The term "first lady" didn't make it into a dictionary until 1935. The earliest presidents' wives were called "Presidentress" or "Mrs. President," or often were simply ignored. Dolley Madison was the first to bear the title (in a play long after her death). Jacqueline Kennedy forbade her staff to ever use the appelation, reportedly deeming the term more appropriate for a saddle horse. Today, for better or worse, the term and the institution of First Lady are integral--though still evolving--aspects of our political and cultural landscape, and this is the first full treatment of the subject. Covering all 37 women from Martha Washington to Nancy Reagan (counting is complicated by the fact that daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents were sometimes pressed into service), the book shows how the role of First Lady was transformed from ceremonial backdrop at best to sustantive world figure. Along the way, the book intoroduces a remarkable cast of characters, many not at all what one would expect of a presidential help-mate. From Abigail Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a twentieth century feminist refrain, to Edith Wilson, who alone controlled access to the President when he had suffered a stroke; from Jane Pierce who used her health as an a excuse for doing very little to Pat Nixon who perfected what some have call "the robot image," the Presidents' wives have been a very diverse group with vastly differing attitudes toward their role. They ranged in age from early 20s the late 60s. Some were superbly educated for their time; others, poorly schooled. Some were courageous and adventuresome; a few were emotionally unstable. Some were ambitious; others despised the public arena. A suprising number were superior to their husbands socially and economically. Because of their position, they left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer us a window to view not only this particular sorority of women--holders of what sociologists now call "derivative power"--but also American women in general. About the Author Betty Boyd Caroli is Profesor of History at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York, and co-author of Today's Immigrants, Their Stories.

First Ladies

Betty Boyd Caroli

Biographies & Memoirs

Oxford University Press

Betty Boyd Caroli's engrossing and informative First Ladies is both a captivating read and an essential resource for anyone interested in the role of America's First Ladies. This expanded and updated fourth edition includes Laura Bush's tenure, Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid, and an in-depth look at Michelle Obama, one of the most charismatic and appealing First Ladies in recent history. Covering all forty-one women from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents who sometimes served as First Ladies, Caroli explores each woman's background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in office. This remarkably diverse lot included Abigail Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a twentieth-century feminist refrain; Jane Pierce, who prayed her husband would lose the election; Helen Taft, who insisted on living in the White House, although her husband would have preferred a judgeship; Eleanor Roosevelt, who epitomized the politically involved First Lady; and Pat Nixon, who perfected what some have called "the robot image." They ranged in age from early 20s to late 60s; some received superb educations for their time, while others had little or no schooling. Including the courageous and adventurous, the emotionally unstable, the ambitious, and the reserved, these women often did not fit the traditional expectations of a presidential helpmate. Here then is an engaging portrait of how each First Lady changed the role and how the role changed in response to American culture. These women left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer us a window through which to view not only this particular sorority of women, but also American women in general.

The First Ladies "From Martha Washington to Michelle Obama" Fourth Edition

History

Americas

Madison Park Press

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Books by Betty Boyd Caroli