In Celebration of First Ladies

As long as the United States has had Presidents, we have had First Ladies. Some First Ladies have been very popular, and some have been despised. Some were very outspoken in their support of their husbands' policies and decisions, and others never made any public appearances. Some have been long remembered, while others are hardly thought of at all. But throughout our almost 237 year history, there have been some interesting stories about our First Ladies.

In honor of our current First Lady, Michelle Obama, who is celebrating a birthday January 17th, here are some interesting facts and stories about a few of our past First Ladies.



-- Abigail Smith Adams

While Martha Washington was our first First Lady, Abigail Adams was our first First Lady to reside in the White House. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately), Abigail and John Adams only lived there for the last three months of his only term as President. But they had spent so much time apart before, during and after the nation's struggle for independence, that John wanted her to be with him in the White House. 

It really wasn't that livable when they moved in, and the house was in the middle of nowhere. Washington D.C. was still just a swampy, miserable piece of land in 1801. But the ever-resourceful Abigail made the best of the circumstances. She is famously known for having hung the laundry to dry in the East Room. 

-- Rachel Robards Jackson

Rachel Jackson never lived to be the First Lady, although her husband, Andrew Jackson, had already been elected when she died. Rachel and Andrew had married in 1791, but two years later, they found out that their marriage was invalid. 

When Rachel had been just 17 years old, she'd married Lewis Robards, who turned out to be a violently jealous man. She left him after six years of marriage, believing that her husband was going to divorce her. However, Robards never followed through on the divorce, and ended up suing on the grounds of adultery. The Jacksons were devastated by this news. By 1794, the divorce was granted, and Rachel and Andrew quietly married again. 

Still, the rumors and gossip continued, regarding adultery and bigamy. The Jacksons were happily married for many more years, but the gossip followed them all the way to the Presidency. But just months before Andrew was due to be sworn in, Rachel passed away. Her niece, Emily, took on the official duties of a First Lady for her uncle.

-- Frances Folsom Cleveland

In 1886, President Grover Cleveland became the first, and only, president to marry while in the White House. His bride was twenty-one-year-old Frances Folsom. She was 23 years his junior, but by all accounts, they seemed to have a happy and loving marriage. "Frank," as the President called her, was the daughter of Cleveland's former law partner. When Frances was 11, her father died, and Cleveland was the administrator of Folsom's estate. 

Some members of the press were so fascinated by Cleveland and Frances's marriage that they followed the couple on their honeymoon, which was unheard of at the time. The press continued to follow Mrs. Cleveland on trips to New York City and other places. But this did not seem to bother Frances. She was an excellent hostess and was very popular with the nation. By the time she died in 1947, she was still considered a role model for First Ladies.

-- Edith Bolling Wilson

Edith Bolling became the second Mrs. Woodrow Wilson in December 1915. The first, Ellen Louise Axson, died a mere 16 months before, after a nearly 30 year marriage. Edith was a childless widow who met Wilson through his cousin. They seemed to have hit it off right away. Within two months, he had proposed and she accepted. During his second term, she became Wilson's most trusted confidante and traveled with him everywhere. 

After World War I, when Wilson was trying to gain support for the League of Nations, he fell ill. He had suffered a stroke, but few people knew that. Edith kept her husband shielded from the public and took on the responsibility of what Wilson should know about. Many felt that she had taken on the duties of the President and was actually making decisions in her husband's name. She denied this, saying that the doctors encouraged her to shelter Wilson and felt that resignation would hurt him more. It seems that she was just trying to protect her husband while he was ill.

-- Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer Ford

Betty Ford was the first of her kind in the White House. She was open and upfront about her opinions on a variety of topics, including on her own health. The Fords entered the White House unlike any other Presidential couple. Gerald Ford had been appointed Vice President in 1973, to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned under a scandal. Less than a year later, Ford became President after Richard Nixon resigned, due to the scandal surrounding Watergate. 

Gerald Ford had been in politics, and in Washington, since 1948, serving as a Congressman from Michigan. Betty spent many days on her own raising their four children. During this time, she developed an alcohol and drug addition that continued through her time at the White House. She would kick the habit and would go on to establish The Betty Ford Center for drug and alcohol abuse. 

One of the things she will most be remembered for was her candor during her fight with breast cancer. Not long after the Fords moved into the White House, she found a lump. It turned out to be malignant and she had a mastectomy. She was very open about her ordeal, which inspired many women to have breast exams. 

To read more about the First Ladies take a look at these titles!

-- Post by Tracy