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First Ladies For Dummies Marcus A. Stadelmann

First Ladies For Dummies By Marcus A. Stadelmann

First Ladies For Dummies by Marcus A. Stadelmann


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First Ladies For Dummies Summary

First Ladies For Dummies by Marcus A. Stadelmann

It's time for the ladies-the First Ladies, that is-to get their time in the spotlight

What does a First Lady do? What makes a First Lady successful? If you've always wanted to know, this is the place to come to for the answers! This reference has the inside scoop on all the First Ladies, including Michelle Obama's campaigns for healthy eating and Jackie Kennedy's emphasis on art and culture. In First Ladies For Dummies, you'll find out how these women's values, initiatives, and style have influenced all our lives, and how they've become true role models for generations.

With the detailed biographies and personal profiles in First Ladies For Dummies, you'll gain a well-rounded knowledge of the United States' 47 First Ladies. From Martha to Melania, from Jackie to Dr. Jill, and everyone in between, every First Lady has left her stamp on the White House, in the Rose Garden, and in history, and this book covers it all. It includes:

  • An historical context for a deeper understanding of the world these First Ladies lived in
  • Accounts of their childhoods and early lives to learn who these women were before they stepped foot in the White House
  • Each First Lady's interests and achievements

Whether you're a history fanatic or just curious about these highly accomplished women, you'll find lots of fun facts about them in First Ladies For Dummies. Pick up your copy to be in the know!

About Marcus A. Stadelmann

Marcus Stadelmann, PhD, is a Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Political Science and History at the University of Texas at Tyler. Along with teaching at universities in California, Utah, and Texas, Dr. Stadelmann is the author or co-author of eight books in his discipline, including U.S. Presidents For Dummies. His favorite First Lady is Dolley Madison.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Conventions Used in This Book 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Understanding First Ladies 5

Chapter 1: The Changing Role of First Ladies in the United States 7

First Ladies in U.S History 8

Defining a First Lady 8

Powers of the First Lady 10

The Evolution of the Position of First Lady 12

Phase I (1789-1829) 12

Phase II (1829-1869) 13

Phase III (1869-1933) 13

Phase IV (1933-Present) 14

Chapter 2: First Lady Rankings and Evaluations 17

Evaluating the First Ladies 18

Ranking U.S First Ladies 19

The Siena Research Institute Survey 20

Discussing ten evaluation criteria 22

Part 2: Setting the Precedent 25

Chapter 3: Becoming the First First Lady 27

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731-1802) 28

Joining Forces with George, the Love of Her Life 29

Taking an active role 29

Becoming a war hero 29

Going First: From Lady Washington to First Lady 30

Learning her way 32

Starting traditions 32

Taking sides 33

Hosting the World in Retirement 33

Chapter 4: Setting Precedents 37

Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818) 37

Becoming a revolutionary 39

Living life abroad 39

Becoming First Lady 40

Turning into Mrs President 40

Moving to and hating Washington, D.C 42

Living out her life 42

Becoming famous after her death 43

Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (1748-1782) 43

Dying too soon 45

Becoming First Lady after her death 45

Dolley Payne Todd Madison (1768-1849) 46

Moving forward with charm and popularity 47

Blazing the trail for future First Ladies 49

Saving a painting 49

Becoming the first lady named First Lady 51

Chapter 5: Continuing to Set an Example 53

Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768-1830) 54

Going abroad and saving an American hero's wife 55

Embracing European life 56

Going home and being miserable 57

Louisa Johnson Adams (1775-1852) 58

Living an adventure 60

Becoming First Lady 61

Seeking the election of 1824 62

Going back to Washington, D.C 63

Rachel Donelson Jackson (1767-1828) 63

Meeting Jackson 65

Almost becoming First Lady 66

Part 3: Leading Up to a Civil War 69

Chapter 6: Calling in a First Lady Substitute 71

Hannah Hoes Van Buren (1783-1819) 72

Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison (1775-1864) 74

Letitia Christian Tyler (1790-1842) 76

Being the wife of an absent politician 77

Allowing Priscilla Tyler to step in 78

Julia Gardiner Tyler (1820-1889) 79

Becoming the youngest First Lady, briefly 80

Going home to Virginia 81

Dying a Confederate 81

Chapter 7: Acting Like a President 83

Sarah Childress Polk (1803-1891) 83

Becoming a Politician-Er, Wife of One 84

Getting into politics 85

Becoming a working First Lady 86

Helping make policy 88

Going into Retirement Alone 90

Chapter 8: To Be or Not to Be First Lady 93

Margaret Smith Taylor (1788-1852) 93

Having a family and traveling America 94

Preferring to remain private 95

Abigail Powers Fillmore (1798-1853) 96

Tutoring the (future) president 97

Becoming First Lady by default 97

Jane Means Appleton Pierce (1806-1863) 98

Living not so happily ever after 99

Retiring, or not 100

Refusing to be a First Lady 101

Harriet Lane (1830-1903) 102

Growing up in politics 103

Becoming a single First Lady 103

Living her own life 105

Chapter 9: Living a Life of Tragedy 107

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) 107

Moving away from home 108

Meeting Lincoln 109

Making a president 110

Failing as First Lady 110

Spending like crazy 111

Changing moods 112

Enduring tragedy 113

Going On After Abraham's Assassination 114

Part 4: The Civil War, Reconstruction, and Becoming A World Power 117

Chapter 10: Reconstructing a Country 119

Eliza McCardle Johnson (1810-1876) 120

Meeting and helping her husband 120

Staying in Tennessee as Johnson's career grows 121

Becoming a recluse in the White House 122

Being revered for being frugal 123

Avoiding impeachment 123

Remaining together to the end 124

Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902) 125

Being at odds with family on slavery 125

Finding their way back to the battlefield 126

Loving the White House 127

Redirecting retirement through writing 128

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes (1831-1889) 129

Getting involved in civic causes 130

Riding the bumpy road to the White House 131

Improving lives as First Lady 131

Abstaining from alcohol 133

Enjoying new technology 133

Showing compassion 133

Lucretia Rudolph Garfield (1832-1918) 134

Staking independence 134

Making changes for each other 135

Serving less than a year as First Lady 136

Chapter 11: Getting Close to the 20th Century 139

Ellen Herndon Arthur (1837-1880) 140

Pushing her husband's political career 140

Missing out on being First Lady 141

Frances Folsom Cleveland (1864-1947) 142

Growing up with Uncle Clev 143

Turning the tides to husband 143

Being the youngest First Lady ever 144

Staging a comeback 146

Getting remarried and caring about education 147

Caroline Scott Harrison (1832-1892) 148

Living life in Indiana 149

Making improvements as First Lady 149

Dying in the White House 151

Ida Saxton McKinley (1847-1907) 151

Excelling in a man's world 152

Living with tragedy 153

Having a devoted husband 153

Remaining a strong First Lady 154

Chapter 12: Becoming a World Power 157

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt (1861-1948) 158

Building a life with Teddy 159

Taking control as First Lady 159

Updating the White House 161

Enjoying a long, active life after retirement 161

Helen Herron Taft (1861-1943) 162

Being a free thinker 163

Becoming the First Lady of the Philippines 164

Moving to Washington 164

Finally becoming First Lady 166

Ellen Louise Axson Wilson (1860-1914) 168

Becoming an artist and practicing for First Lady 169

Being adept at First Lady 170

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson (1872-1961) 171

Meeting the President 172

Running the country 173

Thriving as Mrs Wilson 174

Chapter 13: Changing the Roles of Women 175

Florence Kling Harding (1860-1924) 176

Dealing with affairs 177

Getting into politics 178

Succeeding as First Lady 179

Dying during their first term 180

Grace Goodhue Coolidge (1879-1957) 181

Being a politician's wife 183

Experiencing tragedy 183

Working as a hostess and an advocate 184

Retiring and living a long life 185

Louise Henry Hoover (1874-1944) 186

Carrying a pistol 187

Traveling the world and becoming wealthy 188

Getting into politics 188

Being charitable 189

Dealing with staff 190

Retiring in style 191

Part 5: Modern First Ladies 193

Chapter 14: First Lady of the World 195

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) 196

Marrying a Roosevelt and Living with a Dominant Mother-in-Law 197

Moving in Social Circles 198

Getting Active in Politics in the 1920s 198

Becoming First Lady of New York 200

Being an Activist First Lady 201

Advocating for women's rights 202

Advocating for civil rights 202

Working the media 203

Supporting the troops 204

The Story Isn't Over: Moving on After the White House 205

Chapter 15: Three Cold War First Ladies 207

Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman (1885-1982) 208

Finding early romance 209

Getting into politics 209

Being a strong First Lady behind the scenes 210

Retiring to Independence 211

Mamie Doud Eisenhower (1896-1979) 212

Being a military wife 213

Appealing to the average American 214

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy (1929-1994) 215

Joining forces with JFK 217

Becoming a First Lady everyone admired 218

Living through an assassination 220

Marrying a billionaire 221

Chapter 16: Becoming Politically Active 223

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson (1912-2007) 224

Marrying Johnson and moving to D.C. 225

Getting familiar with politics 226

Helping a presidential campaign 227

Advocating for her husband and her causes 227

Going back to Texas 229

Thelma Catherine Ryan Nixon (1912-1993) 230

Building a life with Nixon 232

Becoming Second Lady 233

Being active and popular 234

Being left out 235

Retiring disgraced 235

Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Ford (1918-2011) 236

Perfecting her stage presence 236

Marrying a man like her father 237

Talking to the American people 238

Retiring early and doing more good 240

Chapter 17: Ending a Cold War 241

Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter (1927-) 242

Relishing travel but returning home 243

Changing gears to politics 243

Running for president 244

Loving it as First Lady 244

Being active in retirement 246

Nancy Davis Reagan (1921-2016) 246

Catching the acting bug 247

Meeting Ronald Reagan 248

Taking on the governorship 248

Becoming First Lady 249

Facing health issues 252

Barbara Pierce Bush (1925-2018) 253

Making family priority #1 254

Becoming Second and then First Lady 255

Creating a legacy 257

Chapter 18: Almost Becoming President 259

Hillary Rodham Clinton (1947-) 260

Meeting Bill Clinton 261

Starting a career and getting into politics 262

Moving up to First Lady 263

Becoming co-president 264

Owning her own political career 266

Running for president - Part I 267

Serving as secretary of state 267

Running for president - Part II 268

Losing in 2016 and moving on 269

Chapter 19: Using the Power of the Position 271

Laura Welch Bush (1946-) 272

Meeting and marrying George 273

Moving to Washington, D.C. 274

Championing the First Lady role 274

Retiring but staying active 276

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (1964-) 277

Meeting of the minds 278

Balancing politics and family life 279

Serving as mom-in-chief 281

Enjoying retirement 283

Chapter 20: The Model and the Educator 285

Melania Knauss Trump (1970-) 286

Choosing modeling and Donald Trump 287

Becoming an American citizen 288

Taking a backseat to politics 288

Being a quiet and private First Lady 289

Retiring with controversy 290

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (1951-) 290

Marrying a politician and continuing her education 292

Working double-duty 293

Serving the community (colleges) and the military 293

Leaving D.C and returning as First Lady 294

Part 6: The Part of Tens 295

Chapter 21: The Ten Most Influential First Ladies 297

Eleanor Roosevelt 298

Abigail Adams 298

Dolley Madison 299

Hillary Clinton 299

Betty Ford 300

Claudia Lady Bird Johnson 300

Sarah Polk 301

Rosalynn Carter 301

Harriet Lane 302

Michelle Obama 303

Chapter 22: The Ten Least-Known Facts about U.S First Ladies 305

Dolley Madison: Dining and Dashing 305

Julia Grant: Using Foresight 306

Caroline Harrison: Leaving the Light On 306

Edith Roosevelt: Playing I Spy 307

Edith Wilson: Wielding a Famous Relative 307

Lou Hoover: Dodging Bullets 307

Mamie Eisenhower: Working from Bed 308

Jacqueline Kennedy: Upsetting the Public 308

Lady Bird Johnson: Not Letting Anything Stop Her 309

Barbara Bush: Taking Chances 309

Index 311

Additional information

CIN111982219XVG
9781119822196
111982219X
First Ladies For Dummies by Marcus A. Stadelmann
Used - Very Good
Paperback
John Wiley & Sons Inc
20220124
336
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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