| The Position of the First Ladies This article provides details of the 'First Ladies' of the Presidents of the United States of America. The position as one of the First Ladies is traditionally held by the by the wife of the President of the United States during his term of office. If the President is a bachelor or widower the President traditionally chooses a female relative to undertake the role as First Lady. The same protocol applied if one of the First Ladies was unable to fulfil the role. The Role of the First Ladies The role of the First Ladies is unofficial. First Ladies are not elected, they do not receive a salary, neither is the role of the First Lady addressed in the US Constitution. The Duties of the First Ladies The duties of the First Ladies have evolved over the years. The main duty of the First Ladies is to act as hostess of the White House, in charge of social and ceremonial events. First Ladies are the most famous women in the country and support charities and causes. |
|
| The First Ladies aka Firstladies The position of the First Ladies is to support her husband to ensure the smooth running of the White House. The First Ladies attend to the domestic affairs of the White House and organize and attend official ceremonies and functions of state along with the President. In some non-political circumstances or occasions they may take the place of the president. Which wives died before their husbands became President? Martha Jefferson, Rachel Jackson, Hannah Van Buren and Ellen Arthur all died before their husbands became president, and the social role of the first lady was unofficially filled by family and friends. Which First Ladies were not the Wives of Presidents? Several women, who were not the wives of the presidents, have served as First Ladies. The names of the First Ladies who were not the wives of presidents were Martha Jefferson Randolph, Emily Donelson, Sarah Yorke Jackson, Angelica Van Buren, Priscilla Cooper Tyler, Harriet Lane, Mary Arthur McElroy, Mary Harrison McKee and Margaret Woodrow Wilson. The First Ladies - The Title Why are presidents wives called First Ladies? Following the American War of Independence (1775–1783) George Washington became the first President. It was the birth of a new nation and no one was sure how to address his wife, Martha. She was eventually was called "Lady" Washington, but the same title changed over time. First Ladies were addressed as "Mrs. President," and even "Lady Presidentress". The term "First Lady" was coined in 1849 by President Zachary Taylor during his eulogy to Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison. The origin of the term is an English translation of the Italian "Prima Donna", the title of the leading female role in an opera. The term "First Lady" has now come to mean the foremost woman or the wife of the president. How are First Ladies addressed? First Ladies are addressed as, for instance, the "First Lady Michelle Obama" or "Former First Lady Laura Bush" however, this it is not officially required, nor is it official protocol. The First Ladies and the Second Ladies The President's wife, or designated substitute, is referred to as "First Lady". The wife, or designated substitute, of The Vice President is referred to as the "Second Lady". The Names of all the First Ladies This helpful list of all the names of the First Ladies in order with dates and the names of Presidents is a great resource of interesting facts and important information that can be used as a fast reference guide when completing school or college projects and homework. The list of First Ladies are presented in date order according to the order of presidencies, the names of the President, the First Ladies relationships to the Presidents, their date of birth, date of death, date of marriage, number of children and the date the First Ladies entered the White House. The list of First Ladies are as follows (the number of children relate to all the marriages of the First Ladies): The First Ladies: List of First Ladies in order with important dates | No. | Names of Presidents in order | Names of First Ladies | Relationship to President | Date of Birth | Date of Marriage | Number Children | Date entered White House | Date of Death | 1st | George Washington | Martha Custis Washington | Wife | June 2, 1731 | January 6, 1759 | 4 | April 30, 1789 | May 22, 1802 | 2nd | John Adams | Abigail Adams | Wife | November 11, 1744 | October 25, 1764 | 6 | March 4, 1797 | October 28, 1818 | 3rd | Thomas Jefferson | Martha Jefferson Randolph | Daughter | September 27, 1772 | - | - | March 4, 1801 | October 10, 1836 | 4th | James Madison | Dolley Todd Madison | Wife | May 20, 1768 | September 14, 1794 | 2 | March 4, 1809 | July 12, 1849 | 5th | James Monroe | Elizabeth Monroe | Wife | June 30, 1768 | February 16, 1786 | 3 | March 4, 1817 | September 23, 1830 | 6th | John Quincy Adams | Louisa Catherine Adams | Wife | February 12, 1775 | July 26, 1797 | 5 | March 4, 1825 | May 15, 1852 | 7th | Andrew Jackson | Emily Donelson | Niece | June 1, 1807 | - | - | March 4, 1829 | December 19, 1836 | | Andrew Jackson | Sarah Yorke Jackson | Daughter-in-law | July 16, 1803 | - | - | November 26, 1834 | August 23, 1887 | 8th | Martin Van Buren | Angelica Singleton Van Buren | Daughter-in-law | February 13, 1818 | - | - | January 1, 1839 | December 29, 1877 | 9th | William Harrison | Anna Harrison | Wife | July 25, 1775 | November 22, 1795 | 10 | March 4, 1841 | February 25, 1864 | 10th | John Tyler | Letitia Tyler | Wife | 12 November 1790 | March 29, 1813 | 7 | April 4, 1841 | September 10, 1842 | | John Tyler | Priscilla Cooper Tyler | Daughter-in-law | June 14, 1816 | - | - | September 10, 1842 | December 29, 1889 | | John Tyler | Julia Gardiner Tyler | Wife | May 4, 1820 | June 26, 1844 | 7 | June 26, 1844 | July 10, 1889 | 11th | James Knox Polk | Sarah Childress Polk | Wife | September 4, 1803 | January 1, 1824 | 1 | March 4, 1845 | August 14, 1891 | 12th | Zachary Taylor | Margaret (Peggy) Taylor | Wife | September 21, 1788 | June 21, 1810 | 6 | March 4, 1849 | August 14, 1852 | 13th | Millard Fillmore | Abigail Fillmore | Wife | March 13, 1798 | February 5, 1826 | 2 | July 9, 1850 | March 30, 1853 | 14th | Franklin Pierce | Jane Pierce | Wife | March 12, 1806 | November 19, 1834 | 3 | March 4, 1853 | December 2, 1863 | 15th | James Buchanan | Harriet Lane | Niece | May 9, 1830 | - | - | March 4, 1861 | July 3, 1903 | 16th | Abraham Lincoln | Mary Todd Lincoln | Wife | December 13, 1818 | November 4, 1842 | 4 | March 4, 1861 | July 16, 1882 | 17th | Andrew Johnson | Eliza McCardle Johnson | Wife | October 4, 1810 | May 17, 1827 | 5 | April 15, 1865 | January 15, 1876 | 18th | Ulysses Grant | Julia Boggs Grant | Wife | January 26, 1826 | August 22, 1848 | 4 | March 4, 1869 | December 14, 1902 | 19th | Rutherford Hayes | Lucy Webb Hayes | Wife | August 28, 1831 | December 30, 1852 | 8 | March 4, 1877 | June 25, 1889 | 20th | James Garfield | Lucretia Garfield | Wife | April 19, 1832 | November 11, 1858 | 7 | March 4, 1881 | March 14, 1918 | 21st | Chester Arthur | Mary Arthur McElroy | Sister | July 5, 1841 | - | - | September 19, 1881 | January 8, 1917 | 22nd | Grover Cleveland | Rose Cleveland | Sister | June 13, 1846 | - | - | March 4, 1893 | November 22, 1918 | 22nd | Grover Cleveland | Frances Folsom Cleveland | Wife | July 21, 1864 | June 2, 1886 | 2 | June 2, 1886 | October 29, 1947 | 23rd | Benjamin Harrison | Caroline Lavinia Harrison | Wife | October 1, 1832 | October 20, 1853 | 3 | March 4, 1889 | October 25, 1892 | | Benjamin Harrison | Mary Harrison McKee | Daughter | April 3, 1858 | - | - | October 25, 1892 | October 28, 1930 | 24th | Grover Cleveland | Frances Folsom Cleveland | Wife | July 21, 1864 | June 2, 1886 | 2 | March 4, 1893 | October 29, 1947 | 25th | William McKinley | Ida Saxton McKinley | Wife | June 8, 1847 | January 25, 1871 | 2 | March 4, 1897 | May 26, 1907 | 26th | Theodore Roosevelt | Edith Kermit Roosevelt | Wife | August 6, 1861 | December 2, 1886 | 5 | September 14, 1901 | September 30, 1948 | 27th | William Taft | Helen Heron Taft | Wife | June 2, 1861 | June 19, 1886 | 3 | March 4, 1909 | May 22, 1943 | 28th | Woodrow Wilson | Ellen Axson Wilson | Wife | May 15, 1860 | June 24, 1885 | 3 | March 4, 1913 | August 6, 1914 | | Woodrow Wilson | Margaret Woodrow Wilson | Daughter | April 16, 1886 | - | - | August 6, 1914 | February 12, 1944 | | Woodrow Wilson | Edith Galt Wilson | Wife | October 15, 1872 | December 18, 1915 | 0 | December 18, 1915 | December 28, 1961 | 29th | Warren Harding | Florence Mabel deWolfe Harding | Wife | August 15, 1860 | December 18, 1915 | 1 | March 4, 1921 | November 21, 1924 | 30th | Calvin Coolidge | Grace Anna Coolidge | Wife | January 3, 1879 | October 4, 1905 | 2 | August 2, 1923 | July 8, 1957 | 31st | Herbert Hoover | Lou Henry Hoover | Wife | March 29, 1874 | February 10, 1899 | 2 | March 4, 1929 | January 7, 1944 | 32nd | Franklin Roosevelt | Eleanor Roosevelt | Wife | October 11, 1884 | March 17, 1905 | 5 | March 4, 1933 | November 7, 1962 | 33rd | Harry Truman | Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Truman | Wife | February 13, 1885 | June 28, 1919 | 1 | April 12, 1945 | October 18, 1982 | 34th | Dwight Eisenhower | Mamie Geneva Eisenhower | Wife | November 14, 1896 | July 1, 1916 | 2 | January 20, 1953 | November 1, 1979 | 35th | John Kennedy | Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy | Wife | July 28, 1929 | September 12, 1953 | 2 | January 20, 1961 | May 19, 1994 | 36th | Lyndon Johnson | Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson | Wife | December 22, 1912 | November 17, 1934 | 2 | November 22, 1963 | July 11, 2007 | 37th | Richard Nixon | Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon | Wife | March 16, 1912 | June 21, 1940 | 2 | January 20, 1969 | June 22, 1993 | 38th | Gerald Ford | Elizabeth Ann Warren "Betty" Ford | Wife | April 8, 1918 | October 15, 1948 | 4 | August 9, 1974 | July 8, 2011 | 39th | Jimmy Carter | Eleanor Rosalynn Carter | Wife | August 18, 1927 | July 7, 1946 | 4 | January 20, 1977 | | 40th | Ronald Reagan | Nancy Davis Reagan | Wife | July 6, 1921 | March 4, 1952 | 2 | January 20, 1981 | | 41st | George H Bush | Barbara Bush | Wife | June 8, 1925 | January 6, 1945 | 6 | January 20, 1989 | | 42nd | Bill Clinton | Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton | Wife | October 26, 1947 | October 11, 1975 | 1 | January 20, 1993 | | 43rd | George W Bush | Laura Lane Bush | Wife | November 4, 1946 | November 5, 1977 | 2 | January 20, 2001 | | 44th | Barack Obama | Michelle LaVaughn Obama | Wife | January 17, 1964 | October 3, 1992 | 2 | January 20, 2009 | | No. | Names of Presidents in order | Names of First Ladies | Relationship to President | Date of Birth | Date of Marriage | Number Children | Date entered White House | Date of Death | The First Ladies: List of First Ladies in order with important dates |
List of the First Ladies The above list of the First Ladies provide facts and dates including the names of the Presidents, the First Ladies relationships, dates of birth, dates of death, dates of marriage, total number of children and the dates the First Ladies entered the White House. Fast, interesting facts about the First Ladies are provided below. |
Trivia and Facts about First Ladies The following fact file contains important facts, trivia and information about the First Ladies of the United States of America. | Trivia and Facts about the First Ladies | First Ladies Fact 1: | The First Ladies Abigail Adams and Barbara Bush were both who the wives and mothers of US Presidents. | First Ladies Fact 2: | Edith Galt Wilson, the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson, was a descendent of Pocahontas. | First Ladies Fact 3: | Caroline Scott Harrison, the wife of President Benjamin Harrison, was a founding member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. | First Ladies Fact 4: | One of the campaign slogans of Gerald Ford was "Vote for Betty's Husband." | First Ladies Fact 5: | Who was the youngest First Lady? Frances Cleveland. She was also the first first lady to marry and give birth in the White House. | First Ladies Fact 6: | Who was the oldest First Lady? Anna Harrison was the oldest of the First Ladies | First Ladies Fact 7: | Louisa Catherine Johnson, the wife of President John Quincy Adams was the only First Lady not born in the US. She was born in England. | First Ladies Fact 8: | Helen Herron Taft was the first of the First Ladies to publish her autobiography. | First Ladies Fact 9: | Hillary Rodham Clinton was the first wife of a President to be elected to the U. S. Senate | First Ladies Fact 10: | Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was voted an honorary seat in the House of Representatives. | First Ladies Fact 11: | Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson hired her own chief of staff and press secretary | First Ladies Fact 12: | Nancy Reagan was a Hollywood actress before she became one of the most famous of the First Ladies | First Ladies Fact 13: | The first African American first lady is Michelle Obama | First Ladies Fact 14: | Eleanor Roosevelt became a delegate to the United Nations following the death of her husband | First Ladies Fact 15: | Lou Hoover and President Herbert Hoover were both fluent in Mandarin, and would often speak to each other in Chinese to prevent others from eavesdropping on them. | First Ladies Fact 16: | Helen Heron Taft "Nellie" was the only one of the First Ladies to be both first lady and the wife of the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. | First Ladies Fact 17: | Lucy Hayes was the first of the First Ladies to have graduated from college. | First Ladies Fact 18: | The only bachelor president was James Buchanan who asked his niece, Harriet Lane, to serve as first lady | First Ladies Fact 19: | The First Ladies Martha Jefferson, Rachel Jackson, Hannah Van Buren and Ellen Arthur all died before their husbands became president | First Ladies Fact 20: | Which First Ladies died in the White House? Answer: Ellen Wilson, 1914, Caroline Harrison, 1892, and Letitia Tyler, 1842 | Trivia and Facts about the First Ladies |
First Ladies: Video of all the US Presidents The Facts about the First Ladies provide a fast overview of the key facts and events about the lives of the First Ladies. The following video enables you to sit back and listen to the history of the personal and political life of the US Presidents, the famous men they supported. A useful educational resource for kids, children and schools learning about the life and family of the First Ladies and the US Presidents. | |
| |
|