As we move toward the year 2000, Americans continue to debate the job
of First Lady. How much power does the position actually hold? How
publicly should that power be wielded? _First Ladies_ tells the story
of this curious institution and the evolution of these women's role
from ceremonial backdrop to substantive world figure. This expanded
edition brings us up to the present, examining the legacies of our
three most recent First Ladies: Nancy Reagan, credited with raising
the job to that of "Associate President"; Barbara Bush, who took a
more traditional approach); and Hillary Rodham Clinton, widely billed
as the person responsible for changing the job completely. Covering
all thirty-nine women from Martha Washington to our current First Lady
and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of
presidents who sometimes served as First Ladies, Betty Boyd Caroli
explores the background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in
office of each woman. This remarkably diverse lot included Abigail
Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a twentieth-century feminist
refrain; Edith Wilson, who alone controlled access to the President
when he suffered a stroke; Jane Pierce, who prayed her husband would
lose the election; Helen Taft, who insisted on living in the White
House, although her husband would have preferred a judgeship; and Pat
Nixon, who perfected what some have called "the robot image." They
ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's; some received superb
educations for their time, while others had little or no schooling.
Including the courageous and adventurous, the emotionally unstable,
the ambitious, and the reserved, these women often did not fit the
traditional expectations of a presidential helpmate. Depicting how
these women used the "magic wand" given to them, Caroli reveals not
only how each First Lady changed the role, but also how the role
changed in response to American culture. Because of their position,
these women left remarkably complete records, and their stories offer
us an insider's view not only of their lives but also of the history
of American women in general.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780198020813
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter