First Lady Profile #7--Dolley Madison

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Few First Ladies had more influence on the social and political life of early America than Dolley Payne Todd Madison.  As the wife of the fourth president of the United States, she played a key role in the development of the new nation's character and the quality of its public image.

Dolley Madison knew all of the presidents from George Washington to Zachary Taylor.  She served as the White House hostess for President Thomas Jefferson.  She was the official hostess during her husband's two terms in office.  Until she died in 1849, Dolley was involved in the social life of Washington, D.C.--Alice K. Flanagan

FACTS:

-Dolley was born on May 20, 1768 in Guilford, North Carolina, but the family soon moved to Virginia.
-Her parents were Quakers (they are against war and believe in the equality of all people)
-Dolley attended a Quaker common school
-She had to dress in plain clothes, because Quakers didn't believe in jewelry or colorful clothes, etc...  This was hard for Dolley because she loved pretty things.
-When she was 14, the Virginia Legislature passed a law which enabled slaveholders to free their slaves.  Dolley's family were one of the first families to do this, and they then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
-In 1789, her father's business failed, and he ended up declaring bankruptcy.

-Dolley had many men pursuing her, but she finally accepted John Todd's proposal, so she wouldn't be an additional financial drain on her parents.
-She was 22 and John Todd was 27 when they got married on January 7, 1790.
-On February 29, 1792 she gave birth to a boy and they named him John Payne.
-In 1793, Dolley gave birth to another boy but both him and her husband died in on the same day in October from yellow fever.
-The next year she met James Madison and they were married on September 15, 1794.  He was 17 years older than her and wasn't a Quaker, as a result the Quakers disowned her, but Dolley felt she was making the right decision.

Photo Credit: First Lady Biography for Kids

-James was in Congress, so even though the Quaker society disowned Dolley, she flourished in the political society in Philadelphia.  Also, now that she was no longer a Quaker, she could take advantage of the latest fashions.
-When Thomas Jefferson was elected President, he appointed James Madison to be the Secretary of State.  Since, Jefferson was widowed, he asked Dolley to serve as the official White House Hostess.
-She developed her own style in Washington D.C. as hostess, and was the "undisputed fashion leader" there, ordering all of her gowns from France.
-After Jefferson's two terms in office, James Madison was elected President and he and Dolley moved into the White House on March 4, 1809.
-Congress provided the funds so Dolley could furnish the White House with the help of a decorator.

Photo Credit: War of 1812 Archaeology

-On June 18, 1812 the War of 1812 began and the United States of America was again at war with the British.
-On August 24th, Dolley was alone at the White House with some servants.  She fled before the British came and rescued many important documents and a painting of George Washington.  This ended up being crucial since the British set the White House and the city of Washington on fire.
-After they left the White House, they retired to Montpelier.  They continued to entertain and often gave dinner parties for political friends.

-When James Madison died on June 28, 1836, she experienced a great loss.
-He had been working on his historical papers detailing the discussions that led to developing the U.S. Constitution.  Dolley had been helping him and after his death, she finally found a publisher, the U.S. Congress.
-She moved back to Washington in 1837 with her niece, Anna, leaving the care of Montpelier to her son.  Her son Payne was constantly drinking and gambling and racking up debts as a result.  Because of this, Dolley eventually had to sell the Montpelier estate to pay off his debts.
-She died on July 12, 1849 and was given a funeral fit for a president.
-There is a collection of Dolley Madison memorabilia on display at the Greensboro Historical Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

First Lady Links:
-National First Ladies Library
-C-Span Series on First Ladies

Reference Material that I checked out from the library:
-Dolley Madison--Barbara Witteman
-Dolley Madison: Her Life, Letters, and Legacy--Holly Shulman
-Dolley Madison: America's First Lady--Myra Weatherly
-Dolley Madison: America's First Lady (American Experience PBS DVD) 
-A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation--Catherine Allgor

My Dolley Madison Books:
-Dolley Payne Todd Madison--Alice K. Flanagan
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas
-First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women--Susan Swain, C-Span
 
Previous Profiles:
-Martha Washington
-Abigail Adams 
-Eleanor Roosevelt
-Julia Grant
-Louisa Adams
-Frances Cleveland 
-Lucretia Garfield 
-Edith Roosevelt

2014 Book List--Part 4

1) Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight--Karl Rove
2) The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House--Barbara Olson
3) The Kennedy Wit--Bill Adler
4) Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama--Ann Coulter
5) Relax-You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Using the Power of Humor to Overcome Stress in Your Life and Work--Loretta LaRoche
6) You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life--Eleanor Roosevelt
7) American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom--Rick Santorum
8) Raylan--Elmore Leonard
9) The Barbarian Way: Unleash the the Untamed Faith Within--Erwin Raphael McManus
10) Fatal Vows: The Tragic Wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson--Joseph Hosey
11) The Everything Organize Your Home Book--Jason R. Rich
12) Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer--David Reichert
13) Drinking and Dating: P.S. Social Media is Ruining Romance--Brandi Glanville
14) Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistable Temptation--Jane Odiwe
15) Eat That Cookie--Liz Jazwiec
16) Heath Ledger: His Beautiful Life and Mysterious Death--John McShane
17) Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors: And Other True Cases--Ann Rule
18) Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness--C.C. Chapman
19) Deep Thoughts From a Hollywood Blonde--Jennie Garth
20) Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity--Hugh MacLeod
21) Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings
--Michelle Knight
22) In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace & Bruce--G.A. Henty
23) In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth--Ann Rule
24) Happily Ever After: Walking with Peace and Courage Through a Year of Divorce--Kristin Armstrong
25) The Power of Praying Through the Bible--Stormie Omartian
26) Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims--Rush Limbaugh
27) Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10--Marcus Luttrell
28) Clippings from My Notebook--Corrie ten Boom
29) Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story--Thomas Hamill
30) I Grew up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God--Patsy Clairmont
31) SeinLanguage--Jerry Seinfeld
32) Sizzling Sixteen--Janet Evanovich
33) Smokin' Seventeen--Janet Evanovich
34) Ted and Ann-The Mystery of a Missing Child and her Neighbor Ted Bundy
35) Explosive Eighteen--Janet Evanovich
36) Notorious Nineteen--Janet Evanovich
37) Sleepers--Lorenzo Carcaterra
38) Whispers of Hope: 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer--Beth Moore
39) Anna Eleanor Roosevelt--Dan Santow
40) Julia Dent Grant--Christine Fitz-Gerald
41) Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams--Ann Heinrichs
42) Frances Folsom Cleveland--Susan Sinnott
43) What is the What--Dave Eggers
44) Lucretia Rudolph Garfield--Ann Heinrichs
45) Takedown Twenty--Janet Evanovich
46) Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt--Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
47) Escape--Carolyn Jessop

Previously:
2013 Book List
2012 Book List
2011 Book List
2010 Book List
2008 Book List

First Lady Profile#6--Edith Roosevelt!

Photo Credit: firstladies.c-span.org

In the years before radio, television, computers, and stereo systems, Edith nurtured her children's imagination and shared with them her interests in history, poetry, and wildflowers. Impressed by her knowledge, they asked her how she knew so much.--Barbara Silberdick Feinberg

--I have read quite a few books about Teddy Roosevelt, since he is one of my favorite presidents, but I never knew much about Edith.

FACTS:
--Edith was born on August 6, 1861
--She spent a lot of time with the Roosevelt children while growing up, including Teddy
--Edith and Teddy became childhood sweethearts, but on August 22nd, 1878 something caused their relationship to end.
--Teddy married Alice, but she and Teddy's mother both died on the same day on February 14, 1884.
--In September 1885, Edith and Teddy ran into each other and rekindled their relationship.
--They married on December 2, 1886.

Photo Credit: CoinsofAmerica.com
--Teddy's daughter, 3 year old Alice, from his first marriage, had been living with his sister.  But when Teddy and Edith married, Edith insisted she come live with them.
--Edith and Teddy had 5 more children: Theodore Jr. in 1887, Kermit in 1889, Ethel in 1891, Archie in 1894, and Quentin in 1897.
--Edith and Teddy were very involved parents, unlike many privileged couples of that era.
--Teddy played with his children so often that Edith called him, "her oldest and rather worst child".
--Edith and Teddy traveled, once touring Yellowstone National Park on horseback.

 Photo Credit: Zazzle.com
--Teddy served in the New York State Assembly, and then served as a Civil-service Commissioner in Washington D.C.
--In 1895, he became the president of New York City's Board of Police Commissioners.
--During this time, Edith took care of the family's finances and did an excellent job.
--In 1897, President McKinley appointed Teddy assistant Secretary of the Navy.
--In May of 1898, Teddy organized a volunteer calvary unit called the "rough riders" to fight in the Spanish-American war.  This led to him becoming a national hero.
--In 1899, Teddy became Governor of New York
--Edith refurbished the Governor's official residence.
--In 1900, Teddy became President McKinley's Vice President

Photo Credit: www.glogster.com
--President McKinley is assassinated and Teddy becomes president at the age of 42 on September 14th, 1901.
--In 1902, Edith received funds from Congress to renovate the White House.
--Their 6 children ranged in age from 3 1/2 to 17 when they moved into the White House.
--Edith was well informed and Teddy consulted her on some of his political decisions.
--Alice was married to Ohio Congressman Nicholas Longworth in the White House.
--Edith traveled with Teddy to check on the Panama Canal project in 1906.

--After they left the White House, they returned to their home, Sagamore Hill.
--All 4 of the Roosevelts' sons served in World War I.
--Quentin was killed in action in July 1918.
--Teddy grieved for his son and ended up very sick.  He died on January 6, 1919.
--Edith lived for another 29 years.  She spoke out for Republican candidates, and even spoke out against Franklin Roosevelt since he was a Democrat.
--She traveled extensively.
--During World War II, her 3 remaining sons joined the U.S. forces, and only Archie survived.
--Edith died on September 30, 1948.  Only her name and the dates of her birth and death were on her tombstone, but she had wanted it to read:

Everything she did was for the happiness of others.

My Edith Roosevelt Books:
-Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt--Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas

Previous Profiles:
-Eleanor Roosevelt
-Julia Grant
-Louisa Adams
-Frances Cleveland 
-Lucretia Garfield

First Lady Profile #5--Lucretia Garfield!

Lucretia enrolled in the Eclectic's first term in 1850.  She planned to become a teacher.  Lucretia sang in the glee club and helped start a group called the Ladies' Literary Society.

For their graduation program in June, the students put on a play.  It was about the Bible characters King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther.  James and Lucretia played the starring roles.--Ann Heinrichs

--I knew very little of either James or Lucretia Garfield before reading Heinrichs' book.

A class picture where Lucretia and James are at the far right next to each other.
Photo Credit: Garfieldnps.wordpress.com

FACTS:
--Lucretia was the 1st child born to Zebulon & Arabella Rudolph on April 19, 1832.  Two brothers and a sister were born after her.
--Her family belonged to the Disciples of Christ Church
--Zeb Rudolph and other elders of the DOC Church built a college in Hiram, Ohio.  They named it Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, it is now just called Hiram College.   It was one of the first colleges to accept both men and women.
--Lucretia started attending the school in 1850.
--She was the only woman to give a speech at her graduation in June of 1854.

--She became a teacher at a school in Ravenna, Ohio and then later in Cleveland.
--In April of 1858, James proposed to Lucretia and they were married on November 11, 1858.  Initially, their marriage seemed more out of duty than love, and early on James told Lucretia that their marriage was probably a big mistake.
--Things got better though and in July of 1860 Lucretia gave birth to their first child, Eliza.
--James joined the Union Army and led the 42nd Ohio Regiment during the Civil War.
--In October of 1862, James was elected to the House of Representatives.
--In October of 1863, Lucretia had a boy and they named him Harry.
--On December 2, Eliza died from diphtheria.
--Lucretia gave birth to 5 more babies, James in 1865, Mollie in 1867, Irvin in 1870, Abram in 1872, and Edward in 1874.

--While in Congress:

James and Lucretia kept in touch constantly.  He discussed government business with her, shared his problems, and asked her advice.  Both were broken hearted when little Edward died of whooping cough at the age of two.

--After spending 17 years in the House of Representatives, James was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1880.
--The Republican National Convention was held in Chicago in June of 1880.  Because the Republicans couldn't decide, they eventually nominated Garfield on the 36th ballot.
--James Garfield became the 20th President in 1881.
--Lucretia contracted malaria in May and was very ill.  James spent a lot of time caring for her and eventually she recovered.
--At that time, the Republicans were split between stalwarts and Half-Breeds (anti-stalwarts).  Stalwarts believed in the "spoils system", where you give government jobs to friends instead of people who earn them.  Garfield was an anti-stalwart, so his Vice-President was Chester A. Arthur who was a stalwart.
--On July 2nd, 1881 Garfield was shot while on his way to a College reunion by a stalwart supporter named Charles J. Guiteau.  Garfield was very weak, but lived for 2 more month, when eventually he died from his injuries on September 19th.
--After her husband's death, Lucretia settled with her children in Cleveland.  She never remarried, but was taken care of through private donations. Also, a former first lady, who had also been widowed, Julia Tyler, finally convinced the government to grant a pension to presidents' widows.

My Lucretia Garfield books:
-Lucretia Rudolph Garfield--Ann Heinrichs
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas

Previous Profiles:
-Eleanor Roosevelt
-Julia Grant
-Louisa Adams
-Frances Cleveland

First Lady Profile #4--Frances Cleveland!

Once the official engagement announcement was made, the country was in the grips of "Frankie mania."  Everyone, it seemed, wanted to catch a glimpse of Frances Folsom's beautiful dark eyes, wavy chestnut-colored hair, and lovely warm smile.

No one, it seemed, could resist her warmth and charm. A White House staff member remembered her arrival at the mansion early on the morning of her wedding, emerging from her carriage excitedly and greeting everyone with a huge smile.--Susan Sinnott

 --I didn't know much about Grover and Frances Cleveland before reading Sinnott's book.  I found them to both be fascinating people.  They were the only couple to do numerous things in the White House.

Only and Firsts:

--Grover Cleveland was the only president to be married in the White House.  And only 2 other presidents were married while in office, John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson
--Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve 2 terms that weren't consecutive.  He was the 22nd and 24th president.
--Grover and Frances were the only couple to have a baby while in the White House.
--Frances was the youngest first lady, she was only 21 when she married Grover and moved into the White House.
--Frances was the 1st First lady to enjoy immense popularity.
--Later on she became the 1st First lady to re-marry after her husband died.

FACTS:
--Frances was born on July 21, 1864, to Oscar and Emma Folsom. Oscar was Grover Cleveland's best friend and law partner.  Frances was actually named Frank, but switched to Frances later in life.
--She was an only child, a sister named Nellie had been born after her, but died in infancy.
--Her father died a day after her 11th birthday.
--Grover made sure Frances and her Mom were taken care of.
--She attended and graduated from Wells College.

--She married Grover while he was president on June 2, 1886.  Her wedding dress is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
--The American people fell in love with Frances.  Everyone wanted to style their hair like hers and dress the same.  She was a very popular first lady.
--She championed women entering the workforce
--Despite Frances popularity, Grover lost when he ran for president again to Benjamin Harrison.
--Frances gave birth to their first child, Ruth in 1891.  The country so loved the couple and the new baby, that a candy bar was named after her, Baby Ruth.

--The couple moved back into the White House after Grover beat Harrison.
--In September of 1893, Frances gave birth to their 2nd child, Esther, in the White House.
--Frances gave birth to 3 more children, another girl and two boys.
--Sadly, their oldest daughter Ruth, died when she was 13 from diphtheria.
--Frances became a widow when Grover died on June24, 1908.
--She remarried in 1913, to Professor Thomas Preston Jr.
--She was involved in the cause for higher education for women.  She played a big part in the founding of the New Jersey College for Women.
--Frances died on October 29, 1947.  She had lived through 4 wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.

My Frances Cleveland Books:
-Frances Folsom Cleveland--Susan Sinnott
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas

Previous Profiles:
-Eleanor Roosevelt
-Julia Grant
-Louisa Adams

First Lady Profile #3--Louisa Adams!

Louisa learned to keep her opinions to herself.  John Quincy severely warned her never to criticize him, especially about his clothes.  Years later, she wrote that "hanging and marriage were strongly assimilated.--Ann Heinrichs

--I didn't know much about Louisa Adams at all before reading Ann Heinrich's book on her.  What I find interesting is what I learn about the presidents through reading books on the first ladies.  When I read a book about LadyBird Johnson, I was appalled at what I learned about Lyndon Johnson in the process.

--The same could be said about Louisa Adams and John Quincy Adams.  I was discouraged that John Quincy didn't treat his wife the way that his father had treated Abigail.  While his behavior was typical of that time, he had been shown a different way by how he was raised.

--It will be interesting to read Jane Hampton Cook's book, American Phoenix, which is a book about John Quincy and Louisa.

FACTS:
--She was born on February 12, 1775 in London, England even though her father was from the colony of Maryland.
--She is the only first lady to be born outside of the United States.
--She played the piano and the harp and enjoyed reading and writing poetry.
--John Quincy asked Louisa to marry him 3 months after coming to her 21st birthday ball.
--John Quincy's mother Abigail was against the marriage because Louisa had been born and raised in Europe.
--She had 5 miscarriages before she gave birth to her first child in 1801, it was a boy named George Washington Adams.
--She had more miscarriages and 3 more children, 2 boys and 1 girl who died at 13 months old.

--In 1805, after John Quincy had been in Washington in the U.S. Senate for 2 years, Louisa was forced by John Quincy and Abigail to leave her first 2 sons with Abigail.  She was not consulted about this and was heartbroken.
--In 1807, she gave birth to her 3rd son and he was able to stay with her.
--In 1809, Louisa was forced again to leave her 1st 2 sons behind when her and John Quincy went to Russia where John Quincy was to be the U.S. Minister.
--In 1811, she had her precious daughter and they named her Louisa.  Unfortunately, 13 months later she died.
--Louisa went into a depression.
--In 1815, John Quincy was appointed U.S. Minister to Great Britain.  They were finally able to take their 2 oldest boys with them.
--In 1817, they returned to America since President Monroe had asked John Quincy to be Secretary of State.

--In 1825, John Quincy became the 6th president of the United States.
--On July 4, 1826 (the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence), both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Sr. died.  Adams had treated his daughter-in-law well and she wrote in her diary that he never had an unkind word for her.
--In 1829, John Quincy and Louisa got more sad news.  Their oldest son (who had suffered greatly from depression), died at sea.  No one knows if it was an accident or if he committed suicide.

Louisa the Abolitionist & Woman's Rights Advocate!

To Louisa, it was a moral question.  Clearly, she believed, slavery was against the laws of God.  After all, God had led his people out of slavery in Egypt.  To sort out her thoughts, she wrote pages and pages of anti-slavery arguments in her journal.

Louisa was inspired by abolitionist Sarah Grimke.  The two women began a long letter-writing relationship.  

Sarah and Louise were also inflamed about women's rights.  Both felt that women should be able to vote.  For Louisa, slavery and women's rights were similar.  She believed that God had created all people as equals--men and women, black and white.  Sarah encouraged Louisa's thinking.  Without equal rights, she said, women were only "white slaves of the North."--Ann Heinrichs

--Later in life, Louisa sought a purpose and she found it in advocating for African Americans and women.  She helped inspire John Quincy to advocate for the abolition cause when he went to serve in Congress in 1830.

--She started writing her autobiography in 1840.

--She died on May 15, 1852 at age 77.  Below are the words inscribed outside her tomb:

Louisa Catherine Adams
Frail of Body, Simple in Tastes, and Retiring in Nature
She Filled the Onerous Positions To Which it Pleased God
To Assign Her with Grace, Dignity, and Fortitude

My Louisa Adams books:
-Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams--Ann Heinrichs
-American Phoenix--Jane Hampton Cook
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas

Previous Profiles:
-Eleanor Roosevelt
-Julia Grant

First Lady Profile #2--Julia Grant!

Life was not easy for the Grants; he seemed to be unable to succeed at anything that was nonmilitary-farming or working in his father's leather goods shop-and the family was often nearly destitute.  Through all the hard times, though, the bonds of affection between Ulysses and Julia and between them and their four children remained strong.  Then the Civil War broke out, and Ulysses returned to the army.  Though a disaster for the rest of the nation, it brought an end to the Grants' financial difficulties and led them to the White House.--Diana Dixon Healy

--What impressed me most about Julia Grant was her strong bond with her husband and family.  She had faith that Ulysses would be successful some day, when no one else did.

Although Ulysses was unsatisfied at work, he was content with life at home.  Julia Grant was gifted with a cheerful, optimistic nature.  She created a home atmosphere that was relaxed and lighthearted.  Economic hardship had not changed her happy personality or shaken her faith in her husband.--Christine A. Fitz-Gerald

FACTS:
--She was born on January 26, 1826 in St. Louis, Missouri.  She was the 5th of 8 children.
--Her family was wealthy, and they owned 2 homes, along with some slaves.  A country home called White Haven and a city home in St. Louis.  Julia was sent to boarding school at the age of 10 until she was 17 when she returned to White Haven.
--Julia's brother was roommates with Ulysses at West Point.  They fell in love and wanted to marry, but her father didn't approve.  He said that if they still wanted to get married after waiting 2 years, he would allow it.  Ulysses ended up fighting in the Mexican war, so the 2 years ended up becoming 4 years.  They finally married on August 22, 1848.  Ulysses's family didn't come to the wedding because they objected to him marrying into a family that owned slaves.

--Julia gave birth to four children: Frederick, Ulysses (Buck), Ellen (Nellie) and Jesse.
--Ulysses was lonely in the military having to be away from his family so often.  He decided to retire and come home.  This led to a lot of struggles for the Grant family.  They had a home called Hardscrabble, but in 1857 all their crops failed and Julia's mother died.
--They tried real estate, but that failed as well.  So, they moved to Galena, Illinois.

--In 1860 the Civil War started and Ulysses was once again back in the military.  In August, he was promoted to general.  Julia often visited Ulysses during the war, sometimes with her children, and sometimes alone.
--Once, Julia was almost kidnapped by confederate soldiers on a visit.
--She dealt with criticism from numerous places.  Her father supported the south during the war and was very upset that his son-in-law was fighting for the north.  Julia was upset about all the criticism of her husband in the newspapers as well.
--Yet, despite his critics, Lincoln was impressed with Ulysses and promoted him to general-in-chief of the Union armies in March of 1864.
--Julia had always known that Ulysses could accomplish a position such as this and was very happy.  They would be famous from this point on for the rest of their lives.

--Mary Lincoln did not like Julia, thus they did not get along well at all.  It was because of this that the Grants didn't join the Lincolns at Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was assassinated.
--The Grants were so popular that the presidency was almost a given, and Ulysses was elected president in 1868 and served 2 terms.  Julia enjoyed being first lady immensely.  She redecorated the White House, since it had fallen into disrepair during the war.
--The Grants' daughter Nellie was married in the White House in May of 1874.
--Both of Grant's terms in the White house were marred by corruption.  While Ulysses was honest, many of the men he appointed were dishonest and greedy.  He may have excelled in the military, but he wasn't necessarily equipped to be president.

--After the White House, the Grants traveled around the world from 1877-1879, making Julia the first former first lady to do this.  They were treated like royalty wherever they went. 
--They then settled in a mansion in New York City.  Yet, because of a bad business deal, they ended up losing most of their fortune.
--In 1884, Ulysses got throat cancer and was dying.  He scrambled to finish his memoirs so that Julia would be taken care of after his death.  He finished within weeks of his death on July 23, 1885 at the age of 63.
--His memoirs brought in a lot of money and Julia was well taken care of until her death on December 14, 1902 at the age of 76.  She wrote her own memoirs, but they weren't published until many years later in 1975.

My Julia Grant Books:
-Julia Dent Grant--Christine A. Fitz-Gerald
-The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant: Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas

Previous Profiles:
-Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady Profile #1--Eleanor Roosevelt!

There was once a young woman, born in 1884, who grew up in the old aristocratic society of New York City and its more exclusive environs.  She conformed to her caste's attitudes toward minorities, women, marriage, and her place in the world.  Yet by the time Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962, she was known as the First Lady of the world and the champion of African Americans, Jews, women, the young, the poor--virtually all who ever needed a champion.--Diana Dixon Healy

--I love learning about and studying the U.S. Presidents and the First Ladies.  I have a lot of books about them, many from used book sales and thrift stores.

--My goal is to visit every single Presidential home and museum some day.  So far, I have been to 8:

Dwight Eisenhower
Gerald Ford
Abraham Lincoln
Harry Truman
Ronald Reagan
Richard Nixon
Herbert Hoover
Ulysses S. Grant

--I thought I would do a series of profiles on first ladies, and collect the books that I own about them.  I'm starting with Eleanor Roosevelt since I own quite a few books about her.

--I may not agree with some of FDR's policies, but I love the woman that Eleanor Roosevelt was.  She revolutionized the role of first lady.  She advocated for the poor, African Americans and women.

FACTS:
--She was born on October 11, 1884 in New York.  She was named Anna Eleanor by her parents Anna and Elliott Roosevelt. Elliott Roosevelt was the younger brother of Teddy Roosevelt, making Teddy Eleanor's Uncle.
--She was given the nickname "Granny" by her mother, but her father called her, "little golden hair".
--Her mother died when she was 8 of diphtheria, and her father, an alcoholic, died 2 years later from an alcohol related illness.  She was sent to live with her Grandmother.
--She had an unhappy childhood, but flourished when she was sent to a boarding school in England called Allenswood at the age of 15.

--She married Franklin Roosevelt (a distant cousin) on St. Patrick's day in 1905 at the age of 20.  Her Uncle, then President Teddy Roosevelt gave her away at the wedding.
--Her Mother-in-law, Sara was very controlling.  She even bought adjoining townhomes so that she could come over to Franklin and Eleanor's house whenever she wanted.
--Eleanor gave birth to 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl.  The boys were James, Franklin, Elliott, Franklin Delano, John and the girl was named Anna.  The first Franklin died as an infant.  
--Franklin got elected to the New York State Senate and then became assistant secretary of the navy.  Both of these positions enabled Franklin and Eleanor to move away from Sara.

--World War I enabled Eleanor to stop doing things she hated, like having dinners and teas as social events.  Instead, she was able to jump into volunteer work full-time.  She worked in a canteen at the railroad, the Naval League, visited the naval hospital, worked for the Navy Red Cross and the Navy Relief Society.
--During this time, Eleanor learned of her husband's affair with her social secretary, Lucy Mercer, and was crushed.
--Franklin was stricken by polio in 1921.  His mother wanted him to become an invalid and retire to Hyde Park.  But Eleanor was finally able to stand up to her mother-in-law and fought for Franklin to continue to be active in politics.  Eleanor had this to say about Franklin's illness:

It made me stand on my own two feet in regard to my husband's life, my own life, and my children's training.

--In 1928, Franklin was elected Governor of New York.  This provided a new set of opportunities for Eleanor.  She began traveling and speaking out against segregation in the south.  She taught at a girls' school called Todhunter.  She traveled with her husband to inspect state hospitals and prisons.  She also became active in the women's division of the Democratic party, the Women's Trade Union, and the League of Women Voters.  A historian had this to say about Eleanor:

She became famous not as FDR's wife, but as a major political force to be reckoned with.

--In 1932, Franklin was elected President of the United States.  Eleanor broke all the rules/traditions of what the first lady's role was.  She didn't allow the Secret Service agents to follow her, and instead carried a pistol for protection.
--She held her own press conferences with only women reporters present.  The White House Press Corps called her: "God's gift to newspaperwomen".
--She was the first First Lady to travel across the country.  She traveled and spoke all over the country and didn't shy away from controversial topics, such as child labor in sweatshops.  She gave 70 speeches a year.
--In 1936, she started writing a daily newspaper column entitled, My Day.  By the time of her death she had also written 500 magazine articles and 23 books.
--She fought for women's rights and encouraged them to get involved in politics.  She also fought against racism/prejudice against minorities.


 --She resigned from the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) when they wouldn't rent space to the African-American opera singer Marian Anderson.  She ended up having Anderson sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where 75,000 people attended.

--During World War II, she visited soldiers to boost morale.  In the end, she visited 400,000 soldiers and traveled 23,000 miles.  And she didn't just drop into the hospitals.  Admiral Halsey said when she visited the hospitals:

She went into every ward, stopped at every bed and spoke to every patient.

--On April 12, 1945, Franklin Roosevelt died.  Eleanor was asked by Franklin's successor, Harry Truman to be one of three U.S. delegates to the United Nations.
--She continued to speak out for human rights and civil rights, and to fight for what she believed in.
--She died on November 7th, 1962 at the age of 78.

My Eleanor Roosevelt Books:
-Anna Eleanor Roosevelt--Dan Santow
-You Learn by Living--Eleanor Roosevelt
-This I Remember--Eleanor Roosevelt
-Eleanor: The Years Alone--Joseph P. Lash
-Eleanor and Franklin--Joseph P. Lash
-America's First Ladies--Diana Dixon Healy
-First Ladies--Betty Boyd Caroli
-First Ladies of the White House--Nancy J. Skarmeas
-Who's Who of Women in the Twentieth Century--Jean Martin