First Ladies

A few years ago I got on this American History book kick. I started reading every book I could get my hands on about the history of our country especially right around the revolution. Well, that evolved into an interest in the presidents. I am trying to read biographies of each president in order. I had finished up through John Quincy Adams. I am looking for a good one on Andrew Jackson.

Anyhow, that spun off an interest in the first ladies. You don't really hear or study a lot about them so I was curious. I started with books on Martha Washington (good lady) and Abigail Adams (hard nosed, opinionated lady). Then I found a gold mine. The 709 page book by Bill Harris called "The First Lady Fact Book". It chronilogically covers each first lady lives. It was very interesting to see the position evolve through the centuries. I really learned a lot. So many of the same stuff still happens even today.

All first ladies had to deal with housekeeping issues like women today only on a larger scale. They all had to deal with the White House except Martha Washington (she never lived there). Pretty much at the change of every adminstration, the First Lady needed to update and/or redecorate due to wear and tear or just differences in taste at the White House. It's interesting that over time the American people want our White House to be magnificent, a show piece, a symbol of our awesome power but do not want to pay for it. Many a First Lady had to deal with a stingy Congress for her budget. It really helped to be independently wealthy to subsidize such needs such as John Tyler and JFK.

Unlike the office of President, the Constitution is silent on the role of the First Lady. The early on ladies treated it as the hostess of the president. They were there to support their husbands in whatever they could which generally meant throwing many dinners, teas, levees (not really sure what those are), social calls, etc. Through the years many ladies have had a cause she felt passionate about such as reading, Just say no, poverty that fell in line with their husbands' policy. Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton took it to a whole new level having their own agendas separate from their husbands.

Interestingly, when Bess Truman moves into the White House after Eleanor Roosevelt she describes the conditions of the White House as deplorable and neglected. The age old should the wife work or stay home debate was alive then.

The term "first lady" isn't used until Harriett Lane, 1860. She was James Buchanan's neice and served as his hostess since he wasn't married. Prior to her, the ladies were called Lady Washington, Presidentress Dolley Madison, or Mrs. President ______.

Very interesting read. I highly recommend it. (I feel like I am writing a book report but it's just so intersting. All those AP history classes paid off.)