1. Research Montpelier, Virginia, and the Madison family (1723-1844). What businesses did the family own and manage?

2. Detail the existence, contributions, and sacrifices of Montpelier's slave community. What skills did slaves learn? In what domestic activities did they serve?

What did they eat? How did they spend their time off?

3. Families can be formed by people who have no blood relationships, such as Virginia's family at the White House.

Describe characteristics that build a family. What characteristics fracture it?

4. The story occurs in Washington, D.C., in 1814. Describe the city, including its layout (the Mall, Capitol Hill, rivers, boundaries, etc.) and traditions. What businesses supported the culture? How did the city change when it was rebuilt after the fires of 1814?

5. For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States Government, and the...