First Ladies
Martha Washington set many standards for American First Ladies, but from Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton and Melania Trump, each has left her mark on the office.
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There are many ways to be a modern first lady.
The 32nd first lady wielded an influential—and disruptive—voice on behalf of equality, civil rights and social justice.
She spent nearly half the Revolutionary War at her husband’s side.
The first lady spoke her mind and shared her struggles, sparking national dialogues that affected countless American lives.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Diplomatic Fight for Human Rights
History Shorts: Eleanor Roosevelt's Diplomatic Fight for Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt became well-known as FDR's first lady, but her contributions toward human rights after her husband's death might be her most lasting legacy.
3 Surprising Facts About First Ladies
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Ida McKinley (1847-1907) was an American first lady (1897-1901) and the wife of William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States. Her ill health, particularly the onset of epilepsy when she was in her 30s, limited her ability to perform many of...
Abigail Fillmore (1798-1853) was an American first lady (1850-1853) and the wife of Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States. The first first lady to work outside of the home, she met her future husband while she was his teacher at a sc...
Florence Harding (1860-1924) was an American first lady (1921-23) and the wife of Warren G. Harding, 29th president of the United States. Energetic, strong-willed and popular, she was an important influence on her husband’s business and political career...
Lucille “Lucy” Hayes (1831-89) was an American first lady (1877-81) and the wife of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States. The well-educated Lucy was the first first lady to have graduated from college, receiving her degree from W...
Helen Taft (1861-1943) was an American first lady (1909-13) and the wife of William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States and later chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. As a member of a successful Ohio political family, Helen (or Nellie, ...
Edith Wilson (1872-1961) was an American first lady (1915–21) and the second wife of Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States. The couple married just a year after the 1914 death of Wilson’s first wife, Ellen. Though Edith admitted she had no...
The 32nd first lady wielded an influential—and disruptive—voice on behalf of equality, civil rights and social justice.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Early Years Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884, in New York City. Her father, Elliott Roosevelt (1860-1894) was the younger brother of Theodore Roosevelt, and her mother, Anna Hall (1863-1892), was from a wealthy New...
Check out 10 surprising facts about the life and work of one of America’s most iconic first ladies.
Her televised tour brought the White House into American living rooms.
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier: Early Life and Marriage Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York. Her parents, Janet Lee and stockbroker John “Black Jack” Bouvier, divorced in 1942, and Jackie’s mother married lawyer Hugh Auchi...
The first lady spoke her mind and shared her struggles, sparking national dialogues that affected countless American lives.
Margaret Taylor (1788-1852) was an American first lady (1849-1850) and the wife of Zachary Taylor, an American military hero and the 12th president of the United States. Margaret supported her husband throughout his long military career, repeatedly upro...
As the wife of one president, George H.W. Bush (1989-1993), and the mother of another, George W. Bush (2001-2009), Barbara Bush holds a unique position in American political history. Born in 1925, she married at the age of 19 and devoted much her time t...
The London-born First Lady played a key role in the election of John Quincy Adams.
Her early life, modeling career and time as first lady.
