First First Ladies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Frances Cleveland

Frances Folsom was the daughter of a good friend and law partner of Grover Cleveland. He knew her since she was born and helped guide her education after her father died. Frances missed Cleveland's first inauguration but after visiting him shortly afterwards, the two quickly fell in love. They were married at the White House in the Blue Room in 1886 in a small ceremony seen by only 28 people.

Frances was a very popular First Lady and was known as a charming hostess and capable mother of their several children. They lived in New York after Cleveland lost the 1888 election but returned after four years when he was elected to a non-consecutive second term. Frances remarried after Cleveland's death but was buried next to him after she passed away.

Answer: Lucy Hayes

Lucy Webb was from Ohio and after prep school she went on to enrol in Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated at age 18 with honors, obtaining a liberal arts degree. As a young lady she made a vow to forsake alcoholic beverages and was a staunch advocate of this her entire life, giving her the nickname "Lemonade Lucy".

She met and married Rutherford Hayes, a promising lawyer, and was frequently by his side throughout his Civil War commands and his political rise to power. She was 45 years old and the mother of several children when Hayes won the presidential office. Lucy was known as a gracious hostess (albeit without alcohol being served) during her husband's term and went on to be an active participant in the Fremont, Ohio community after they left office.

Answer: Helen Taft

Helen Herron was from Ohio where her parents were friends with former presidents Harrison and Hayes. It was at age 16 that she made her first trip to Washington, DC and declared she would someday live there as a first lady. Not long after, she married William Howard Taft and went on to encourage him to seek public offices. She also coached him in speech making, raised children with him, and eagerly travelled with him through diplomatic missions.

In 1908, Taft rose from Secretary of War to earn the presidential office and Helen broke with tradition to ride with him in the inauguration parade. She hosted many gala events, enjoyed a cigarette or two, weathered a stroke, and helped introduce the cherry blossom trees to Washington. After they left office, Helen wrote and published her memoirs and continued her love of travel and music.

Answer: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Rodham was born in Illinois and went on to be a student leader in high school and college. She entered Yale Law School in 1969 where she served on the board of editors of "Yale Law Review and Social Action", interned with children's advocacy groups, and met Bill Clinton.

They married and moved to Arkansas where she joined a law firm and helped raise their daughter. After twelve years as Arkansas's First Lady, Clinton won the presidency and Hillary was First Lady of the United States. During her role as such she chaired several committees on health care reform, helped craft legislation, and supported assault weapons bans.

In 2001 she played double duty as outgoing First Lady and New York senator. She published her memoirs and ran for the presidency in 2008.

She did not win the election but became the first First Lady to be Secretary of State for the United States. In 2016, Hillary was the Democratic nominee for president and hoped to obtain yet another first.

Answer: Abigail Adams

Abigail Smith was descended from families of good standing in the colonies who also held religion and clergy in high esteem. She lacked formal education but was an avid reader and writer and married the lawyer John Adams. While he was a circuit judge in the Massachusetts area she stayed home, wrote him letters, and raised children.

After the United States was formed she joined John in his diplomatic post in Paris and took great interest in the European customs. When Adams was the Vice President of the US, Abigail befriended Martha Washington and helped entertain using her knowledge from the international circles she had visited.

When Adams was elected president in 1797 she continued to lead a busy social calendar, even after she moved into the unfinished White House in 1800.

After leaving office, she and John lived for 17 years in their beloved farm in Quincy where she died before she could see her son, John Quincy, also reach the White House.

Answer: Letitia Tyler

Letitia Christian lived on a Tidewater plantation in Virginia and grew up with no formal education but with knowledge on how to run a vast household. She met John Tyler at a private party and married him after a five year engagement. As he rose through the political ranks, she stayed home and raised their children. Her health suffered and she was recovering as an invalid when her husband served as the vice president under Harrison.

Nobody, least of all Letitia, expected Harrison to die so quickly after his inauguration and it was a shock to her to live in the White House. She secluded herself upstairs on the second floor and let her daughter-in-law, Priscilla, act as hostess. Letitia spent her time knitting and reading her Bible. She died in 1842, the first First Lady to die in the White House, while holding a damask rose in her hands.

Answer: Jacqueline Kennedy

Jacqueline Bouvier grew up between New York City and the East Hamptons and was educated at some of the best private schools in the area. She was named "Debutante of the Year" for 1947-1948 while getting her higher education and travelling abroad. While working for a local newspaper, she met Senator John Kennedy who she dated and married in the public eye. As the wife of an energetic political figure, she juggled raising children with many social and public gatherings.

As First Lady, beginning in 1960, she aspired to bring culture and arts to the forefront. Her world changed dramatically in 1963 when John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas next to her and she found herself, 99 minutes later, standing next to Lyndon Johnson as he took the oath of office on Air Force One. Years later, Jacqueline married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and worked as an editor until her death in 1994.

Answer: Sarah Polk

Sarah Childress grew up on a plantation in Tennessee and was very well educated for her time. She met James Polk and, story has it, was encouraged to marry him by Andrew Jackson. She and Polk never had any children and that was difficult in a time when women were judged by their child bearing as a career. Sarah helped James with his speeches and his writings and was his biggest proponent as he worked his way through political circles.

She was very devout in her religion and was known to sit out dances and be very sedate in her entertainments.

She did, however, act as hostess to the first White House Thanksgiving holiday dinner in 1845. When Polk died almost as soon as he left office, Sarah spent the next 42 years grieving, wearing black, and living in seclusion.

Answer: Michelle Obama

Michelle Robinson grew up in Chicago, Illinois and went on to study sociology at Princeton and to graduate from Harvard Law School. She worked in a law firm after college where she met Barak Obama and they were married in 1992. As Barak began a political career and became a US Senator, they still stayed in Chicago so that Michelle could not only aid him but could help raise their daughters.

After Barak was elected president in 2008, Michelle began her campaigns in the areas of battling childhood obesity, helping with healthcare reform, and bringing focus to utilizing organic foods. By 2012, she was very influential in helping him campaign again and travelled frequently throughout the United States and abroad. She has worked to become a model for African American women through her actions, her poise and style, and her role as working mother. She also managed to find time to go to the Oscar ceremony and announce that the 2012 Best Picture went to "Argo".

Answer: Julia Grant

Julia Dent grew up outside of St. Louis, Missouri in a household that was run in a very Southern atmosphere. As a teenager, she met and fell in love with Ulysses Grant who was her brother's classmate from West Point. They married four years after the engagement due to the Mexican War. Julia accompanied "Ulys" to many posts throughout his career and stood by him when he resigned his commission and took up farming. He was trying to make ends meet financially when the Civil War broke out and he joined the Union.

Julia rejoiced in his fame as he became victorious throughout the battles and often considered the White House years, beginning in 1869, as the happiest in her memories. The years there were filled with scandals and high points and the Grants took a trip around the globe when both of his administrations were complete. Grant died of throat cancer and was laid to rest in a tomb that was dedicated in 1897. It was at this event that Julia was captured on film using Thomas Edison's newest "moving picture" invention. Upon her death, she was buried next to Grant.