Читать книгу First Ladies For Dummies - Marcus A. Stadelmann, Marcus A. Stadelmann PhD - Страница 8

Introduction

Over the last 232 years, the United States has had 47 First Ladies. While presidents have dominated U.S. politics and history, most of our First Ladies are relatively unknown. The U.S. public might know about the most recent First Ladies, such as Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, or Dr. Jill Biden, and/or the most famous ones, such as Eleanor Roosevelt. However, most people are unfamiliar with many of the U.S. First Ladies.

While almost every American can name the current president, significantly fewer can name the current First Lady. Public school curricula and college courses focus on the U.S. presidents and not First Ladies. Academic books and autobiographies on American presidents and their administrations are readily available and fill many shelves in bookstores. Not so for First Ladies. The first memoirs of a First Lady didn’t hit the bookshelves until the 20th century.

However, things have been changing. First Ladies are usually more popular than presidents and receive more media attention. Now, First Lady memoirs sell better than presidential memoirs. The media, beginning in the 1960s, started to spend more time disseminating information on the virtues and shortcomings of First Ladies. Then, in the 1980s, academics even started to rank First Ladies, and for the first time, their importance in American politics became well known. Select universities even offer college courses on First Ladies, and TV specials on First Ladies have begun to appear.

This book covers all 47 First Ladies — from the beginning of the republic in 1789 to the present time — in one place and makes it so you don’t have to read 47 separate books just to read about the U.S. First Ladies. It shows how, over time, First Ladies have changed and the institution of the First Lady has also undergone changes. This work shows the slow transformation of the office of the First Lady to a powerful institution within the White House. Some First Ladies, such as Rosalynn Carter, played such a large role in their husband’s administration that they were referred to as co-presidents.

Clearly, the time has come to study First Ladies. I am excited to share with you the histories and stories of these unique women.

About This Book

This book is neither a textbook nor an autobiography; it combines the best elements of both. It won’t bore you with little tedious facts or a lot of narrative. It doesn’t shower you with a mass of statistics that prove to you what you already know. The information on the First Ladies gets to the point, highlighting only the major events in a First Lady’s life.

The book covers all 47 U.S. First Ladies in chronological order. Some First Ladies have an entire chapter to themselves; others are grouped together. I detail some basic personal information for each First Lady, and I also cover some major events that took place during her tenure.

I designed this book to give a solid foundation on the First Ladies, whether you’re studying political science, writing a paper, or reading for pleasure. I tried to make the book entertaining by including little-known tidbits. So whether you’re a history buff, a student, or just someone interested in America’s First Ladies, this book is for you. My hope is that this book will prove one point: The history of our First Ladies is fascinating and fun.

Conventions Used in This Book

To avoid repeating certain procedures, facts, and ideas, this book uses certain conventions. For example, I use the common abbreviations WWI and WWII to refer to World War I and World War II, respectively. I also use familiar First Lady nicknames, such as Lady Bird Johnson rather than Claudia Johnson and Pat Nixon instead of Patricia Nixon. I always list the given name first and then explain her nickname, which I then use for the rest of the chapter.

I use the term White House for the executive mansion for most of this book. The only exceptions are the early years of the republic, from 1789 until 1800, when the executive mansions were located in New York City and Philadelphia, respectively. After 1800, when President Adams moved into the executive mansion, located in the new capital of Washington, D.C., I use the term White House instead.

I also provide information in a consistent format. For each First Lady, I include a part on her early years — when and where she was born, what schools she attended (if she attended school at all!), and how she met the future president. The next section then covers how she became First Lady and what her role as First Lady looked like. The final section focuses on what happened during her retirement from public office.

Icons Used in This Book

As you read and enjoy this book, you’ll discover four icons that alert you to specific aspects of America’s 47 First Ladies.

This icon presents little-known information, or trivia, on the 47 First Ladies. Many of the First Ladies coined terms or set precedents for the office of the First Lady and the country.

This icon alerts you to famous statements or quotes made by or about the First Ladies. Some quotes you may be familiar with, and others you may not know. Some may shock you, and others may amuse you.

This icon points out important information you should be aware of as you read the section, the chapter, or the book. This icon covers only the most important events, people, and issues.

Historical information and other relevant material or events have this icon beside them. This information is included for the history buff, so feel free to ignore these paragraphs if you’re not interested.

Beyond the Book

In addition to what you’re reading right now, this book comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes key dates in the history of U.S. First Ladies. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type “First Ladies For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Where to Go from Here

Feel free to start with any chapter and any First Lady who interests you. Keep in mind that all the chapters are nonlinear, so you can start with any topic in any chapter.