First Ladies | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/first-ladies/RSS feed for First LadiesenThu, 28 May 2026 20:07:08 +0000Ona Judge Escaped From Slavery While George Washington Was Busy Eating Dinner Inside. Now, a New Mural Honors Her Legacyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ona-judge-escaped-from-slavery-while-george-washington-was-eating-dinner-inside-now-new-mural-honors-her-legacy-180988851/The artwork in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, shows Judge arriving in the city after her journey from Philadelphia in May 1796. She remained a free woman until her death in 1848Thu, 28 May 2026 20:07:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ona-judge-escaped-from-slavery-while-george-washington-was-eating-dinner-inside-now-new-mural-honors-her-legacy-180988851/Abigail Adams Asked Her Husband to 'Remember the Ladies' as He Drafted America's Laws. Here's What She Really Meanthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abigail-adams-asked-her-husband-to-remember-the-ladies-as-he-drafted-americas-laws-heres-what-she-really-meant-180988452/She wrote the letter that would come to define her legacy on March 31, 1776. But 250 years later, Americans are misinterpreting her open-ended requestTue, 31 Mar 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abigail-adams-asked-her-husband-to-remember-the-ladies-as-he-drafted-americas-laws-heres-what-she-really-meant-180988452/The Real Story Behind Abigail Adams' 'Remember the Ladies' Letterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/real-story-behind-abigail-adams-remember-ladies-letter-180988421/Americans who turned the letter written by the future first lady into a suffragist rallying cry may have misunderstood her intentionsThu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/real-story-behind-abigail-adams-remember-ladies-letter-180988421/Four Famous American Women Who Were Also Prolific Letter Writershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/four-famous-american-women-prolific-letter-writers-180987176/In a long and storied tradition, these bold women recorded history—and shaped it—through their correspondenceWed, 03 Sep 2025 16:25:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/four-famous-american-women-prolific-letter-writers-180987176/Jill Biden Unveils a Reimagined White House Tour, Which Invites Visitors to 'Touch, Hear and See' Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jill-biden-unveils-a-reimagined-white-house-tour-which-invites-visitors-to-touch-hear-and-see-history-180985375/The public tours of the historic residence hadn't been overhauled in decades. For two years, the first lady's office has been working to make them more interactive and educationalFri, 01 Nov 2024 18:36:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jill-biden-unveils-a-reimagined-white-house-tour-which-invites-visitors-to-touch-hear-and-see-history-180985375/What the American Revolution Taught the United States' First Presidentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-american-revolution-taught-united-states-first-presidents-180984842/A new book by historian William E. Leuchtenburg examines how the first six commanders in chief embodied the revolutionary spirit and set precedents that shaped their successors' tenuresThu, 15 Aug 2024 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-american-revolution-taught-united-states-first-presidents-180984842/The Smithsonian Acquires the Earliest Known Photograph of an American First Ladyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smithsonian-acquires-the-earliest-known-photograph-of-an-american-first-lady-180984639/The National Portrait Gallery purchased an 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison for $456,000Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:41:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smithsonian-acquires-the-earliest-known-photograph-of-an-american-first-lady-180984639/From the Governor's Mansion to the White House and Beyond, Rosalynn Carter Was a Tireless Advocate for the Vulnerablehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-the-governors-mansion-to-the-white-house-and-beyond-rosalynn-carter-was-a-tireless-advocate-for-the-vulnerable-180982895/Smithsonian experts reflect on the life and legacy of the former first lady, who died Sunday at age 96Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:37:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-the-governors-mansion-to-the-white-house-and-beyond-rosalynn-carter-was-a-tireless-advocate-for-the-vulnerable-180982895/Why the National Zoo Is Saying Goodbye to Its Giant Pandashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-the-national-zoo-is-saying-goodbye-to-its-giant-pandas-180982927/Staff remain hopeful that members of the threatened species will be back in Washington in the near futureWed, 20 Sep 2023 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-the-national-zoo-is-saying-goodbye-to-its-giant-pandas-180982927/Why President Warren G. Harding's Sudden Death Sparked Rumors of Murder and Suicidehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-president-warren-g-hardings-sudden-death-sparked-rumors-of-murder-and-suicide-180982626/The commander in chief's unexpected death in office 100 years ago fueled decades of conspiracy theories but was most likely the result of a heart attackTue, 01 Aug 2023 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-president-warren-g-hardings-sudden-death-sparked-rumors-of-murder-and-suicide-180982626/