the little girl in judith reeves letter identified jennings as only a colored gentleman. jennings' rise would always require unremitting resistance against legal, social and psychological impediments. by the early 1840s, the social and political elite of the capital were being wined and dined on lafayette square at madison's house, gadsby's house, daniel webster's house and benjamin taylor's house. webster was secretary of state at this time and owned the house just a few doors west of here, the site of the chamber of commerce building today. the they lowe's lived on the same lane as dolly and july they low would occasionally forward notes to dolly asking if he might borrow paul for her dinner parties. the soirees at all of these fine homes could not have been grander thanks to household staff like paul jennings, nancy syfax, and at webster's, cook monica mccarty. all three of these individuals were about the same age. jennings and syphax each had a connection to a president and his virginia plantation. nancy syphax, like her mother before her, having been born at mt. ver