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See how our first ladies have defined presidencies, reimagined the White House, and left their mark on American history.
2017
Dolley Madison. Jackie Kennedy. Nancy Reagan. Three women who helped brand their husbands' presidencies by knowing the importance of image and style. Join us as we examine their days in the White House and how they defined their position through a mix of diplomacy, glamour, and when necessary, grit. From grand entrances at inaugural balls to meeting foreign leaders, we show how these stylish women left their mark on the White House and on American history.
Edith Roosevelt, Lady Bird Johnson, and Betty Ford entered the White House under stressful conditions, but each came to embrace the position of first lady, and leave her mark on history. See how the assassinations of McKinley and Kennedy and the resignation of Nixon thrust these women into the spotlight. Then see the contributions they made, beautifying D.C., championing women's rights, and even helping to build the West Wing all of which strengthened their remarkable legacies.
Under constant scrutiny, Mary Todd Lincoln spends her time quietly visiting the wounded during the Civil War. Driven by a great sense of duty to the troops, Eleanor Roosevelt risks her life to enter the Pacific theater. Thrust into a new role after 9/11, Laura Bush's compassion earns her the nickname, "Comforter in Chief." Join us as we celebrate these three extraordinary women, who served their country at a time when it was most needed, and helped the country cope through times of tragedy and trauma.
Some first ladies are not content to stay in the background. They are determined to blaze a trail, not just for future first ladies but for women everywhere. Join us as we look at Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton, two political pioneers who took full advantage of the powerful platform they were given. We reveal how Eleanor became a champion of the downtrodden and risked her life in her fight for civil and women's rights. Then we show how Hillary followed in her idol's activist footsteps, notching successes, and enemies, along the way.
