistant said to the person

25:38

alexander Butter felt that the tasked with

25:40

installing the system that was simply there

25:42

for historical reasons to preserve accurate notes

25:44

of meetings. That's probably not the real

25:47

case, it just has to do with

25:49

Nixon sort of famous paranoia and you

25:51

know desire to set a fee. Everywhere.

25:53

But that was the cover version. Now.

25:56

Can you spoke to the White House

25:58

Chief Electrician who shared stories of. Nixon's

26:00

final days in office? What is he had

26:02

to say about those. While. They're

26:04

White House Chief Electricians. name is Doug

26:06

High Bar and See was one of

26:09

the few people in the Oval Office

26:11

when Nixon resigned on August eighth, nineteen

26:13

Seventy Four when he announced his resignation

26:16

when I interviewed Bill, he had long

26:18

since retired from the White House, but

26:20

he remembered that they like it was

26:23

yesterday. He said in there was dead

26:25

silence in the room. It was creepy

26:27

silent. He said there was a gradient

26:29

ago where he talked about after Nixon.

26:32

Sinister spot. a cast. Kleiber.

26:34

Left the Oval office and lock the

26:36

on the Colony which is right next

26:38

to the rose garden and Nixon was

26:40

falling behind him and it was just

26:42

silence. It was late at night. And

26:45

Nixon. Said you know where you heading

26:47

and Piper said back to the residents and

26:49

he can have moved aside to let Nixon

26:52

dylan front of him But Nixon said walk

26:54

with me and it's you walk together as

26:56

a short walk and Bill said that he

26:58

felt compelled to say something to him and

27:00

he said he did the best job you

27:03

could and Nixon said I was. A lot

27:05

of people felt that way and it looks

27:07

like he was about to cry. Piper said

27:09

so There's a sense of empathy that the

27:12

staff has for the people. Who serve

27:14

in the White House regardless of

27:16

their personal political beliefs. And that's

27:19

not the only Nixon. White.

27:21

House fast or you've been told in

27:23

the middle of Watergate. Nixon had a

27:25

you're on? No, no, he really wanted

27:27

to go bowling. What happened? As

27:29

Watergate was absolutely taking up every bit

27:32

as space and American newspapers and everyone

27:34

was consumed by what what's gonna happen.

27:36

Nixon was desperate for an escape and

27:39

he and Three Feet he famously said

27:41

up very late at night and it

27:43

was late at night and nobody was

27:45

in the White House. He does sue

27:48

the kitchen any signs. Friday May feels

27:50

he was our White House pot washer.

27:52

They called him and Nixon asked him

27:54

if he wanted to go bowling and

27:57

I think this also shows how lonely

27:59

Nixon. Was the time and Freddie said so

28:01

are. It's li can you write a

28:03

note to my wife to just explain what.

28:06

Why I'm out gonna be out and sell,

28:08

you know, to in the morning. So when

28:10

they finish that, Nixon wrote a note of

28:12

Freddy's Like and they had it framed on

28:14

their wall at home, explaining what he was

28:16

doing out so late. But it's as Kennedy

28:18

intimate moments that I think are so interesting.

28:21

I. Suppose that story brings up a question that

28:23

many people might not know. There's a bowling

28:25

alley in the White House? My yard. Way

28:27

they didn't go out to go bowling,

28:29

they went bowling in the White House.

28:31

It's not a very fancy bowling alley.

28:33

it's pretty bare bones. That's like the

28:35

White House swimming pool at Ford. Put

28:37

an end the basketball court that President

28:39

Obama sedan. It's the wave for presidents

28:41

and their families. The kind of feel

28:43

a little more nor mine. Of course

28:45

they can't leave the White House easily,

28:47

so I think they try to do

28:49

whatever they can to feel normal. And

28:52

now with one of the things that

28:54

was really popular back in the seventies.

28:56

You know, bowling with something people love

28:58

to do in Nixon? Love to bowl.

29:00

I'm speaking with for he made and

29:02

Kate Anderson Brower about a new book

29:04

inspired by the American history tellers Punch

29:06

the hidden history of the White House,

29:08

our struggles, scandals and defining moment available

29:10

now from William Morrow. will hear more

29:12

stories from the White House in. American.

29:21

History Tellers is sponsored by. Oh wait, I

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31:52

Cory I'm The White House is often

31:54

a place of cites or dinner parties,

31:56

and a lot of dignitaries are delighted

31:59

to attend. Probably no one more

32:01

so than in nights in a one when

32:03

Booker T. Washington dine at the White House

32:05

as the first black person to do so

32:08

with President Theodore Roosevelt's Tell Us About That

32:10

Story. Yeah, that night

32:12

and ninety no One was a

32:14

real a real watershed. But The

32:16

To Washington had been an ally

32:18

and a friend of Roosevelt for

32:20

a long time proceeding the presidency.

32:22

They corresponded frequently, telegram some letters

32:25

back and forth, and Washington's even

32:27

stayed at Roosevelt's house in Oyster

32:29

Bay. Long Island, Washington. at the time

32:31

was probably the best known and most

32:33

respected black man and america he lectured

32:35

you know around the world to rapturous

32:38

audience he published a best selling book

32:40

up from slavery and he ran the

32:42

tuskegee institute down in alabama but the

32:44

dinner invitation care about after i'm most

32:46

votes sort of surprise to cover the

32:49

peasants after mckinley was assessed a because

32:51

roosevelt wanted advice on political appointees down

32:53

south who is it a point to

32:55

what positions and so he was are

32:57

lying on washington the sort of given

33:00

the skinny because washington was incredibly connected

33:02

politically and knowledgeable from washington's perspective he

33:04

was really interested in getting as many

33:06

black appointees to political office as possible

33:08

or at the very least white appointees

33:10

for friendly to black interests so the

33:13

fact of them meeting together made a

33:15

lot of sense but when washington get

33:17

to d c and was staying with

33:19

the friends he received notice that roosevelt's

33:21

was inviting him to dinner that evening

33:24

and he was shocked because he knew

33:26

how frowned upon that would be in

33:28

the south but ultimately he decided that

33:30

the represented recognition of the black race

33:32

and so she didn't have any right

33:35

to refuse or even to think twice

33:37

about so he accepted so when he

33:39

arrived at the white house the present

33:41

the first lady greeted him and for

33:43

of their five children are also present

33:46

for the dinner and they were very

33:48

young at the time and washington was

33:50

really struck during the dinner itself by

33:52

the way that the roosevelts in their

33:54

children interacted in his own home he

33:57

and his wife had much more formal

33:59

dinner smith were sort of expected to sit

34:01

there and eat quietly and be respectful. But

34:03

the Roosevelt children we know were rambunctious, high

34:06

energy. They were running around. They brought their

34:08

pets into the room to show them their

34:10

rodents and things like that. And

34:12

Washington really found it touching the very

34:14

warm and friendly interaction between parents and

34:16

children. When the story got

34:18

out in the press a day or two later

34:20

about the fact that Washington had dined at the

34:22

White House, the Southern press was

34:25

just a flame with fury and

34:27

indignation, the idea that in

34:29

this house that wasn't the president's personal house,

34:31

it was a house that represented the nation that a

34:33

black man had been invited to dine was basically

34:36

like the worst possible thing that could have

34:38

happened. The Northern papers, there's

34:40

a great, actually I'm going to read this

34:42

directly, there's a great quote from a Boston

34:44

paper joking that the hysterical and horse-stricken Southern

34:47

shriekers would eventually realize that life is still

34:49

worth living despite the fact that a gifted,

34:51

interesting and attractive, olive-skinned Christian gentleman had dined

34:53

with the president. So it very

34:55

much represented the split in the country at

34:58

the time. Well, I guess we

35:00

can all imagine what the 1901 Southern

35:02

press would think when they learned that the

35:04

Obamas were the first African

35:07

American president and first lady. I

35:09

think we can imagine, yes. Now Kate,

35:11

you write about a special kind of understanding

35:13

between the black staff at the

35:15

White House and the Obamas. What is that understanding?

35:18

Well, I mean, you know, the Obama

35:20

said that looking at the mostly black staff

35:22

in the residence was like looking at their

35:24

own, you know, could be their uncles, could

35:26

be their aunts. I mean, Michelle

35:28

Obama had family members who worked in

35:31

the service industry as well. And by the

35:33

way, the thing about the resident staff

35:35

is that they don't see this in a

35:37

negative light at all. They see this as

35:39

a really great job because what they're doing

35:42

is helping the first family. And

35:44

in fact, Reginald Dixon, who was the assistant usher

35:46

at the White House when the Obamas were there,

35:48

a black man was

35:50

very close to Michelle Obama. And

35:53

when she was on a trip

35:55

with President Obama and this shockingly,

35:58

bullets were fired into the White House. House.

36:00

And there were casings on

36:02

the Truman balcony. And when

36:04

she came home, nobody told her

36:07

about it immediately because President Obama was still

36:09

out on the road and there was a

36:11

lot of discussion about, well, should we wait

36:13

until the president comes back before we tell

36:15

her? And you know, her mom, who lived

36:17

on the third floor of the White House,

36:20

and her youngest daughter, Sasha, they were

36:22

in the White House at the time

36:24

that these bullets were fired. And

36:27

the person who ended up telling her

36:29

was Reginald Dixon, the assistant usher. I

36:32

think it's interesting that it was a secret

36:34

not kept that brought these two together, especially

36:37

in a house which probably contains a lot

36:39

of secrets. Corey, I'm sure

36:41

in your research that you've discovered a few you enjoy.

36:44

What surprised you about a secret of the White House?

36:46

I think the secret that surprised me the most was

36:49

the fact that one of the acting presidents

36:51

actually was not acting as president for

36:54

the last part of his term. And this was

36:56

President Woodrow Wilson. The context for the

36:58

story is that out of the ashes of World War

37:00

I, Wilson was trying very hard

37:02

to establish an international league of nations,

37:05

which would sort of ensure that a global war on

37:07

that scale wouldn't happen again. And he

37:10

had been driving passionately for

37:12

months. In

37:14

1919, he had a stroke that

37:16

completely incapacitated him. And

37:19

rather than informing the other members

37:21

of his administration, let alone the

37:23

general public, Woodrow's wife, Edith, and

37:25

his doctor sort of made this

37:27

pact where Edith would then act

37:30

as shadow president in his

37:32

absence. I think of all the secrets that have gone

37:34

on in the White House, what happened in the White

37:36

House, that would be the greatest secret of all that

37:38

Edith was actually the president from 1919 for

37:41

the remainder of Wilson's term, and while keeping it

37:43

a secret from the public. And

37:45

Kate, I'm sure that you've heard your share

37:48

of White House secrets as well, especially those

37:50

kept by the White House staff to protect

37:53

the First Families. Yeah, there's some

37:55

wonderful stories I was told, for

37:57

instance, the head housekeeper, Christine Limerick.

38:00

Me a great story. About the Bush

38:02

daughter's stand and Barbara having a party

38:04

in the slayer am in they were

38:06

under. Age. Sydney were drinking. And

38:08

one of their guess went and tried to

38:11

climb up on the rules and such. the

38:13

flag pole on the top of the White

38:15

House. And sixteen

38:17

was. Very concerned as she

38:19

called the ushers office in this usher had

38:22

to get involved and get this kid down

38:24

and the idea is the would never tell

38:26

the bus is that I don't know

38:28

if they new to this day that that

38:30

happened. I'm surgeon above Li said something but

38:33

this idea that they're there to protect

38:35

the children to because they see that this

38:37

is not a normal life. In

38:39

any way and. I'm The

38:41

staff worked very hard to make

38:44

sure that people didn't know that

38:46

Franklin Roosevelt was in a wheelchair

38:48

and so before a state then

38:50

they would. We'll him into the

38:52

state dining room before anybody else.

38:54

you know They were very much

38:56

aware that that is something that

38:58

it was not supposed to be

39:00

public and they were part of.

39:02

That's a cover. Up. At head of

39:04

respecting his wishes. That not be

39:06

known that he was using a wheelchair. So.

39:09

Much drama has unfolded within the White

39:11

House and Corey I can't imagine any

39:13

room that is this a see more

39:15

of it than probably the situation room

39:17

in your book and you described in

39:19

the episodes The Southern, their. Yeah,

39:22

I do. I'm and it's the most

39:24

recent episode and the book in that's

39:26

a raid to kill Osama Bin Laden.

39:28

Obama in his team in a watching

39:30

this mission unfold. They did watch it

39:32

in real time but they had very

39:34

grainy video footage so there were all

39:36

these things go wrong and they also

39:38

did not have great visibility as to

39:40

what was actually happening here. The famous

39:42

example the two helicopters that we're taking

39:45

the seals and of the compound where

39:47

been one was hiding. Obama has team

39:49

watching on the screen saw where the

39:51

helicopters were supposed. to hover over the building

39:53

and the silver going to repel down into

39:55

it but instead they watched as it arrived

39:57

and then abruptly wield around and crashed into

40:00

the ground. So they were horrified.

40:02

What they didn't know was that the pilot of

40:05

that helicopter had made a really smart last-minute

40:07

decision. When he arrived at the compound, he found

40:09

that his helicopter wouldn't hover. Apparently,

40:11

the air conditions were different than where

40:13

they trained at the place in Nevada.

40:15

So he made the split-second decision to

40:18

wheel the tail of the helicopter around,

40:20

intentionally clip the wall of the compound so

40:22

that it would send the helicopter nose-first into

40:24

the ground and make a hard landing.

40:26

If the rotors had hit the ground, it

40:29

would have sent the helicopter tumbling could have

40:31

killed everyone inside. So it was that kind of

40:33

quick thinking that the shielders had been trained for.

40:35

But Obama and the others watching back

40:38

home had no idea. So at the

40:40

time of the actual raid, as it unfolded,

40:42

it was 38 minutes inside the compound, Obama

40:44

said was the most nervous he'd ever been

40:47

in his life. And I imagine many of the others felt

40:49

the same. Now, Kate, you worked

40:51

in the White House press pool at that time

40:53

and were at work the next morning. What

40:56

do you remember about that moment? Well,

40:58

I remember the excitement that people

41:00

felt when it was announced that

41:02

Bin Laden had been killed and

41:04

the groups outside the White House

41:07

with American flags. And it felt

41:09

like a very cathartic moment for

41:11

the country. But this is the

41:14

day after the White House Correspondents

41:16

Dinner. This is when I think

41:18

it shows the immense ability of

41:20

presidents and first ladies to keep

41:22

secrets because Obama in

41:25

2011 was out joking. It was

41:27

very lighthearted. And in fact,

41:29

there was going to be

41:31

a joke that his speechwriters

41:33

had put in that was riffing

41:35

off of his full name Barack Hussein Obama.

41:38

And they'd written a bit that referenced

41:42

Bin Laden in kind of a sarcastic

41:44

way. And they actually struck that from

41:46

the end of the day. And they had a

41:49

joke because, you know, I would just get rid

41:51

of the Bin Laden thing. Obama told them because

41:53

he couldn't tell anybody what was going on. Right.

41:55

And so he had to even to tell his

41:58

own speechwriters who were writing his joke. for

42:00

the dinner that day, why don't we just

42:02

not do anything touching that issue? JS And

42:05

finally, I'd like to ask you both this question.

42:07

You've both written about the White House. What

42:10

does its meaning? It's certainly more than a building. What

42:13

does it mean to you? Let's start with you, Kate.

42:15

Kate I think the

42:17

White House is the symbol of

42:19

American democracy. It is a place

42:21

that belongs to everyone. And it's

42:24

also the most public-private house in

42:26

the world next to Buckingham Palace.

42:29

It's our version of Buckingham Palace.

42:31

I think it not only

42:34

symbolizes the hopes for the

42:36

future of American democracy, but

42:38

also the trials and tribulations

42:40

from Nixon's resignation, Kennedy's assassination,

42:43

the myriad of things that have happened there that

42:45

are reflected in that house. The house stays

42:47

the same. The furniture in the

42:51

blue room, the green room, the East

42:53

room. It's pretty much the same as

42:55

it's been for decades and decades, you

42:58

know, since the Truman renovation.

43:00

And so I think that it's fascinating

43:02

that as the times change around

43:04

it, the core of the house

43:06

remains the same. And that says a

43:08

lot for the stability of American democracy. JS

43:11

And what about you, Corey? Corey Yeah, I

43:13

mean, I completely agree with everything Kate said

43:15

about what it represents symbolically. The thing that

43:17

I was struck with again and again, writing

43:19

the book, is the flip

43:21

side of the symbolic aspect of it, which

43:23

is its fact as a house, as a

43:26

residence, and absolute humanness of this.

43:28

And that it's the nature of the space that

43:31

the people that inhabit it are

43:33

called upon to do extraordinary things and

43:35

extraordinary times that outside the context of

43:37

that house, no one

43:39

would ever encounter, right? You know, whether

43:42

or not you think that presidents and their families

43:44

are ordinary people, just like me and you,

43:46

they are people that, due

43:48

to the fact of inhabiting that house,

43:50

are experiencing things that, you know, never

43:52

before, never since, they

43:54

have encountered. And that combination,

43:57

I think, makes it so fascinating. JS Well,

43:59

Corey Mead, and Kate Anderson Brower. Thank you

44:01

so much for joining us today on American History

44:03

Tellers. Dr. Robert Williams Thank you, Lindsay. Dr. Lindsay

44:05

Koskowitz Thank you. Dr. Robert Williams That was my

44:07

conversation with Cori Mead and Kate Anderson Brower. Find

44:10

out more by picking up the book,

44:12

The Hidden History of the White House,

44:14

Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments from

44:16

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

44:18

It's available now in hardcover and digital

44:21

editions wherever you get your books. Next

44:25

on American History Tellers, in a

44:27

new two-part series, we explore the

44:30

life and achievements of one of

44:32

America's most famous founders, the printer,

44:34

inventor, diplomat, and revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin.

44:40

If you like American History Tellers, you

44:42

can binge all episodes early and ad-free

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right now by joining Wondery Plus in

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44:52

Music. And before you go, tell us

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about yourself by filling out a short

44:56

survey at wondery.com/survey. From

45:01

Wondery, this has been a special episode of

45:03

American History Tellers. Thank you so

45:05

much to our guests, Cori Mead, author

45:07

of The Hidden History of the White

45:09

House, and Kate Anderson Brower, who wrote

45:12

the books for us. Kate's most recent

45:14

book is the first authorized biography of

45:16

Elizabeth Taylor. American History Tellers is hosted,

45:18

edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay

45:20

Graham, for Airship. This episode was produced

45:23

by Polly Stryker. Senior interview producer is

45:25

Peter Arcuni. Sound design by Molly Bach.

45:27

Music by Lindsay Graham. Produced by Alita

45:29

Rozanski. Our senior producer is Andy

45:31

Herman. And executive producers are Stephanie

45:33

Jens, Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marsha Louis,

45:35

and Erin O'Flaherty for Wondery. I

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