The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America - Softcover

"A delightful, valuable book, which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good read and wishes to learn about important relatively neglected contributors to American history." - Midwest Book Review

"The First Ladies" is the kind of book that will satisfy historians, women's history scholars and trivia buffs alike. If that's you, then see that you get this book." - Bookworm Sez

"An independent presidential historian presents profiles of the 26 First Ladies who occupied the US White House from 1789-1961, from Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower. The book features cameo photos, and comments about their legacies for more recent First Ladies. Lesser-known ones are given credit for their contributions; e.g., Julia Tyler is compared to Jackie Kennedy as a style-setter." - Book News

"By highlighting personality traits and the activities of these women leading up to, during, and post their White House days, Foster gives a perspective of the first ladies not often seen in the press or history books. Her audiences like her because she has a light style of writing that is full of information and you learn what the First Ladies are like as people and not just a series of facts." - Charlotte Area News Stories

" An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America has written a delightful, valuable book, which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good read and wishes to learn about important relatively neglected contributors to American history." - Midwest Book Review

"Feather Schwartz Foster's guide to the Founding Mothers isn't just a list of people and their details, but a chance to delve into the little-known lives of the presidents' wives: their personalities, their passions, their accomplishments, and their legacies...Recommended for everyone who wants a peak into the lives of the White House's first wives. " - The Paperback Pursuer

The Legacies and Personalities that built the White House

As a young nation grew into its own, it was not just the presidents who led the way. The remarkable women of the White House, often neglected by history, had a heavy hand in the shaping of America. The earliest First Ladies of the United States left countless untold legacies behind after their role at the White House was over.

Decidedly different from their modern day counterparts, the nation's first presidential wives made their impact not in terms of political policy or broad social and civic service, but instead with unique, personal, and often long-lasting accomplishments.

Read the unforgettable stories of how:

Martha Washington set the tone for First Ladies and walked the fine line between royal pretention and republican accessibility.

Sarah Polk worked diligently, constantly giving the high office her utmost attention.

Julia Grant not only adapted to the ups and downs of her husband's political career, but flourished wherever she landed.

And it was Nellie Taft's ambition that ultimately led her husband to the presidency.