The Executive Mansion

The Executive Mansion. . , After the Constitution was ratified in 1788, George Washington was unanimously elected as the first president of the United States in the following year. In 1790, the capital of the United States moved temporarily to Philadelphia for ten years while a permanent capital was being built along the banks of the Potomac River., While the capital was in Philadelphia, Robert Morris offered his home as the executive mansion, and President Washington lived here from November 1790 to March 1797. Washington expanded the hosue to make it functional both as a residence and as an entertainment space to host state dinners, banquets, and other social events. During his presidencey, Washington worked from a small office on the second floor of the building., The president's household consisted of First Lady Martha Washington, personal staff, servants, and nine slaves (whosen ames are memorialized on the wall nearby). Over the course of his life, Washington's views on slavery evolved. He freed his slaves in his will and also donated money toward the creation of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas at 5th and Adelphi Streets in Philadelphia., Washington issued his Farewell Address in 1796, which had its final version reviewed and confirmed from that house, warning the country against political passions and sectionalism. He advised the nation to uphold the Constitution, promote education, and encourage religion and morality., From Splendor to Ruin , Washington's successor, John Adams, moved into the house in March 1797 with his wife Abigail, and they lived here until May 30, 1800. At that point, President Adams oversaw the transfer of the government to Washington, D.C. The Adamses lived in the unfinished White House for just over four months before the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson, who had defeated Adams in the election of 1800., After the federal government left Philadelphia, the President's House was converted into Francis's Union Hotel. The building later served as a boardinghouse before it was demolished in the nineteenth century. Three stores built here were eventually torn down to make way for Independence Mall in 1951., Today, you can see the original foundation of the President's House, discovered by archeologists working on the site in 2007., The Presidents' Visitors , Officials , Many dignitaries met or dined with Presidents Washington and Adams, including men who would become President themselves, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams. Visitors also included Supreme Court justices, cabinet secretaries, and congressmen., Ambassadors , Foreign ambassadors and emissaries were welcomed. President John Adams and Secretary of State Timothy Pickering hosted Joseph Bunel, a representative of Toussaint L'Ouverture. In Saint-Domingue (Haiti), L'Ouverture had led a slave rebellion. During the Adams administration the United States supported Toussaint econdomically with trade and supplies, and militarily with arms and U.S. Navy ships., Native American Dignitaries , Presidents Washington and Adams met with many delegations from Native American Nations. Presidents Washington and Adams invited Thayendananegea, also known as Joseph Brant, a famous Mohawk leader of the Iroquoi Nations. Washington also invited a Chickasaw delegation, including Chiefs Piomingo, George Colbert, and William Glover, to the house to discuss future relations with the United States. Other Native American chiefs, including Seneca Chief Red Jacket, met with Washington in the state dining room., [Captions:] , Above: George Washington's second inauguration took place at Congress Hall in Philadelphia on March 4, 1793. Courtesy, Library of Congress., Left: Portrait of Abigail Smith Adams by Gilbert Stewart, 1800-1815. Courtesy, National Gallery of Art., Right: Portrait of John Adams by Gilbert Stewart, 1800-1815. Courtesy, National Gallery of Art., Above: Washington and members of his cabinet, including Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, and Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, are depicted in this 1876 lithograph by Currier and Ives. Courtesy, Library of Congress., Above: Portrait of Toussaint L'Ouverture by George Debaptiste, 1870. Courtesy, Library of Congress., Below: Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant by Charles Willson Peale. Courtesy, Independence National Historical Park.