The 1850s were a pivotal time in the history of the United States. The country was careening toward Civil War with increasing conflict around the institution of slavery, heightened by three national political decisions in the 1850s: the Fugitive Slave Act, the Compromise of 1850 and the Dred Scott decision. The American economy was in crisis by 1857 adding to the strain. The country was in a struggle for control. 

The household at Cliveden mimicked the turmoil of the nation. The death of Benjamin Chew Jr. in 1844 sent the household into a twenty-year conflict, both in and outside of the courts. As in the United States, family members struggled for power and control. Servants were deposed in court. Fights, both physical and verbal, broke out between a mother and her children and siblings while others in the household and community watched. Tensions were aggravated by substance abuse. Battles were won and lost. This exhibit explores this critical period in the history of the United States and Cliveden, how it impacted one household and connections that can be made to life today.