First ladies : [an intimate look at how 38 women handled what may be the most demanding, unpaid, unelected job in America

As we move toward the year 2000, Americans continue to debate the job of First Lady. How much power does the position actually hold? How publicly should that power be wielded? First Ladies tells the story of this curious institution and the evolution of these women's role from ceremonial backdrop to substantive world figure. This expanded edition brings us up to the present, examining the legacies of our three most recent First Ladies: Nancy Reagan, credited with raising the job to that of "Associate President"; Barbara Bush, who took a more traditional approach; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, widely billed as changing the job completely. Covering all thirty-nine women from Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents who sometimes served as First Ladies, Betty Boyd Caroli explores the background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in office of each woman. This remarkably diverse lot included Abigail Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a twentieth-century feminist refrain; Edith Wilson, who alone controlled access to the President when he suffered a stroke; 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; and Pat Nixon, who perfected what some have called "the robot image." They ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's; 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. Depicting how these women used the "magic wand" given to them, Caroli reveals not only how each First Lady altered the role, but also how the role changed in response to American culture. Because of their prominence, these women left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer us an insider's view not only of their lives as holders of what sociologists now call "derivative power," but also of the history of American women in general. Offers the first full treatment of the institution of First Lady, providing a portrait of each woman. As we move toward the year 2000, Americans continue to debate the job of First Lady. How much power does the position actually hold? How publicly should that power be wielded? __First Ladies__ tells the story of this curious institution and the evolution of these women's role from ceremonial backdrop to substantive world figure. This expanded edition brings us up to the present, examining the legacies of our three most recent First Ladies: Nancy Reagan, credited with raising the job to that of "Associate President"; Barbara Bush, who took a more traditional approach; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, widely billed as changing the job completely. Covering all thirty-nine women from Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents who sometimes served as First Ladies, Betty Boyd Caroli explores the background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in office of each woman. This remarkably diverse lot included Abigail Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a twentieth-century feminist refrain; Edith Wilson, who alone controlled access to the President when he suffered a stroke; 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; and Pat Nixon, who perfected what some have called "the robot image." They ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's; 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. Depicting how these women used the "magic wand" given to them, Caroli reveals not only how each First Lady altered the role, but also how the role changed in response to American culture. Because of their prominence, these women left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer us an insider's view not only of their lives as holders of what sociologists now call "derivative power," but also of the history of American women in general As we move toward the year 2000, Americans continue to debate the job of First Lady. How much power does the position actually hold? How publicly should that power be wielded? First Ladies tells the story of this curious institution and the evolution of these women's role from ceremonial backdrop to substantive world figure. This expanded edition brings us up to the present, examining the legacies of our three most recent First Ladies: Nancy Reagan, credited with raising the job to that of'Associate President'; Barbara Bush, who took a more traditional approach); and Hillary Rodham Clinton, widely billed as the person responsible for changing the job completely. Covering all thirty-nine women from Martha Washington to our current First Lady and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents who sometimes served as First Ladies, Betty Boyd Caroli explores the background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in office of each woman. This remarkably diverse lot included Abigail Adams, whose'remember the ladies'became a twentieth-century feminist refrain; Edith Wilson, who alone controlled access to the President when he suffered a stroke; 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; and Pat Nixon, who perfected what some have called'the robot image.'They ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's; 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. Depicting how these women used the'magic wand'given to them, Caroli reveals not only how each First Lady changed the role, but also how the role changed in response to American culture. Because of their position, these women left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer us an insider's view not only of their lives but also of the history of American women in general. Contents 12 Introduction 14 1. Setting Precedents: The First Presidents' Wives (1789–1829) 26 2. Young Substitutes for First Ladies (1829–1869) 56 3. Three Exceptions: Sarah Childress Polk, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Julia Dent Grant 81 4. The Limited Promise of the "New Woman" (1877–1901) 107 5. The Office of First Lady: A Twentieth Century Development 152 6. The Paradoxical 1920s 188 7. Breaking Precedents and Reaffirming Old Ones (1933–1961) 232 8. The Turbulent Sixties 267 9. New Dimensions to the Job of First Lady (1974–1993) 314 10. A New Generation in the White House (1993– ) 347 11. Presidential Wives and the Press 368 12. "The Women They Married...": Some Conclusions 395 Notes 420 Appendices 474 Index 482 A 482 B 482 C 483 D 483 E 484 F 484 G 485 H 485 I 486 J 486 K 486 L 486 M 486 N 487 O 487 P 487 R 487 S 488 T 488 V 489 W 489 Y 489 Providing an intimate portrait of the wives of the American Presidents, this revised edition has been updated to include profiles of Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton. It summarizes Hillary's role before the election of Bill Clinton, during his election cam Studies the expanding role of the First Lady, discusses how that role has changed throughout history, and analyzes how thirty-eight First Ladies have dealt with the job. On cover: An intimate look at how 36 women handled what may be the most demanding, unpaid, unelected job in America.