First Lady of the United States
The first lady of the United States is usually the wife of the president of the U.S. She figures prominently in the political and social life of the nation. There are four living former first ladies: Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. The title ‘first lady’ has never been codified or officially defined, but it has been used since the 1790s.
About First Lady of the United States in brief
First Lady of the United States is usually the wife of the president of the U.S. She figures prominently in the political and social life of the nation. Since the early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by official staff. There are four living former first ladies: Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when newspaper journalist Mary C. Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as ‘The First Lady of The Land’ in a report on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes. Several women who were not presidents’ wives have served as first lady, when the president was a widower or a bachelor, when a bachelor or widower was in office. According to the Nexis database, the term ‘First Lady’ was used in 1983 by Donnie Radcliffe, writing in The Washington Post. The first lady is sometimes referred to as the second lady of United States, but this title is much less common and is called ‘FLOTUS’ or ‘First Ladies of The United States’ The title ‘first lady’ has never been codified or officially defined, but it has been used since the 1790s by Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, who was considered to be the inaugural first lady of U. S. During her lifetime, she was often called ‘Lady Washington’ The role of first ladies has changed considerably.
It has come to include involvement in political campaigns, management of the White House, championship of social causes, and representation of president at official and ceremonial occasions. As first ladies now typically publish their memoirs, they are viewed as potential sources of additional information about their husbands’ administrations, and because the public is interested in these increasingly independent women in their own right, first ladies frequently remain a focus of attention long after their husband’s terms of office have ended. The title was in wide use in the 1930s, when Edith Wilson took control of her husband’s schedule because he had a debilitating stroke. Use of the title later spread from the United. States to other nations, and later from the UK to Australia and other European countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. It was used to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive in the early days of the republic, when there was not a generally accepted title for the Wife of the President. In 1849, the title began being used in Washington, D. C., social circles. The earliest known written examples comes from November 3, 1863, diary entry of William Howard Russell, in which he referred to gossip about Mary Todd Lincoln.
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