Eliza

Cite this Page

"Eliza," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/223.

Position: Maid
Years in President's House: circa 1834
Legal Status: Enslaved Person
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Black or African American
Presidency: Andrew Jackson
Biography: Eliza may have worked as an enslaved maid in Andrew Jackson’s White House, according to information provided by staff at The Hermitage, the historic interpretation site that interprets Andrew Jackson’s plantation.
Very little is known about Eliza, including her last name. She appears in one letter from Andrew Jackson to his political advisor William Berkely Lewis on July 9, 1834. Jackson was traveling to The Hermitage and realized two cameos, or small portraits, for his relatives had been left behind at the White House. He left the following instructions: “You will find them in a small box in the lower drawer of my cloathes press in my sleeping room. Eliza, or Ann, has the key–please to attend this for me.” (1)
Based on this letter, it is likely Eliza worked at the White House.
Thank you to The Hermitage providing research assistance with this biography
: (1) “Andrew Jackson to William Berkely Lewis, July 9, 1834,” The Papers of Andrew Jackson Digital Edition, Michael E. Woods, editor. (Charlo􀀁esville: University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2015), h􀀁ps://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/JKSN-01-12-02-0269 [accessed 17 Feb 2026]
Birthplace: Unclear from Context