Summary
Contents
This comprehensive guide is the definitive source for researchers seeking an understanding of those who have occupied the White House and on the institution of the U.S. presidency. Readers turn to Guide to the Presidency for its wealth of facts and analytical chapters that explain the structure, powers, and operations of the office and the president’s relationship with Congress and the Supreme Court. The work is divided into eight distinct subject areas covering every aspect of the U.S. presidency.
Chapter 37 Biographies of the First Ladies
Chapter 37 Biographies of the First Ladies
The women who have served as first lady have acted as hostesses, political activists, and presidential advisers. They represent a range of personalities: Some have been quiet and withdrawn, figures in the shadows; others have been colorful, visible, and even controversial. The stories of some are ones of success; of others, tragedy. But all contributed to the success of the presidency and to the development of the office of the first lady.1
Martha Washington
1. Scholars disagree about Martha Washington's actual birth date. June 21, 1731, is the date most commonly used, but several others also have been mentioned.
The early years of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington are not well documented. Her father was ...