![]() ![]() Taylor surmises that Jennings, who was literate, paid a lot of attention to the conversations that took place when political and social leaders visited the Madisons. He also was often the first person a visitor encountered, and he supervised the other household staff in preparing dinners and receptions. Within the stifling confines of slavery, Jennings rose to the highest possible place, serving for many years - including the White House years - as Madison’s “body servant.” That meant that he attended to Madison’s personal needs - shaving him, for instance - and traveled with him pretty much everywhere. The subject of the book was born into slavery on Montpelier, Madison’s farm in Virginia, and remained in bondage until he was 46 years of age. ![]() But Elizabeth Dowling Taylor isn’t bashful about using that term in her book A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons. Folks confer a couple of lofty titles on James Madison, but “hypocrite” isn’t usually one of them. ![]()
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