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Living Descendants of White House Enslaved Builder | Oakland News
A groundbreaking genealogical discovery links Jackie Smith Sullivan and her daughter Ashley Swain to Calvert Ambush, an enslaved man who helped build the White House in 1829. After a two-year search through dusty records, researchers from American Ancestors and ABC News traced Ambush’s lineage — making Swain his fourth great-granddaughter. It’s the first time a living descendant has been connected to an enslaved worker who helped construct the White House. Swain was stunned to find her ancestor’s name on a 1829 payroll, realizing his hands helped shape the nation’s most iconic buildings. The…
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