A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison

"A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison" by Paul Jennings is a memoir that unveils the life and times of President James Madison as witnessed by Jennings, a man enslaved on Madison's plantation who became his personal servant. This book gives a first-hand account of significant historical moments, including the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington, D.C., all while offering a different view of the president himself. Jennings shares insights into Madison's character, painting him as a man of strong principles who, despite the norms of his time, showed kindness towards those he enslaved; the book further interweaves personal stories of the Madison family with Jennings's own path toward liberation, thus creating a significant historical record of an African American's experiences during a transformative era in American history.

Paul Jennings was an American abolitionist and writer. Enslaved as a young man by President James Madison during and after his White House years, Jennings published, in 1865, the first White House memoir. His book was A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison, described as "a singular document in the history of slavery and the early American republic."