American First Ladies is a testament to the visible role that first ladies have played in U.S. government, as well as the expanding interest in women’s achievements from the birth of the country to the present time.

This fourth edition of American First Ladies is a testament to the increasingly visible role that First Ladies have played throughout history. Similar to its companion volume, American Presidents, this updated work contains comprehensive essays on every first lady from Martha Washington to Jill Biden. Each biographical essay includes the following detailed sections: Early Life; Marriage and Family; Presidency and First Ladyship; and Legacy.

Each chapter features anecdotal sidebars about the President and First Lady, an Annotated Suggested Reading, and more than 100 photographs and drawings appear throughout the work. American First Ladies also contains a detailed Introduction, Chronological List of vital information on each First Lady, Chronological list of Presidents, Libraries, Museums, Historic Sites, Bibliography, and Subject Index.