Slave in the White House Audiobook By Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, Annette Gordon-Reed cover art

Slave in the White House

Paul Jennings and the Madisons

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Slave in the White House

By: Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, Annette Gordon-Reed
Narrated by: Judith West, Kevin Kenerly
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.04

Buy for $21.04

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

Paul Jennings was born into slavery on the plantation of James and Dolley Madison in Virginia, later becoming part of the Madison household staff at the White House. Once finally emancipated by Senator Daniel Webster later in life, he would give an aged and impoverished Dolley Madison, his former owner, money from his own pocket, write the first White House memoir, and see his sons fight with the Union Army in the Civil War.

Based on correspondence, legal documents, and journal entries rarely seen before, this amazing portrait reveals the mores and attitudes toward slavery in the 19th century, and sheds new light on famous characters such as James Madison, French General Lafayette, Dolley Madison, and many other long-forgotten slaves, abolitionists, and civil rights activists.

©2012 Elizabeth Dowling Taylor. Recorded by arrangement with Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC. (P)2012 HighBridge Company. Americas Black & African American Cultural & Regional Politics & Activism Presidents & Heads of State United States Biography War Africa

Critic reviews

“A revealing study . . . Taylor paints a fascinating portrait of slavery, hypocrisy, and one man’s quiet struggle to overcome its injustices.” ( Publishers Weekly)
“An important story of human struggle, determination, and triumph.” ( Kirkus Reviews)
“Throws fascinating light on both the struggles of a black man in 19th-century America and life in the early years of the young American republic.” ( The Christian Science Monitor)

People who viewed this also viewed...

The Original Black Elite Audiobook By Elizabeth Dowling Taylor cover art
The Original Black Elite By: Elizabeth Dowling Taylor
All stars
Most relevant  
A great book if you want a thorough story of what slavery was like in America as well as more info on early politics.

Must read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It was interesting to learn how he wanted to end slavery & how he managed his slaves. The truth about how Washington’s portrait was not saved by Dolly Madison was very interesting,

James Madison : Compassionate President

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fascinating look at the early history of the U.S. - rounds out the picture of the early American experience.

Essential reading for Washington DC and Virginia history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Educational history of the rich and famous in the 17 and 18 hundreds and those that served them.

White House Slave

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.