You Might Also Like
-
Page
-
-
Scholarship
The First Ladies Timeline
Martha WashingtonAbigail AdamsMartha JeffersonDolley MadisonElizabeth MonroeLouisa AdamsRachel Jackson / Emily DonelsonHannah Van Buren / Angelica Van BurenAnna Harrison / Jane HarrisonLetitia Tyler / Julia TylerSarah PolkMargaret TaylorAbigail Powers FillmoreJane PierceHarriet LaneMary LincolnEliza Johnson / Martha Johnson PattersonJulia GrantLucy HayesLucretia GarfieldEllen Arthur / Mary Arthur McElroyFrances Cleveland / Rose ClevelandCaroline HarrisonIda McKinleyEdith RooseveltHelen TaftEllen Wilson / Edith WilsonFlorence HardingGrace CoolidgeLou HooverEleanor RooseveltElizabeth TrumanMamie EisenhowerJacqueline KennedyClaudia JohnsonPat NixonBetty FordRosalynn CarterNancy
-
Scholarship
The First Ladies and Slavery
Most Americans do not associate the first ladies with slave ownership. In fact, it may be surprising to learn that slavery was a significant aspect of the identities and lifestyles of one-third of the women who have held the role since the nation’s founding. Thirteen first ladies or White House hostesses— nieces, daughters, and sisters, who took the place of i
-
Scholarship
White House Hostesses: The Forgotten First Ladies
First ladies hold a unique place in American history. The collection of first ladies' gowns and artifacts remains one of the most popular exhibitions, visited by millions of annual visitors at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..1 First ladies are the focus of documentaries, podcasts, books, and scholarly works that examine their lives and contributions
-
Scholarship
Women's Groups and First Ladies' Portraits
Portraits have long served the purpose of connecting contemporary audiences to people of the past. Portraits not only depict the appearance of their subjects and the fashions of the time, but they provide insights about the artists and those who commissioned them. At the end of the nineteenth century, several women’s groups engaged in all steps of the process of
-
Scholarship
American Fashions for American First Ladies: How Ellen and Edith Wilson’s Time in the White House Led to the Expectation for First Ladies to “Buy American”
In 2011, American fashion designer Oscar de la Renta criticized First Lady Michelle Obama for wearing a British label, Alexander McQueen, to a State Dinner for President Hu Jintao of China at the White House.1 Although Mrs. Obama was known for wearing American designers, including more affordable options such as J.Crew, this criticism attracted press attention and is the kind
-
Scholarship
First Ladies and Cherry Blossoms
Every spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan, to the city of Washington, D.C. This cherished tradition has deep historic ties to the White House and the nation’s first ladies, beginning with First Lady Helen Herron Taft.For over twenty years, writer Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, known fo
-
Bio
Martha Jefferson Randolph
Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha, died many years before his presidency. As a result, their eldest daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph stepped into the role of first lady and hostess when he became president. Martha “Patsy” Jefferson was born on September 27, 1772. After receiving a private education and traveling with her father abroad, she married her distant relative Thomas Mann Randolph on Februa
-
Bio
Sarah Yorke Jackson
Sarah Yorke was born ca. 1803/05 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to parents Peter and Mary.1 Relatives raised Sarah after she was orphaned as a child.2 She married Andrew Jackson Jr., the adopted son of President Andrew Jackson, in 1831.3 Sarah lived at Jackson’s plantation, The Hermitage, and oversaw the operation of the household and the enslaved laborers there, during his presidency. She an
-
Bio
Priscilla Cooper Tyler
On June 14, 1816, Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper, better known as Priscilla, was born to parents Thomas and Mary Cooper in New York City. As a young woman, Priscilla followed in her father’s footsteps, beginning an acting career that put her on stages across the country.1 After seeing her perform, lawyer Robert Tyler called on her; the two married on September 12, 1839.2 They we
-
Bio
Grace Coolidge
Grace Anna Goodhue was born on January 3, 1879, in Burlington, Vermont. She was the only child of Andrew and Lemira Goodhue. Following her graduation from Burlington High School in 1897, Grace attended the University of Vermont, and joined the women’s fraternity Pi Beta Phi. Following her graduation in 1902, Grace entered training at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts. Sh