Roles of First Ladies

Roles of the premier gentlewoman Kenya Stanford Ashford University HIS 204 Ameri prat History Since 1865 Instructor Tara Ross November 15, 2010 Abstract The social functions of the premiere Lady can vary. Several of the authors describes that some of the premier(prenominal) Ladys roles can be from writing invitations , creating an policy, sharing ideas ab issue political rights, to coming up with health trade reform. This essay contains some of the old traditional roles that the First Lady was required to do in the 18th century and how it changes over time. Also, it explains how each century First Lady goes about performing her duties.Roles of the First Lady The roles of the First Lady are really undetermined because it changes due to their interest and the timeframe that they were in. Traditional roles of the First lady The duties of the First Lady vary from time to time. During the 18th century, the traditional roles of the First Lady were being a entertainess for our count ry. snow-covered House. Gov articulates, The President and the First Ladys job responsibilities are to entertain both issue and international guest that were arriving and staying at the light House (White House. gov). It also goes on stating that the reason for hosting the pillow slip was to strengthen any existing ties, to stage for new relationships, to establish new embark onnerships, or only to extend the hospitality of the White House as the fundament of our nation leader and every First lady were responsible for writing every single invitation by hand (FirstLady. org). 18th degree Celsius First Ladies Martha majuscule and Abigail Adams Martha Washington was a well-respected and very kind-hearted to all that knew her. However, Martha did not enjoy her roles as being the First Lady.According to the oblige, she stated I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else, there is certain bounds set for me which I must not depart from any many younger and gaye r women would be extremely pleased in her place she would be much rather be at home (White House. Gov). Just by reading the article on her, it gives me the idea that she was very private about her life with outsiders and she always held her head up. During her time she was called Lady Washington. She had gotten that name during the Revolutionary War era (America. ov). During the fight era, Martha Washington was placed into a winter encampment that was the most comfortable to live in (Berkin, Carol). During the war, she and the other general wives served as hostess. The purpose was to lift everyone enliven and giving every solider a reason on what they were fighting for (Berkin, Carol. ) After Martha had moved to the White House, she found out that she was also responsible for managing the presidential house and supervising the domestic affairs at Mount Vernon from a distance (MarthaWashington. us).However, her successor Abigail Adams was a very interesting woman of her time. Pe ople viewed her as a very patriot woman. Abigails letter talked about current politics and how she expressed her opinions. During the time of when the famous shots heard around the world started, Abigail was writing stool letters to express her concern and her longing to be with him. According to Carol Berkin, Soon I will be in continual arms. Rumors have dish out that the British has spread. We know not what a day will bring forth, nor what distress one hour may throw us into (Berkin, Carol). During her husbands presidential, she would write letters that was expressing her ideas about womens right. For example, one of her famous letters was when she wrote John telling him to remember the ladies when it came down to the new law (New World Encyclopedia). Basically, she was severe to gives the women more rights that they were entitled to but during the American Revolution that was proving to be was very impossible task. According to New World Encyclopedia, Highly conscious of her r ole as the presidents wife, Abigail Adams saw her role largely as a hostess for the public and partisan symbol of the Federalist Party.Her entertainments were confined to a relatively small home in Philadelphia, turned into a hotel after the capital was moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D. C. (New World Encyclopedia). . She also attempted to influence hammer, believing that the more revealing Napoleonic-style clothing then ordinary were too indecorous. Since presidential families were responsible for covering the costs of their entertainments and the Adamses were enduring financial difficulties at the time of his presidency, Abigail Adamss receptions were somewhat Spartan (New World Encyclopedia). 19th Century bloody shame Lincoln and Ida McKinley Mary Lincoln was a woman who wanted the public to like her. She was getting to point where she was tired of the public talking about her fashion so she decides to do a makeover for herself and for the White House.At the beginning th rough the end of the article, the author discusses how Mary Lincoln was very careless with money and how she would act out if she didnt get her way (Lincoln White House. org). The Lincoln Institute only notes that Mrs. Mary Lincoln visited the wounded from the Civil War and remodeled the White House (Lincoln White House. rg). Ida McKinley was a very ill person who suffered from being epilepsy. Her conditions were affecting her and her husband job performance. According to Miller Center Public Affairs, Although she occasionally appeared at state dinners and in receiving lines, her attendance at these functions was sporadic due to the unpredictability of her seizures (Miller Center, 2010). It also goes on stating that the president had to ask the vice presidents wife to service of process her with her duties due to her being sick.Even though she was very sick, she manages to crochet bedroom room slippers for fundraisers and charities. After reading the article, she proves that she w as able to show her husband that she cared about how he tangle about politics and that she would dedicate herself to it through the end. She was the first to have her spouse to reschedule everything around her instead of the President reschedule everything around him. 20th Century Edith Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy Following President McKinleys assassination came about very sudden to Edith.So Edith had to fill in that position as First Lady. Not being a stranger to Washington and to the public, Edith was able to perform her job really well. Edith was very good at managing books and being able to keep up the home. But just like Martha Washington, she kept her life private from everybody including T. Rs extended family. According to the Theodore Roosevelt Association, Under Ediths careful eye the White House collection of mainland China and the portraits of First Ladies were begun.The task of restoring the house to its classic and simple federal style, inside and out, while accom modating a large family and executive branch of government for a growing nation came to the Roosevelts. First Lady Edith Roosevelt played the major role in overseeing the largest renovation of the White House into the stately and practical government heart it is today (theodoreroosevelt. org). Just like Martha Washington, Mary Lincoln, Edith Roosevelt, and Abigail Adams, the next First Lady named Jacqueline Kennedy tends to follow in some of their steps.Her first big role as First Lady was the historical restoration of the White House (JFK Presidential Library and Museum. ). The article stated that she created a White House Guide and authenticates the artwork. She also created the White House Historical society posts White House curator, oversaw to creating a publication of a guidebook for the visitors, and finally established the White House Library and the roseate Garden (JFK Presidential Library and Museum. ).Later on, Jacqueline Kennedy becomes a host for the television tour by CBS in 1962 (JFK Presidential Library and Museum. ). 21st Century Laura provide and Michelle Obama dissimilar the other former First Lady, Laura Bush manages to go to the extremes with her duties as First Lady. According to National First Ladies Library, Education has been the primary focus of Laura Bushs tenure as First Lady and the issue that has bound all the various efforts she has spearheaded.When she eventually was able to deliver testimony before the Senate Education Committee on January 23, 2002, Laura Bush called for higher teacher salaries and better training for Head Start and day care workers. In the nine month of her tenure introduced a National have got Festival in Washington, D. C. based on the model of the one she had created in Texas. Within two years, this festival had inspired the Russian First Lady Ludmilla Putin to host an October 1, 2003 book festival in her nation that Laura Bush attended in Moscow, along with several American authors (National First Lad ies Library, 2010).She also went to Afghani to met the women and to hear how grim their lives have been since the war, and she created a public-forum to help with the techniques to comfort children that were traumatized during and after 9/11(National First Ladies Library, 2010). Again, every First Ladys ideas about how to perform her job is divers(prenominal) just as Michelle Obama have stated. Michelle states that This new administration doesnt view service as separate from our national priorities, or in addition to our national priorities.We see it as the key to achieving our national priorities, she continued. We believe that the only way to build that new foundation for our economy is to establish a new role for service in this country (America. Gov). The article continues to talks about how Michelle talks about how you can volunteer to make differences. Michelles second role as First Lady was to reconstruct a playground and packed over 15,000 backpacks for the children of Am ericas service members to take with them to summer camp (America. Gov).White House. Gov states that as First Lady, Mrs. Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the issues close to her heart supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the liberal arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country (America. Gov) As I stated earlier, every First Ladys role is undetermined because it changes due to their interest and the timeframe that they were in.Every First Lady has their ways on how they would like to do things. Some of them may not have a lot of experiences when it comes to politics and some may. Whether it is making sockets or reconstructing a playground, these women are using their talents in helping others. Like Michelle stated, Theres a sense of smell that you get when you help someone achieve their goals the fulfillment of puttin g your faith into action and feeling that youre a part of something thats bigger than yourself and doing your part for the greater good.Bibliography America. Gov. (2009, June 29). Retrieved from America. Gov-Engaging the world michelle Obama defines own Rosle as First Lady http//www. america. gov/st/usg-english/2009/June/20090629092010degrebsginek0. 475445. html Berkin, C. (2005, February 01). Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for Americans Independence. United States, United States Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated. Institute, T. L. (2010). Mr. Linclons White