American First Ladies Analysis

The role of American women has changed significantly from the time the nation was born, to the modern era of the 1950s and 1960s. Many people, "... believed that women's talent and energies ... would be put to the better [use] in the new republic." (Clinton 3) Clearly showing that society has seen the importance of the women's talents and that their skills can be very useful, exploited this and thus, the change of the women's role was inevitable. Society has understood that the roles of women played an important role on all parts of life.

Eleanor Roosevelt was once a shy, timid girl with her focus on her family but over time became a strong leader, who would have rather spoiled them As a child, Eleanor was timid, shy and serious, but after her husband, Franklin, was paralyzed from the waist down she became a strong, determined women. “Meanwhile Eleanor had changed.” (pg. 794) At first, she had only got involved in the community because she felt it was her duty to keep Franklin in the public eye. However, as the years rolled on and her duty was complete, she still continued to make her mark in the world. This new, strong Eleanor did great things like working with poor children, helping with war efforts, and much more.Eleanor’s focus was on raising her children in a way that

In The First American Women, Sara M. Evans describes the changing roles of the respective populations of indigenous, white European, and black slave women, from before Columbus’s arrival to the American Revolution, and how the perception of these roles were shaped by the sociocultural context of each group. For example, although indigenous women in North America had significant political and economic power, especially initially, most white European settlers did not recognize this power-- their Eurocentric lens conveying women as inferior-- and thus they instead saw these female political leaders as slaves, basing this conclusion on a comparison to black slaves.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), one of the most admired women in American history, acted as first lady from 1933 until 1945, longer than any other presidential spouse, and put that position on the nation’s political map. Yet, ironically, Eleanor did not want the job because she thought it would hamper her own self-development as an independent person. Through her own path-breaking efforts she transformed her role from official hostess to important spokesperson for her husband’s administration. In the process she became a role model for millions of Americans who applauded her activism on behalf of social causes.

“Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could. 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” (C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence & Image). This is a quote from Abigail Adams, one of the most important first ladies of all times. She was not only the first lady to live in the White House but she was also the mother of a president, her son John Quincy Adams. She has contributed much influence on the country and is utterly distinct from other first ladies. Although she was not a complete feminist she did believe in women’s education, which was not common at the time, and she also believed in protecting women’s rights.

When one thinks about the tile of First Lady of the United States, images of Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Michelle Obama begin to materialize. In today’s world, the title can be associated with the President’s wife working eloquently towards the good will of the United States either through social services, community service, and even through getting children active within our schools. Additionally, the First Lady of the United States is rarely under the scope of scrutiny. However, in 1828, with the election of President-Elect Andrew Jackson, the First Lady-Elect Rachel Jackson was regarded entirely different. The campaign that allowed for Andrew Jackson against the incumbent, John Quincy Adams, was a very robust campaign that allowed for Jackson to gain control of the executive, but only after he was tainted with sorrow. Because of the fierce campaign ran by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson charged him for the death of his beloved wife. Therefore, because of the harmful campaign rhetoric against Rachel Jackson deeming her as a bigamist, the extreme sorrow that Jackson has for his wife after her death, and ultimately the apprehension and anxiety that came about as a result of her death, Andrew Jackson has gone down as one of the most notorious presidents in American History.

Abigail grew up to be intelligent women since at home she was “a devoted reader studying the works of William Shakespeare and John Milton among others.” (Abigail Adams Bio)

Nancy Reagan once said, “I am a big believer that eventually everything comes back to you. You get back what you give out.” As the former First Lady of the U.S. from 1981 to 1989, Nancy Reagan was a “model First Lady” who helped and inspired many. She is known for her undying love for her husband, Ronald Reagan and her role to protect him. She founded the “Just Say No” drug awareness campaign which educated people on drug abuse. Even though many people saw her in a negative way, she changed America greatly.

     Before Eleanor Roosevelt, the role of the first lady was not a political role; it was merely just a formal title of the president’s wife. Eleanor Roosevelt paved the way for all presidents’ wives to come by being active in politics during and after her husband’s presidency. Of course, she did not have instant success; she had many trials which helped her become an important and influential role model. Eleanor Roosevelt’s dedication to her husband, her activeness in politics, and her volunteer work enabled her to change the role of the First Lady.

As the Revolutionary Era progressed, women's cries for rights and suffrage were further amplified. More women sought education, and with it, more women's education institutions were established, such as the Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia (Doc. J) With education, women became much more politically active and opinionated. As expressed by Molly Wallace, an educated woman in 1792, they fought for women's suffrage, wanting a public say in society, and the ability to vote (Doc. J) Furthermore, they sought to break from the cult of domesticity and the conservative female sphere. Many women did, in fact, break themselves from these conventional stereotypical views of women. Abigail Adams, for one, the wife of president John Adams, was a woman that had great influence in politics. Even Founding Father Thomas Jefferson sought the opinions and advice of Abigail Adams, as in a letter to Jefferson in 1787,

Equality is a concept that humanity fails to completely grasp even to this day. While the battles for racial equality have been championed profusely, the fight for gender equality has hardly started. In contrast to their male counterparts, women are seen as inferior and overly sexualized in many forms of entertainment such as movies, novels, even classic literature; the “feminine” stereotype is associated with weakness, fragility, and sensitivity. This is due to the sheer fact that since the birth of the United States as a country, women were perceived and treated as the inferiors of men. Abigail Adams, the esteemed wife of John Adams—one of our founding fathers and the

On April 30, 1789, George Washington was announced president. Three weeks later the United States welcomed the nation’s first lady, Mrs. Martha Washington, in Baltimore, Maryland (McPherson, 1998). After leaving Baltimore, she travelled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The celebration continued as crowds gathered to welcome her into office. Her last stop was New York City, the United State’s capital at the time (McPherson). Her husband met her along the way. Many people came to welcome them in, even the governor of New York. It was an extraordinary day of celebrating our country’s first lady (McPherson).

The American Revolution was a political revolution that separated England’s American Colonies from Great Britain and led to the creation of the United States of America. The American Revolution not only brought the beginning of a new country, but it also impacted many different areas of society. The independence of the colonies brought new thoughts and ideas to many people. There were influences on the topics of not just nationalism and American politics, but also on slavery, Native Americans, women and religious minorities. The American Revolution reflected principles that emphasized personal liberty and freedom from tyranny among other ideals.

Admittedly, Hilary Clinton has spoken around the world about the challenges that women have faced. However, it is the continued struggle of American women that inspires and fuels her passion and fight for equality in this male-dominated culture. Also, while married to bill Clinton who was actively involved in women’s right, Hilary advocated for a standard of equality that embrace all colors and cultures. . Clinton establishes ethos when she states, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I've had the opportunity to learn

The first and foremost best way that women had approached equality would be the pursuit of education. Judith Sargent Murray