Martha Washington -
Was the first one to be in this role of first lady. With reading about
George Washington when in school I do not ever recall being taught
about his wife the first lady. It seems that no one really knew about
her or her role was not important enough to include in textbooks to
teach.
From research I have found that Martha was born on June 2, 1731 at Chestnut Grove Plantation in New Kent County, Virginia, near Williamsburg. Martha had three brothers and two sisters. She did not recieve much education as was the way for women of her time. She received training at home on how to become a wife, cooking, cleaning and such. Later she had acquired some skills in plantation management, crop sales, homeopathic medicine, and animal husbandry which to me she had more of an education then what was normal or that she picks up things quick and soaked up information and questioned what went on around her to get what she needed to do what she did.
She was married once before George but this marriage ended when she was widowed. She married George January 6, 1759. But what role did she play in George's Presidency? Well she was First lady from April 30, 1789 - March ,1797. I found that Martha's years as first lady was very unpleasant to her, she was not happy but she felt she had to as a duty to her husband and country. There was rigid rules set up for the first lady. One of these rules that shocked me was that the president and first lady were not to accept dinner invitations in private households. She was very lonely in New york which at that time was The united States Capitol. She established her public role by hosting dinners at the mansion they had formal dinners on Thursday and public receptions on Fridays. I found where it says that there was no evidence that she influenced the presidents decisions.
It is stated that Martha was happy when her husbands Presidency came to an end. She did not like being in the public eye. She was lonely in New York and Pennsylvania as she had no real close friends. Her only solace was her grandchildren.
I think with this I am seeing that she had no true role in the presidency or in the public eye. She portrayed nothing to gain from her position she did not like being this person. It is interesting to look at this and wonder what it was truly like back then.
From research I have found that Martha was born on June 2, 1731 at Chestnut Grove Plantation in New Kent County, Virginia, near Williamsburg. Martha had three brothers and two sisters. She did not recieve much education as was the way for women of her time. She received training at home on how to become a wife, cooking, cleaning and such. Later she had acquired some skills in plantation management, crop sales, homeopathic medicine, and animal husbandry which to me she had more of an education then what was normal or that she picks up things quick and soaked up information and questioned what went on around her to get what she needed to do what she did.
She was married once before George but this marriage ended when she was widowed. She married George January 6, 1759. But what role did she play in George's Presidency? Well she was First lady from April 30, 1789 - March ,1797. I found that Martha's years as first lady was very unpleasant to her, she was not happy but she felt she had to as a duty to her husband and country. There was rigid rules set up for the first lady. One of these rules that shocked me was that the president and first lady were not to accept dinner invitations in private households. She was very lonely in New york which at that time was The united States Capitol. She established her public role by hosting dinners at the mansion they had formal dinners on Thursday and public receptions on Fridays. I found where it says that there was no evidence that she influenced the presidents decisions.
It is stated that Martha was happy when her husbands Presidency came to an end. She did not like being in the public eye. She was lonely in New York and Pennsylvania as she had no real close friends. Her only solace was her grandchildren.
I think with this I am seeing that she had no true role in the presidency or in the public eye. She portrayed nothing to gain from her position she did not like being this person. It is interesting to look at this and wonder what it was truly like back then.
