FLOTUS: the First Ladies

A Canton, in Ohio, dove nacque la First Lady Ida Saxton-McKinley, c’è un museo dedicato alle mogli dei presidenti americani, che con le loro storie hanno segnato la politica.

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First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House. The position has never been held by a man, but in this case he would be First Gentleman. Not all women who have served as a First Lady were spouses to the President. Harriet Lane, for example, was the niece of the fifteenth President, James Buchanan. 

FIRST AND LATEST

Each First Lady has been pioneering in her own way. The first First Lady, Martha Washington, was a rich widow with four children when she married George Washington. Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump was the first First Lady to become a naturalised US citizen.

PRECARIOUS POSITIONS

The First Lady’s role is unpaid and has never been officially defined, but she features prominently in public life. In charge of all social and ceremonial events at the White House, she increasingly fulfills an ambassadorial role  worldwide, too. It can be a risky position to hold. Although a First Lady has never been assassinated, four Presidents have. 

INFLUENCE AND INFAMY

Increasingly, the identity of the First Lady is imperative to the President’s election. Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama both contributed considerably to their husbands’ campaigns and presidencies. Some of the most famous First Ladies, however, had disreputable husbands: Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson and Clinton all suffered their spouse’s infidelities.  

THE STRONG SILENT TYPE

In the age of digital media, the First Lady comes under extraordinary scrutiny. Perhaps this is why Melania Trump responded to the role elusively. Speculation as to her expensive clothing choices, her appropriation of parts of her predecessor Michelle Obama’s speeches, and her choosing to follow Barack Obama’s Twitter account — among only six others — did not affect her third place polling in the list of America’s most admired women.

Top 5 First Ladies

Louisa Adams (1825-1829)

The wife of President John Quincy Adams spoke French, played the harp, and raised silkworms in the White House. Unfortunately, her husband was dismissive of women’s intelligence and Louisa was ignored. For revenge she wrote sardonic plays that included an unflattering version of her husband; while she was the repressed genius.

Julia Tyler (1844-1845)

The Kardashian of her day, the wife of President John Tyler, thirty years her senior, was a national celebrity. A shocking flirt, she had an etching made of herself wearing fancy clothes that was widely sold. She adored publicity and wrote her own press releases. People would write to her about possible pardons or federal job opportunities.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Controversial at the time, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an activist, a champion of human rights and a pioneering feminist. She held press conferences, wrote a newspaper column, hosted a radio show, and spoke at national party conventions. Sometimes, she publically disagreed with her husband’s policies!

Pat Nixon (1969-1974)

President Richard Nixon was an angry, rude man, while his wife was adored. The smartest move her husband made was to use the slogan “Pat For First Lady” in his election campaign. She visited schools, orphanages and hospitals, and went on many missions of goodwill across the world, including in combat zones.

Betty Ford (1974-1977)

The wife of President Gerald Ford was very candid. Active in social policy, pro-choice on abortion and a women’s movement leader, she also raised awareness of addiction when she announced her long-running battle with alcoholism and opioid abuse. In 1982, she established the Betty Ford Center for the treatment of dependency.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama was the first African-American woman to become First Lady of theUnited States. She was also the third consecutive First Lady to have a post-graduate degree, and the second law graduate, after Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17th, 1964,the second child of a Chicago water board employee and a secretary. Her great-great-grandfather was bornaslave. Despite her humble background, she attended Ivy League university Princeton and later Harvard Law School. She became one of a few African-Americans to work for law firm Sidley Austin. She met her future husband there when she was assigned to mentor him.

In the press

Although the post of First Lady is ceremonial, it is very high profile. While her husband was campaigning for the presidency, Mrs Obama was criticised by the press for her negativity about the country, and for making jokes about voters’ idealisation of her husband. In a remarkable show of solidarity, Laura Bush, wife of the outgoing Republican president, defended Obama, suggesting that the words of the President’s spouse were subject to the same harsh media scrutiny as those of her husband.

Press hounding was something that Hillary Clinton also lost patience with, once saying that to avoid it, she should have “stayed home and baked cookies”.

Inspirational figure

Obama has conformed to the role of First Lady in a traditional way. She emphasises family values by supporting military families and promoting the cause of the homeless. She is acutely aware of her importance as a role model, uniquely representing one of the most disadvantaged and insecure groups in US society. She makes references to her own caring upbringing and to the primary importance of the couple’s two young daughters in her life.

 

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