The First Ladies’ Role in an Always Changing Society

Abstract

The position of First Lady of the United States is a constantly evolving one. The role they have changes every time a new woman is in office with her husband because of evolving societal expectations. First Ladies need to be able to figure out what is expected of them and how to either effectively play out this role or possibly even how to upset the balance of this role if it may not be what they feel is best. Edith Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Michelle Obama are the three women that are discussed throughout this Senior Project. Learning how to do the job that is not really a job can be tough when there are no clear rules and, the time period you're in office effects what citizens may expect of you. Each woman has very different experiences in their lives as well as when they are First Ladies, but they also have some similarities too. This project looks into each individual independently and also compares them so we can see how they chose to take on the role during the time period they were in and how society/U.S. citizens may or may not have swayed these women.