America’s First Ladies, Part II

Back by popular demand, American history buff and raconteur, Doug Brin, continues his colorful look at the lives of America’s First Ladies, from those of undeniable prominence and public stature — such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton — to the lesser-known but intriguing women whose presence and support proved invaluable to their husbands.

These are women from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds, who determinedly melded their life situations in ways that furthered and heightened the prospects of their husbands, who sometimes unexpectedly gained the presidency. Learn how an unfortunate number of First Ladies suffered the premature deaths of beloved children — or even themselves. Taken as a whole, the panoply of these figures reflect both the persistent and changing roles of women in our society.