After 200 years, a first daughter comes home

By Linah Mohammad,

Scott Detrow, Jeanette Woods

Published November 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM EST

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with retired teacher Barbara VornDick about her years-long efforts to shed new light on the life and death of Eliza Monroe Hay, President James Monroe's eldest daughter.

Linah Mohammad

Prior to joining NPR in 2022, Mohammad was a producer on The Washington Post's daily flagship podcast Post Reports, where her work was recognized by multiple awards. She was honored with a Peabody award for her work on an episode on the life of George Floyd.

Scott Detrow

Scott Detrow is a White House correspondent for NPR and co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast.

See stories by Scott Detrow

Jeanette Woods

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