The First Ladies of the United States
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This is the sleepy history of the United States First Ladies, narrated by Heather Foster, written by Alicia Stefan, sometimes an activist and sometimes a fashion icon. It is undeniable that the spouse of the United States President is always in the spotlight alongside her partner.

But what might be surprising to know is that the U.S. First Ladies haven't always been wives of the presidents. Sometimes they were daughters or distant relatives who stepped into the role as hostess of the White House when called upon to do so. Across the centuries, these women have left their mark on American politics and culture. So just relax and let your mind drift.

as we explore the sleepy history of the United States First Ladies. In the modern era, it has become rather expected that anyone elected as United States President will surely have a spouse. That's because it's been almost consistently true for the last century. Looking back at the last hundred years,

Nearly every US president has had a wife, specifically with many of them in long-standing marriages that began prior to their time in office. It's also generally accepted now that any partner of the president must have their own agenda. Each incoming spouse has chosen causes she wanted to champion

ranging from environmentalism to school lunch nutrition. However, the role is still unpaid and unofficial. An article on the website of one presidential library pointed out that the position of First Lady is not addressed in the Constitution, but that public service is nonetheless inherent to the role.

But modern ideas about public service actually differ somewhat from those held by Americans from earlier centuries. It's true that there has almost always been someone executing the duties of a first lady alongside the president. But the ways in which each of these women has viewed their own duties has varied widely.

From hosting events to influencing legislation, from subtle diplomacy to fashion iconography to outright activism, the remarkable women who have stepped into this unpaid work have each played their part in history on their own terms. To understand how the role has changed and evolved over time,

Let's go back to the very beginning. Imagine for a moment how Martha Washington must have felt when her husband became the first president of the United States. She was stepping into a role that had never been occupied before. Although customs of the day certainly demanded that Mrs. Washington be responsible for household matters,

and the entertainment of guests, she was also in uncharted waters. The newly minted American presidency was an office that sought to explicitly depart from the expectations about how aristocrats or kings and queens would behave. Luckily, Martha brought a wealth of experience to her new position.

By the time George Washington became president, both he and Martha were heading into their late 50s. That doesn't sound terribly old nowadays, but the average life expectancy at that time was decades less than it is today. By contemporary measure, the Washingtons were mature in years.

Even at the time she had married George about three decades earlier, Martha had been an accomplished domestic partner at a time in history when life was harder in many ways. It was not unusual for women to lose a spouse at a young age, married first to a wealthy Virginia man who was 20 years her senior.

Martha met George as a 26-year-old high society widow who had already given birth to four children. When she married the well-to-do George Washington just two years later, she was quite prepared to become mistress of Mount Vernon, his legendary home on the Potomac.

Most people think of Martha Washington and picture portraits that were made of her in her older years. However, miniatures from her younger days show that she was stylish with a love for silk, dressed in lace, satin slippers, and expensive jewelry. Signs point to the Washington's marriage having been a love match.

and Martha was known to follow George to the front during the American Revolution in order to support him. When he became president, with the ideals of the Revolution to uphold, there was much discussion over Martha's title. Some suggested Marquise, others suggested Lady.

She chose to remain Mrs. Washington in order to avoid the appearance of court culture or aristocracy. However, many guests still called her Lady Washington or even Our Lady Presidentress. Many people don't realize that George Washington was the only president never to live in the White House.

although he oversaw its construction. Martha lived with him first in New York and then in Philadelphia, where the business of the nation was conducted from a series of grand houses. Always loyal to her husband, she was known for her unwavering support of him. Her skillful hosting of his events

and her general ability to engage with citizens of all Abigail Adams whose husband John Adams was vice president wrote that Martha's behavior as a lady made her the object of veneration and respect when George passed away in 1799 Martha reportedly said tis well all is over I shall soon follow him

I have no more trials to pass through. It was Abigail Adams who took up the role of first lady when Martha stepped down. She continued Martha's example of exhibiting strong support for the president, her husband John, as well as modeling the life of a wife and mother. Living first in Philadelphia and later as the first hostess of the new White House,

Abigail proved to be energetic and practical. Despite lacking a formal education, she was very well-read. She was known to be actively involved in political discussions, earning herself the moniker Mrs. President. She was also a no-nonsense domestic manager.

comfortable with solutions such as hanging the family laundry in the partially built East Room of the White House. But she also left behind writings that showed some of the earliest rhetoric calling for women's education and the emancipation of enslaved people.

The letters she wrote to her husband offer priceless modern insights into revolutionary era politics and the accompanying social issues. Up until this point, the original first ladies seemed to fit the mold we expect nowadays in that they were in established marriages and dedicated full time to their hosting duties.

However, the role of White House hostess took a surprising turn when Thomas Jefferson came on the scene. Taking office at age 57, Jefferson had already been a widower for a long time. His wife, Martha Skelton Jefferson, had passed away 19 years prior.

When Jefferson began his tenure in 1801, his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, who was known as Patsy, stepped in to substitute for his late wife. She performed this role intermittently, first for seven weeks during the 1802 to 1803 timeframe.

Then later she was at the White House at the time of the birth of her son, James Madison Randolph, marking the first presidential grandchild to be born at the White House. As a part-time hostess, she sometimes handed off her responsibilities to Dolly Madison, who was the wife of Secretary of State James Madison. When neither of them was available,

the wives of various cabinet members stepped in. Dolly was already much loved and admired by the time her own husband became president in 1809. Dolly was worldly and stylish, and she consciously infused the White House with sophistication. Working tirelessly, she presided over many dinners and social events.

She organized the very first inaugural ball and began having gatherings on Wednesday evenings called drawing rooms, which she used to engender respectful conversation among the sometimes polarized figures of Washington. These events were enormously popular, allowing her to quietly wield her political influence

at a time when women were confined by many societal limits on their activities. Her work also benefited the public. She was the first president's wife to associate herself with a public charity sponsoring a home for orphaned girls in Washington, D.C. But Dolly's legacy was not defined merely by her social finesse.

or her clever forms of persuasion. One of her greatest moments came during the War of 1812. In 1814, when British soldiers were about to burn down the White House, Dolly insisted on staying behind after her husband and his cabinet fled to safety. Her mission was to save some of the precious items from the White House.

Most famously, this included the portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. But she also saved household silver and important documents. Dolly succeeded, earning a place in American history for her bravery and forethought. As a spouse, she certainly set a high bar for future presidential hostesses.

demonstrating social finesse, intelligence, and grit. Zachary Taylor reportedly eulogized her as "first lady of our land." The hostesses for the next few presidencies were more about making do than making history. Elizabeth Monroe was criticized for being fiercely private.

And Louisa Adams was known for her sophistication, but she suffered from a strained marriage with President John Quincy Adams, as well as suffering personal struggles with depression. As the 19th century continued, the role of First Lady continued to be filled by a patchwork of women in the President's lives.

Martin Van Buren came to office as a widower in 1837. At first, he had no hostess at all, and the White House was known as a somber place. Eventually, his daughter-in-law, Angelica Singleton Van Buren, filled the role. She happened to be Dolly Madison's cousin and was known for brightening up the atmosphere there and working for charities.

Anna Harrison barely had a chance to make her mark. Her husband William Harrison passed away unexpectedly just 31 days into his presidency in 1844. Sadly, Letitia Tyler, wife of John Tyler, was unable to be active as First Lady as she was wheelchair-bound after suffering a stroke.

She was, unfortunately, the first of the presidential spouses to pass away while her husband was in office. Luckily, this sad streak for first ladies came to a halt when Julia Tyler burst on the scene. Although you may have never heard of her, Julia Tyler happened to be the second youngest first lady in history.

The only woman who would be younger was the future first lady, Frances Cleveland. A wealthy and well-educated socialite, Julia met President John Tyler soon after Letitia had passed away. Thirty years her senior, the president fell for her immediately. She did not accept his first proposal, but she later changed her mind.

They were married in 1844. Julia was a real firecracker. In modern terms, we might consider her to be the first real White House influencer. Although her time in the role was short, she modeled herself on Dolly Madison and sought to elevate the position of first spouse above that of a simple hostess.

To do this, she leveraged publicity. She befriended reporters, sought media coverage for her events, and was the first presidential wife to allow herself to be photographed and have her portrait mass-produced. She even endorsed a waltz that was sold as sheet music. Reporter F.W. Thomas called her the Presidentress.

Julia was also savvy about the marketing of her husband. She advised him to stand against the wall at public functions to avoid being swamped by crowds. She was also the person who established the song "Hail to the Chief" as a key element of presidential public events.

Of all the first ladies, Julia Tyler is among those that modern media savvy audiences might understand best. After Julia's sparkling tenure, many of the ensuing White House hostesses seemed reserved in comparison. Sarah Polk was very religious, and she banned dancing and alcohol at the White House.

She was known for industriously assisting her husband behind the scenes. Margaret Taylor kept mostly to her private rooms, leaving her daughter Betty to play hostess to visitors. In contrast to her many wealthy predecessors, Abigail Fillmore had grown up in poverty. She taught school right up until the time that her first child was born.

and never liked entertaining his first lady very much. She favored intimate private gatherings. Jane Pierce struggled with overwhelming depression and was unable to act as hostess for much of her husband's tenure. Her husband, Franklin Pierce, was succeeded by bachelor James Buchanan, who enticed his vivacious niece Harriet to act as hostess for him.

She was reportedly well liked, providing a bright spot as war loomed ever more menacingly over the capital. Harriet was a good example of a White House hostess who couldn't be called Mrs. President or Presidentress due to the fact that she wasn't a spouse.

Leslie's Illustrated newspaper was the first known publication to print an article using today's well-known title for the role. Harriet was referred to as "First Lady of the White House." Of course, no history of First Ladies could be complete without a mention of Mary Todd Lincoln, whose legacy is complicated.

Mrs. Lincoln was active in charitable works, but she was unpopular due to her awkward position as a southerner in the White House during the Civil War. Further, she suffered the losses of her sons and her husband in tragic succession, which eventually compromised her mental health. Sadly, this is how history remembers her. Eliza Johnson succeeded Mary Lincoln

but she was unable to fulfill official duties due to illness, and her daughter Martha hosted as best as she could. Julia Grant was the next presidential spouse after Eliza, and she adored entertaining. She was known for enthusiastically hosting many White House events, truly relishing the role of hostess rather than stepping into official affairs of state.

When Lucy Hayes moved into the White House next, some hoped that her fervor for women's rights and the temperance movement would spur her to get involved with those efforts. After all, she was the first of the presidential spouses to have a degree from higher education. However, she preferred to defer to her husband

and is probably best remembered for instituting the famous White House Easter egg roll. Lucretia Garfield was known for her devotion to her husband and family foremost. When James Garfield was struck by an assassin in 1881, the public raised money for support of her and their five children.

President Chester Arthur was a widower when he took office, and his sister Mary McElroy stepped in to fill the role of White House hostess. Mary goes down in history for the dubious distinction of actually being an activist against women's suffrage. So in the end, not really a first lady icon to many.

Grover Cleveland was a bachelor when he took office, and his scholarly sister Rose reluctantly stepped into the first lady role. She was no doubt happy to hand those duties off to Frances Folsom, who, at just 21 years of age, married the 39-year-old president.

making her the youngest of any first lady before or since. Frances was the first presidential spouse to get married in the White House, and her nuptials inspired a bit of a media frenzy. Young and energetic, she might be compared to Jackie Kennedy, who would enchant the nation many decades later.

Frances used her celebrity to keep up a busy hosting schedule, and she even instituted Saturday receptions for working women to attend on their days off. Benjamin Harrison served the next term as president. Carolyn Harrison made efforts to update the White House in both practical and aesthetic terms.

As an accomplished artist, she sought to beautify its spaces, but perhaps more importantly, she oversaw the installation of electricity. Many a future first lady was probably thankful for that. She was also a supporter of philanthropic causes. Sadly, her work was cut short when she fell ill late in her husband's term and passed away.

She was briefly followed by her daughter, Mary, who held down the fort until Frances Cleveland returned to the job when Grover won a second term. Frances picked up right where she had left off, gaining the distinction of being the only first lady to give birth at the White House. In addition to a busy schedule as a wife, mother, and hostess,

She even found time to complete some of the ongoing, much-needed renovations. Ida McKinley stepped in next. She is another of the first ladies who rarely comes up in conversation. However, looking back, she showed a lot of bravery and determination. Not only did she suffer from bouts of depression,

but complications after her second pregnancy left her with epilepsy. At a time when her condition would have generally been hidden, she insisted on attending public functions with her husband, knowing that seizures would occasionally happen. She set an example for how to be inclusive of people with disabilities.

and she was also the first presidential spouse to openly support women's suffrage. Edith Roosevelt, who took on the position next, was really a super hostess. She was behind the hiring of the very first White House social secretary. Not only did she host a record number of events at the White House,

but she modernized and expanded its spaces. One of the most recognizable contributions was starting the tradition of commissioning and hanging a portrait of each president and first lady in the halls at the White House. The next first lady was Helen Taft,

One could say she was a woman who had the bad luck to be born long before her time. Having visited the White House in her youth, Helen became determined that she would one day be married to the President. She worked tirelessly behind the scenes on her husband's campaign. Even though she was in the background, her efforts were noticeable.

Theodore Roosevelt accused her of seeking the presidency for herself and claimed she did not know her place as a political wife. For modern women, this is a criticism that is hard to swallow, as women could not even vote at the time.

Taft's campaign was successful and Helen became the first presidential spouse to ride next to her husband after his swearing-in ceremony. One legacy of her tenure is obvious to the modern world: she fell in love with Japan.

on an official trip and became instrumental in the effort to plant the cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., which now draw well over a million visitors each year. Ellen Wilson followed Helen Tapt only briefly before passing away, but she had some important accomplishments.

As an artist, she designed the first rose garden at the White House, and she was very involved in projects to better the lives of working people. However, it was Woodrow Wilson's second wife who became most known to history, pulling off a feat that nobody could have predicted. Edith was a wealthy widow when she met the president by chance.

After she went on an outing with his sister, they had a whirlwind courtship. His cabinet strongly opposed their speedy match, saying it was unseemly, being too close to the recent passing of his first wife. The pair married anyway, reportedly swept away by love at first sight. Edith was not very interested in playing White House hostess.

Instead of maintaining a major public presence, she preferred to take on an active behind-the-scenes role. Reportedly, she was always at the President's side, apprised of all his major affairs. During World War I, Edith used the conflict as an excuse to eliminate the last of her public entertaining duties

and endeavored to become a paragon of economy and patriotism. These included participating in all the austerity measures expected of the public, including thrift clothing and rationing, as well as endorsement of the habit of observing meatless Mondays and wheatless Wednesdays.

Cleverly, she was able to eliminate the White House groundskeeping burden by borrowing 20 sheep from a nearby farm to keep the lawn trimmed. Then she auctioned off their wool, garnering $50,000 that was donated to causes related to the war effort. In addition to the domestic tasks of knitting and sewing,

she turned her efforts to promoting causes such as war bonds and responded to soldiers by mail. Reportedly, she even decoded secret messages for the administration. In 1919, Woodrow suffered a major stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down. This was long prior to the adoption of the 25th Amendment

which provided a transfer of power to the vice president in case the president was unable to perform his duties. Edith made the controversial decision to conceal the severity of his condition from the world. For the next several months, she allowed almost nobody to see him. Only family and doctors were admitted to his presence.

Even his own cabinet did not gain access to him until April of 1920, six months later. During his convalescence, Edith took on a role she later characterized as a stewardship. Her husband was shielded from outside visitors. She screened what papers he would see and controlled his schedule.

In her 1939 memoir, Edith insisted she "never made a single decision regarding the disposition of public affairs." She insisted that her first priority had been to protect her husband, not preserve his political position. Nonetheless, there are many who call her the first woman president.

and there was no way for historians to truly understand where the line was drawn between Edith and her husband during those last years of his presidency. Woodrow Wilson is now considered to be one of the greatest American presidents. Florence Harding, who succeeded Edith, isn't a first lady who gets much recognition, but she should.

She and Helen Taft were similar in that they actively promoted their husbands' careers. Florence, however, had the distinction of being the first presidential spouse to actually be able to vote for her own husband. Accordingly, she was an energetic advocate for women's education and advancement.

It was Grace Coolidge who anchored the White House during much of the roaring twenties. Although she was reportedly weighed down by the responsibility, she gamely rose to the occasion, offering her approachable personality to fill in where her very introverted husband might have failed to create popular appeal.

One quirky detail gives an insight into how likeable she must have been. She actually had a pet raccoon named Rebecca. Among her many projects, she was a lifelong advocate for the deaf. Following a colorful person like Grace must have been a challenge for Lou Hoover, but Mrs. Hoover was accomplished in her own right.

Having traveled extensively with Herbert in his previous mining career, she was both sophisticated and industrious. In addition to being an advocate for causes such as accessible education and hunger relief, she bears the distinction of being the first presidential spouse to give a radio address. She was also the first to hire additional staff for herself.

with her own funds. This brings us to Eleanor Roosevelt, who was undeniably one of the most greatly respected American first ladies. In contrast to many earlier presidential pairs, she and Franklin had married quite young in their early 20s. Prior to becoming first lady, she had already applied herself energetically to social reform work.

Not only was she experienced with social justice by an early age, but she was with Franklin throughout his political rise. In 1921, Franklin was paralyzed from the waist down by a bout with polio, but Eleanor encouraged him not to abandon his political dreams. With her support, he was elected to be governor of New York in 1928.

and just six years later, he ascended to the presidency. Eleanor transformed the role of First Lady from that of a social hostess to one where she could meaningfully participate in the administration. She was quoted by a reporter saying, "I never wanted to be a president's wife. Now I shall have to work out my own salvation."

Eleanor began her tenure in 1933 when the United States was in the grip of the Great Depression. Her husband was unable to travel, so she made extensive trips around the country, serving as his eyes and ears and reporting back to him on the state of the nation during the crisis.

She was also the first to hire a personal secretary in addition to the existing social and administrative secretaries of the First Lady's staff. Further, Eleanor's impact on her husband's presidency provides a laundry list of important contributions. She encouraged him to appoint more women to federal positions

and supported female reporters who were struggling to gain access to press conferences. She advocated for European war refugees and boosted morale for the war efforts in the 1940s. Eleanor resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when they refused to let African-American singer Marian Anderson perform at Constitution Hall, pressing for racial equality.

In 1945, Franklin passed away while in office, but Eleanor's work was long from over. When she herself passed away in 1962, her funeral was attended by three living presidents. She was a daunting act to follow. Bess Truman had enormous shoes to fill, and she chose to lead a more private life.

Behind the scenes, Bess focused on being a soundboard for the president and managing critical updates to the White House. Mamie Eisenhower, on the other hand, chose to focus on hostessing events and supporting her family. She became a bit of a fashion icon, famous for her short bangs and her love of the color pink.

Regarding style, however, the world was taken by storm. When Jacqueline Kennedy arrived at the White House, Jackie brought youth and sophistication to the role, and her sense of style extended to the White House itself, where she invited Americans in for a televised tour.

But perhaps her true legacy was the grace with which she navigated her husband's assassination and its aftermath. While she was certainly not the only First Lady widowed in office, she was the first to bear that burden in the era of television in tandem with a grieving country. It must have been intimidating for her successor, Claudia Johnson, to so suddenly fill those elegant shoes

But Claudia, known as Lady Bird, would make her own extremely valuable contributions. With extensive experience in business and the media, Lady Bird didn't waste time getting to work on her favorite causes. She's often cited for her beautification projects, but these were really environmentalism and social justice efforts.

Lady Bird preserved valuable natural spaces and advocated for better conditions in lower income neighborhoods. The lasting impact of her forethought can be truly appreciated today when society is much more aware of the need to protect natural resources. Without Lady Bird's efforts, much might have been lost.

200 laws relevant to the environment were passed during the Johnson administration and her husband Lyndon explicitly credited her for 50 of them. At this point in history, the first lady position took on a shape that most people would probably recognize and expect today.

Pat Nixon became the first presidential spouse to have earned an advanced degree on top of her BA in the form of a teaching certificate from the University of Southern California. Between her tenure and the present, there have been four additional first ladies who would possess a graduate degree: Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden.

But further, Mrs. Nixon was an advocate for women. She was the first presidential spouse to appear publicly in trousers, and she vocally supported the Equal Rights Amendment. Betty Ford continued Pat Nixon's advocacy of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Perhaps more importantly, in an echo of her long-ago predecessor, Ida McKinley, she openly shared her battle with breast cancer, destigmatizing the experience and prompting women to get preventative care. Later in life, sharing her own struggles, she brought equal openness to the discussion of drug and alcohol addiction and its treatment.

Rosalynn Carter was also an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as being a lifelong activist for mental health. From an administrative standpoint, she benefited from new legislation that clarified the role of a First Lady and used it to set up offices in the East Wing of the White House. That precedent benefited all the presidential spouses who followed.

Nancy Reagan continued the work of Betty Ford, openly sharing her own battle with breast cancer. Perhaps owing to her background in acting, she was also a super hostess. During the Reagan years, she helped host more than 50 state dinners and countless other events that attracted many celebrities of the day.

In keeping with modern precedent, she also took on a platform of her choosing, which was a campaign to stem the use of alcohol and drugs. Throughout the ensuing decades, First Ladies tended to come to the White House each with their own style, their own valuable experience, and their own plans to improve the lives of Americans.

For example, Barbara Bush was passionate about literacy. Hillary Clinton, an accomplished lawyer, paved the way for first ladies to have profound involvement in public policy. She was involved with national healthcare reform and worked to increase medical research funding. Meanwhile, she wrote two best-selling books and won a Grammy for the recording of one of them.

She later ran for president in her own right, making her the first presidential spouse to seek election to the position themselves. In the 21st century, all first ladies have especially contributed their voices to causes affecting children. Laura Bush advocated for the rights of women and girls around the world.

Michelle Obama focused on countering childhood obesity, improving school nutrition, and supporting the efforts of young people to achieve their educational goals. Melania Trump chose a platform that countered bullying

and Jill Biden, herself a college professor, advocated for education for young women, as well as working on cancer charities and supporting military families. And while it is certainly true that each presidential spouse brings her own beliefs, priorities, and personal style to the role,

There is no doubt that being a first lady carries a lot more expectations now than it did for Martha Washington or Abigail Adams or any of the multitude of women who generously stepped in to be a hostess at the White House centuries ago. Whatever a first lady chooses to do,

the work that she contributes to a good cause or to hosting important meetings or preserving the White House and its history is unpaid and only vaguely defined. To see the energy that each spouse has brought to the role is truly a testament to volunteerism. Each woman, for we have yet to see a first gentleman, has arrived, done her best,

and then passed the baton to her successor. One thing is certain, the United States history would not have been the same without them.