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America's First Ladies Trailer
06/09/2025
America's First Ladies Trailer
How much do you really know about America’s First Ladies? These women are in the public eye, but they have no Constitutionally defined official role. Wouldn’t you like to get to know them a little better? Coming July 4 to a podcast player near you, America’s First Ladies, a podcast examining the lives of, wait for it, America’s First Ladies. I’m Risa Weaver-Enion, the host of America’s First Ladies. I’m not a famous author or journalist, just someone with an undergraduate degree in history and a love of stories. And I want to share these stories with you. Do you know how many First Ladies there have been in American history? Amazingly enough, there’s no clear answer to that question. Some men had spouses who died before they became President, yet the National First Ladies’ Library still considers them “official” First Ladies. Some presidents had daughters, nieces, or daughters-in-law fill the role of First Lady, but only one of those is recognized as an “official” First Lady by the National First Ladies’ Library. When you tally them all up, there have been 52 women who served as First Lady, plus four more spouses who died before their husbands became President. I’m sure you can name a handful of them—hopefully the ones who have served during your lifetime, plus a few famous ones like Martha Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jackie Kennedy. But what about Letitia Tyler, Priscilla Tyler, and Julia Tyler? All three of them served as First Lady for President John Tyler! You’ll have to wait a few seasons to find out what that’s all about. This podcast is going to take a deep look at every woman who has served as First Lady, whether the First Ladies’ Library considers them “official” or not. Each First Lady will get an entire season dedicated to her. Admittedly, some seasons will be longer than others. It’s going to depend on how many biographies there are of a particular First Lady, and how much information I can find about them. We’ll go chronologically, of course, beginning with Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. Did you even know that George Washington was Martha’s second husband? Each episode will be around 30 minutes. I want this to be an easy listen, not something that feels like going to school. There are no pop quizzes, and no final exams. This is your chance to get to know these women better, including their lives before (and after) their time as First Lady. There’s a companion website at americasfirstladiespodcast.com where you can find transcripts of each episode, plus photos, diagrams, and further reading. You can find America’s First Ladies on your podcast player of choice. Just hit the “Follow” button so new episodes download automatically when they’re released. I’m excited to dive into the lives of America’s First Ladies with you!
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