Martha Washington
Martha Washington was born in 1731 near Williamsburg, Virginia. She received very little formal education, but was trained well in domestic and social skills. When she was 18, she married Daniel Custis and she had four children; two died in infancy and the other two children were very young when Daniel died in 1757, leaving Martha a young widow and single mother. She married George Washington in 1759 and devoted her life to the happiness and well-being of her husband and children. Although she was a very private person, she was very supportive of the moral duties George catered to as he became a famous figure of the Revolutionary War and eventually the first President of the United States of America. Of her own circumstances, she wrote to a friend, "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." As First Lady, her warmth, generosity, and kindness made all of her guests feel welcome. After the end of George's presidency, they retired to their home in Mt. Vernon. Both of Martha's remaining children died, her son at age 26 leaving behind his own children, whom George and Martha helped raise. Martha died in May of 1802 and is buried next to her husband in Mt. Vernon.
Abigail Adams
Abigail was born in 1744, and although she was denied a formal education, she had a keen intellect and was an avid reader. She married John Adams in 1764, a man that was her intellectual equal and the love of her life. Their marriage happily endured for more than half a century despite his extensive travels because of his chosen career. While he traveled, she stayed at home running the estate and educating their young children. When John became the Minister to Great Britain, Abigail accompanied him and helped him handle his affairs with dignity and tact. After the end of his term, the Adamses moved to Quincy and were able to enjoy 17 blissful years together that John's political ambitious had previously denied them.
Lucy Hayes
Lucy was born in Ohio and after her father died when she was two, her mother took her three children to Delaware to be educated. Lucy graduated from Wesleyan Female College when she was 18, unusually well educated for a woman of her time. She married Rutherford Hayes in 1852 and she helped him develop a deeply religious belief that slavery was wrong as the Civil War interrupted their domestic felicity. Lucy and "Rud" had 8 children over a period of 20 years, only 5 of whom grew to adulthood. She was given the affectionate nickname "Mother Lucy" from the men of the 23rd Ohio Infantry, the men who served under her husband's command during the Civil War. She would often visit their camp to cheer up the men and to comfort the sick and the dying. As First Lady, she showed poise, confidence, intelligence, culture, and a cheerful spirit in performing her duties. She banned the consumption of alcohol during their term in the White House, later earning herself the nickname "Lemonade Lucy." She died in 1889 after spending 8 lively and happy years with her husband after the end of his Presidency.
Grace Coolidge
Grace was born in Vermont in 1879, an only child. As a young girl, she heard that a school existed that taught deaf children and she resolved to work there after her education. True to her word, after she graduated from the University of Vermont, she went to teach at the Clarke School for the Deaf. She married Calvin Coolidge in 1905 and she was a frugal homemaker, managing the small expenses of a struggling new lawyer. Grace was a hearty advocate for her husband's rise in politics and was often celebrated as friendly and obliging. She had two sons and could be often found in the backyard playing baseball with them. While Calvin was the Vice President, Grace quickly became one of the most popular women in Washington due to her charm and zest for life. She continued as a trustee of the Clarke School and a delighted grandmother until her death in 1957.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor was born in New York in 1884 and was sent to live with her grandmother when both of her parents died young. At 15, she attended school in England and began to build her self-confidence. She married Franklin Roosevelt in 1905 and went on to have six children, of which one son who died in infancy. As her husband developed his political career, she too began to develop keen political savvy. For Franklin's long political career, Eleanor served as a constant helpmeet and when he was too stricken with polio to do things alone, she stepped up to help him personally and professionally. She was a fanatic champion for the underprivileged and had a better understanding of social conditions than most others in Washington. She set the current precedent of First Ladies espousing issues and championing causes during their husbands' time in office. After the death of her husband, she became a spokeswoman for the United Nations until her death in 1962.
If you want to learn more about the wonderful women companions to the presidents, read more here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/first-ladies/
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