American History: The First Ladies of the United States, Classroom Poster

Outstanding Poster depicting US First Ladies

Posted by William Joseph Reynolds on 3rd Jun 2016

I am a Presidential Historian, and was quite pleased with this poster. Other posters, like it, have not been, totally, accurate, owing to the presidents who were widowers or bachelors or had multiple First Ladies.

I was very pleased to see the proper notation, citing that Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, Hannah Hoes Van Buren, and Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur died before their husbands' presidencies. Additionally, Harriet Lane was cited as being her bachelor uncle James Buchanan's White House hostess. And that John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson, each, had two First Ladies, with their wives dying, and being re-married during their incumbencies.

About the only fact that was overlooked was the fact that Ronald Reagan was previously married and divorced from actress Jane Wyman, thus far the only president to have been divorced.

Hopefully, regardless of the outcome of this November's election, the poster will be updated, to include the next 'First Spouse.'