The wives of American presidents can be influential American figures as well. Even though they have no official duties, first ladies constitute a very important part of the US government. The job of the president’s wife has progressed over many hundreds of years, from welcoming and entertaining guests in the Whitehouse to activists for public policy.
What follows can be described as a synopsis of 2 extremely well known first ladies and also their respective husbands, nevertheless more information might be found on them in history books to read.
Mary Lincoln: Mary Ann Todd was born in Kentucky in December 1818 to a prominent slave-holding family. A move to Illinois when in her teens was fortuitous because it was here that she met and married a budding politician and lawyer, Abraham Lincoln. Their union produced 4 boys, however only two of them, Thomas and Robert, lived to old age.
In November 1860, Lincoln was elected the sixteenth President of America. This prompted a lot of southern states to break away from the Union. The majority of Kentuckians included in the Todd’s social circle, and in fact her stepfamily, were allied to the southern cause, but Mary was always a fervent and tireless follower of the Union.
She was sat to the side of her husband in a theatre when he was shot by an assassin. The President died the next day and Mary Todd Lincoln never quite recovered. Mary returned to Illinois and, upon the demise of her son Thomas in 1871, went into a serious depression. Her sole living son, Robert, had her committed to an asylum for the mentally ill. Mary was freed 3 months later, but it was impossible for her to forgive him for what he did. Mrs Lincoln spent her latter years travelling throughout Europe, although she suffered from declining health. She passed away on 16 July 1882 at 63 years of age.
Abigail Adams: Born Abigail Smith on 11 November 1744 in Massachusetts, daughter of a minister. Abigail was a keen reader, enjoying especially the works of Shakespeare and Milton. Abigail was unable to attend school since that was the norm for girls in this time. In 1761 she met an attorney whose name was John Adams and in 1765 they were married. They had four kids, one of whom was John Quincy Adams, who was elected as the 6th president of the United States seven years after her death in 1825.
Together with a demanding legal practice and John’s later involvement with the American Revolution, he spent quite a lot of time away from home, leaving Abigail to cope with their farm and take care of the family single-handedly. The duo remained devoted by sending letters to each other, of which there were many.
In one of these letters, Abigail uttered her unease for women and asked that her husband wouldn’t put unlimited authority into the hands of men – writing every man would be tyrants if they could. Abigail continued to say: “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or representation.”
Abigail frequently expressed her feelings on matters of a political nature with her husband and acted as an unofficial adviser to him throughout his career. After the revolution, Abigail Adams joined her husband in England where he worked as the first American minister to the Court of St James from 1785 to 1788.
When he returned from England, John Adams was voted president in 1797 and Abigail was widely hated by several critics who were annoyed with her because of her lavish expenditure during the Civil War, her honesty and the influence Abigail could exert over her husband.
Further information on first ladies, the presidents themselves and also American history is available in books on history and also biographies books .
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