only exceptions are the early years of the republic, from 1789 until 1800, when the executive mansions were located in New York City and Philadelphia, respectively. After 1800, when President Adams moved into the executive mansion, located in the new capital of Washington, D.C., I use the term White House instead.
I also provide information in a consistent format. For each First Lady, I include a part on her early years — when and where she was born, what schools she attended (if she attended school at all!), and how she met the future president. The next section then covers how she became First Lady and what her role as First Lady looked like. The final section focuses on what happened during her retirement from public office.
Icons Used in This Book
As you read and enjoy this book, you’ll discover four icons that alert you to specific aspects of America’s 47 First Ladies.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this book comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes key dates in the history of U.S. First Ladies. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type “First Ladies For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
Feel free to start with any chapter and any First Lady who interests you. Keep in mind that all the chapters are nonlinear, so you can start with any topic in any chapter.
Part 1
Understanding First Ladies
IN THIS PART …
Discover the roles First Ladies have been playing in the U.S. political structure and see how these roles have changed over time.
Examine the way First Ladies and their terms in the White House are evaluated and ranked. Uncover academic rankings of U.S. First Ladies and look at the upward and downward movement of some First Ladies through the years.
Chapter 1
The Changing Role of First Ladies in the United States
IN THIS CHAPTER
The story of the First Ladies of the United States is one of drama, personal struggle, and both great successes and failures. It’s a story of ambition, joy, disappointment, and most often a total loss of privacy. In the early years of the republic, becoming First Lady imposed considerable dangers, both social and economic, on First Ladies and their families. The White House was open to just about everyone, and it had no security yet.
Today, First Ladies have professional roles and often aid in policy development. They work together with Congress and have become active policy makers. However, every First Lady decides how active they’ll be. Hillary Clinton was one of the most active First Ladies in recent history, while Melania Trump was less active and played the role of a more traditional First Lady (see Chapter 20 for more). A First Lady’s temperament, family situation, character, and even relationship with the president determines all of that. First Ladies with big political ambitions can use their office as a stepping stone to future offices. Eleanor Roosevelt did so with working for the United Nations after leaving her role as First Lady in 1945 (see Chapter 14), and Hillary Clinton ran and won a U.S. Senate seat after serving two terms as First Lady (see Chapter 18).
The role of First Lady has seen significant changes over the years. Women have made progress in society and are found at the highest levels of government, including now the vice presidency. Women today serve in Congress, even becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives; they are members of the Supreme Court; and they govern states. It’s only a question of time before a woman will become president and the U.S. will have its first “First Gentleman.”
First Ladies in U.S. History
Why become a First Lady? Most of the time, First Ladies had no choice. They were married to someone who just became president. In some instances, they had actually pushed their husbands into politics. Great examples include Sarah Polk and Helen Taft (see Chapters 7 and 12). They loved the game of politics and enjoyed the prestige of being First Lady. In fact, Julia Grant was so upset that her husband refused to run for a third term that she was in tears when she had to leave the White House (Chapter 10). More recently, First Ladies wanted to impact social and economic reforms and change the country and its people. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton are examples of socially conscious First Ladies who wanted to bring about change (see Chapters 14, 17, and 18 for more on their stories).
Defining
