First Ladies

MARTHA WASHINGTON POTUS: GEORGE WASHINGTON As the very first First Lady, Martha didn’t actually have an official title at all. Nor did she particularly want the role, thought she set her doubts aside to become an able and respected ally of George Washington. Martha hosted many social events at their homes in the temporary capitals of New York and Philadelphia. 1789-1797 ABIGAIL ADAMS POTUS: JOHN ADAMS Unlike her predecessor, Abigail Adams was so deeply involved in the political world that she was known as Mrs President. She was the first FLOTUS to live at the White House and proved to be an able spin doctor, planting favourable stories whenever her husband’s popularity waned. 1797-1801 MARTHA JEFFERSON POTUS: THOMAS JEFFERSON Martha Jefferson died 19 years before her husband became President. The…

The job of First Lady comes with no salary and no power. As wife of the President of the United States the FLOTUS, as she is known, hasn’t been elected and wields no official political influence. Of course, that’s how it’s always been, but despite those potential obstacles, First Ladies through the ages have certainly been able to make their presence felt in a variety of ways. There are a number of qualities that a successful First Lady needs to possess. A thick skin is one of them, along with the ability to make light work of her duties as a social hostess to everyone from visiting monarchs to members of the public of all ages. She should choose a few uncontroversial causes to champion and be ready to bite…

In the United States of America, a country which has yet to elect a woman as President, the First Lady has traditionally stood beside her husband as the very model of the loyal, unquestioning political spouse. Unelected and unpaid, she is the human face of her husband’s administration and over the centuries, what was once a purely social role has evolved far beyond its original parameters. A position that was initially rooted in the world of domestic living and hostess duties grew and developed sometimes in line with the prevailing rights and image of women, sometimes ahead of them. From Martha Washington to Melania Trump, the role as First Lady has endured not just as the quintessential example of spousal or familial loyalty, but of what a woman can achieve…

1789 Martha Washington becomes the first FLOTUS, though without the title. 1797 Abigail Adams becomes the first FLOTUS to live in the White House. 1801 Martha Jefferson becomes the first non-spousal First Lady. 1810 Dolley Madison suggests the now traditional Easter Egg Roll! 1877 ‘First Lady’ becomes a widely used term for the President’s wife. 1909 Helen Taft begins the FLOTUS tradition of donating her inauguration ball gown to the Smithsonian. 1929 Lou Hoover becomes the first FLOTUS to broadcast to America. 1956 Mamie Eisenhower begins the tradition of a Halloween White House. 1961 Jackie Kennedy chooses the White House’s first Christmas theme. 2017 Melania Trump breaks tradition by not moving into the White House until 5 months after inauguration.…

From what she wears to the inauguration to her choice of clothes for visits overseas or to schools, disaster-hit areas or simply social calls, the First Lady’s wardrobe is always the subject of fevered media scrutiny. In fact, it can make or break her popularity. This focus on fashion goes right back to Martha Washington who loved English textiles, and had a passion for English shoes. Yet this love had to be sacrificed for the political sake of her husband and she was encouraged to transfer her allegiances to American manufacturers, and make sure that everyone knew it. This focus on American fashion didn’t end there and for Jackie Kennedy, arguably the most fashion-forward of all First Ladies, the European designers she had adored before she got to the White…

1789-1797 When Martha Custis married George Washington in 1759 she was a rich widow of 27, with a fortune to her name and a vast portfolio of land and slaves. The couple made their home at Mount Vernon, a plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia; yet when her husband settled into his winter encampments during the War of Independence, Martha was there at his side. Through the years of conflict Martha served as Washington’s hostess, enjoying the camaraderie of other wives and hosting gatherings and dinner parties that would please any society grande dame. All of this stood her in great stead for the moment when George Washington accepted the office of President of the United States, even though it was a role that she believed he was too old to…