Martha Washington, Nancy Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump some of the 42 wives of US presidents who bore (the latter still bears) the title of "first lady" of America.
Although the role of "first lady" has never been codified or formally defined, it holds a prominent place in the political and social life of the nation. A representative of her husband at formal and ritual events, both at home and abroad, the "first lady" is closely monitored in order to "testify" some of her husband's thoughts or to reveal some indication of his future actions.
Although her role is neither paid nor elected, the position of "first lady" is such that it gives her the step and the opportunity to influence the behavior and opinion of the public, willingly or unwillingly.
Some "first ladies", for example, whose popularity had soared, acted as role models for American women in the way they dressed, cut their hair, and even how they spoke and behaved.
In fact, there were many "first ladies" who used their influence to influence legislation on various important issues, such as women's rights, educational reform, etc.
Although the wife of the President of the United States has played an active public role since the founding of democracy, her title "first lady»Began to be widely used much later, and more specifically near the end of the 19th century. In fact, by the end of the 20th century the title had been adopted by other countries, while it is still used today for the wife of the leader of a nation, even in countries where she receives much less attention and is even less influential than the "first lady Of the United States.
When did the term first appear?
Martha Washington, the wife of the first president of the United States (George Washington) during her husband's tenure, was referred to as "Mrs. Washington", as the term "first lady" is not confirmed by history until 1843. In the same year she appeared for the first time in a newspaper article, and it took about another six years for it to be slowly adopted in Washington, with the condition that it became widely used throughout the country in the 1930s. First Lady "is a purely American affair, with no further details to substantiate this version.
This title, however, was used both for the wives of the governors and for other prominent women such as Ella Fitzgerald (First Lady of the Song) and Lucille Bowl (First Lady of Television).
Some argue that the term was first heard in 1849 at the funeral of Zachary Taylor, at the funeral of Dolly Madison (wife of James Madison, President of the United States between 1809-1817), while others claim that Harriet Lane, James Buchanan, was the one who introduced the term several years later, as she was the hostess of the White House.
Historians, however, seem to agree on some things. The term was not used in Martha Washington's time (most evidence converges that she was called "Mrs. Washington"). According to historian Matthew Costello, however, the first documented reference to a "first lady" came about forty years after Martha Washington's death, when a work was published on the life and presidency of George Washington, in which he described his wife. wrote that "The first lady of the nation maintained the habits of her former life."
He himself in an article for the "White House Historical Association" states that titles such as "Mrs. President", "President's wife", and "Mrs. President" gave way to that of the "first lady", as women began to extend the powers of their position.
The role of the press
An important role in the evolution and extension of the term was played by type of the time, as well as the later one, with descriptions of journalists and correspondents using the term "first lady" widely in their descriptions.
Thus, as the coverage of issues involving the wives of the Presidents increased and the circulation of the newspaper began to expand, the term became more and more widely known and accepted, even giving a special basis to the shift in public perception of the prestige of the President's wife, who was gaining more and more acceptance of her new role.
The media began to recognize this prestige and the new responsibilities of a woman who knew very well how to effectively and to the benefit of both her and her husband, this recognition.
This was especially the case with Eleanor Roosevelt, who gave her own press conferences, wrote political rights articles, fought for upgrading education, and generally raised new expectations about how active and influential the President's wife could be. .
The "First Lady" - a milestone in the evolution of the title
The development of the title of "first lady", according to historian Matthew Costello, began with one of the most popular female residents in the history of the White House. The attractive and young Francis Folsom Cleveland, intensified the public interest in the habits and daily life of his wife President, which was recognized as "the First Lady of the Earth", a title that was quickly accepted by the American press.
This trend continued during the time of Caroline Harrison, while this was also the first wife of the President who was named the "First Lady of the Republic".
Upon her return to the White House in 1893, Francis Cleveland reintroduced the title "First Lady of the Earth," a designation that now referred to former White House hosts in reports by commentators and journalists.
This phrase became so widespread, in fact, that it was integrated into American popular culture with various artists even presenting theatrical performances referring to the choices on various topics of the first ladies.
In addition to the theater, however, magazines have also begun to cover more and more issues concerning the first ladies, even pointing out their official social duties in the White House, their choices for decorating their "first home". , their clothing preferences and style, and even their family lifestyle. In fact, as American readers began to show increasing interest and admiration for the presidents' wives, such articles began to proliferate between the days of Ellen Wilson and Lou Hoover.
The first "First Lady" to make her mark on the title
It was during the presidency of the husband of the latter that the title "First Lady of the Earth", for the sake of brevity, became "First Lady", which was established with the arrival of Eleanor Roosevelt in White House.
It is characteristic that two days after the most important elections for her husband, in 1932, Eleanor had told a journalist that she never liked the idea of being called "First Lady" and that "I never wanted to be his wife" "President", insisting that people simply call her "Mrs. Roosevelt".
Her strong personality and rich activity in various fields, however, reinforced the title of "First Lady" and the importance he had for politics, society and culture, and so the term was not only established in her time. , but she also identified with her, as comparisons are often made with the later first ladies of America and their work, in relation to her own.