Welcome to the White House Historical Association's LibGuide focused on rights and responsibilities in White House history.
The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. We are a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a mission to protect, preserve, and provide public access to the "People's House"—the White House. This includes providing educational and historical resources to K-12 teachers, students, and their learning communities across the nation and the world.
This LibGuide features primary and secondary sources related to this topic, intended to assist teachers creating classroom materials as well as other professionals researching White House history. Sources in this LibGuide are supported by the Association's Digital Library and other repositories including the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other presidential libraries.
The 2025 National History Day theme is Rights and Responsibilities in history. This LibGuide will allow you to explore the connotations of rights and responsibilities in relation to White House history. What are the responsibilities of the president and the first lady? Although the White House is seen by many as a symbol of democracy, how have rights been restricted—and denied—throughout history? And how have global citizens used the White House and the surrounding neighborhood to advocate for their own rights?
The Association's Education and Digital Library teams have brought a multitude of materials into one convenient location to help teachers and other professionals with their planning and research. This collection further serves to highlight the complex roles that the White House fills as a home, office, museum, and stage with historical implications for rights and responsibilities.
