Letitia Christian Tyler: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|First Lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842}} |
{{short description|First Lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842}} |
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{{good article}} |
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{{Use American English|date=October 2022}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
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| image = Letitia Tyler2.jpg |
| image = Letitia Tyler2.jpg |
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| caption = |
| caption = Official portrait, 1842 |
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| office = [[First Lady of the United States]] |
| office = [[First Lady of the United States]] |
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| president = [[John Tyler]] |
| president = [[John Tyler]] |
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| term_end = September 10, 1842 |
| term_end = September 10, 1842 |
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| term_label = In role |
| term_label = In role |
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| predecessor = [[Anna Harrison]] |
| predecessor = {{ubl|[[Anna Harrison]]|[[Jane Irwin Harrison|Jane Harrison]] (acting)}} |
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| successor = [[ |
| successor = [[Priscilla Tyler]] (acting) |
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| office1 = [[ |
| office1 = [[Second Lady of the United States]] |
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| vicepresident1 = John Tyler |
| vicepresident1 = John Tyler |
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| term_start1 = March 4, 1841 |
| term_start1 = March 4, 1841 |
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| term_end1 = April 4, 1841 |
| term_end1 = April 4, 1841 |
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| term_label1 = In role |
| term_label1 = In role |
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| predecessor1 = [[Floride Calhoun]] |
| predecessor1 = [[Floride Calhoun]] |
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| successor1 = [[Sophia Dallas]] |
| successor1 = [[Sophia Dallas]] |
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| office2 = [[First Lady of Virginia]] |
| office2 = [[First Lady of Virginia]] |
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| governor2 = John Tyler |
| governor2 = John Tyler |
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| birth_name = Letitia Christian |
| birth_name = Letitia Christian |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1790|11|12}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1790|11|12}} |
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| birth_place = [[ |
| birth_place = [[Providence Forge, Virginia]], U.S. |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1842|9|10|1790|11|12}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|1842|9|10|1790|11|12}} |
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| death_place = |
| death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| death_cause = [[Stroke]] |
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'''Letitia Tyler''' (née '''Christian'''; November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842) was the [[first lady of the United States]] from 1841 to 1842 as the wife of President [[John Tyler]]. |
'''Letitia Christian Tyler''' ({{née}} '''Christian'''; November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842) was the [[first lady of the United States]] from 1841 to 1842 as the first wife of President [[John Tyler]]. After meeting in 1808, the two married in 1813. She managed their plantation in Virginia while her husband progressed his political career at the state capital and in Washington, D.C., accompanying him only while he was [[governor of Virginia]]. She had a stroke in 1839 that left her permanently disabled. |
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Tyler became the [[second lady of the United States]] when her husband became vice president of the United States in 1841, and she became the first lady when President [[William Henry Harrison]] died the following month and her husband ascended to the presidency. Tyler was unable to perform the duties of first lady due to her health, delegating them to her daughter-in-law [[Priscilla Cooper Tyler]]. She died of a second stroke in 1842, becoming the first person to die while serving as first lady of the United States. Tyler played virtually no role in [[Presidency of John Tyler|her husband's presidency]], but maintained a positive reputation among the American people. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Letitia Christian was born on November 12, 1790, at the [[Cedar Grove (Providence Forge, Virginia)|Cedar Grove]] plantation in New Kent County, Virginia. She was the |
Letitia Christian was born on November 12, 1790, at the [[Cedar Grove (Providence Forge, Virginia)|Cedar Grove]] plantation in [[New Kent County, Virginia]]. She was the seventh child<ref name="gould">{{Cite book |last=Gould |first=Lewis L. |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780815325857/ |title=American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy |publisher=Garland Publishing |year=1996 |isbn=0-8153-1479-5 |pages=109–116}}</ref>{{Rp|page=109}} of Mary (née Browne) and Robert Christian, a wealthy [[planter class|planter]]<ref name="schneider">{{Cite book |last1=Schneider |first1=Dorothy |url=https://archive.org/details/firstladiesbiogr0000schn_k5c3 |title=First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary |last2=Schneider |first2=Carl J. |publisher=Facts on File |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4381-0815-5 |edition=3rd |pages=58–61}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=58–59}} who was well connected with the nation's political elite, including President [[George Washington]].<ref name="watson">{{Cite book |last=Watson |first=Robert P. |url=https://archive.org/details/firstladiesofuni0000wats |title=First Ladies of the United States: A Biographical Dictionary |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-62637-353-2 |pages=61–65 |language=en |doi=10.1515/9781626373532 |s2cid=249333854}}</ref>{{Rp|page=61}} She was raised as a devout [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]], and she closely followed norms of the time relating to piety and chastity.<ref name="boller">{{Cite book |last=Boller |first=Paul F. |url=https://archive.org/details/presidentialwive0000boll |title=Presidential Wives |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1988 |pages=78–80}}</ref>{{Rp|page=79}} Christian did not receive a formal education, but she was taught how to be the mistress of a Southern plantation.<ref name="diller">{{Cite book |last=Diller |first=Daniel C. |url=https://archive.org/details/presidentsfirstl0000dill/ |title=The Presidents, First Ladies, and Vice Presidents: White House Biographies, 1789–2001 |last2=Robertson |first2=Stephen L. |publisher=CQ Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-56802-573-5 |pages=156}}</ref> |
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The Christian and Tyler families were familiar with one another, and Christian met [[John Tyler]] while he was visiting in 1808. They began a courtship in which Tyler often stopped to visit her while traveling to the state capital.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} Their five-year courtship was restrained and it was three weeks before the wedding that Tyler first kissed her — on the hand. In his only surviving love letter to her, written a few months before their wedding, Tyler promised, "Whether I float or sink in the stream of fortune, you may be assured of this, that I shall never cease to love you."<ref name="Waldrup2006">{{cite book |last1=Waldrup |first1=Carole Chandler |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w67uCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |title=Wives of the American Presidents, 2d ed. |date=2006 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786424153 |page=63 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref><ref name="May2008">{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZ6gu58_lhgC&pg=PA16 |title=John Tyler: The American Presidents Series: The 10th President, 1841-1845 |date=2008 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9781429939218 |page=16 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> Christian's father opposed Tyler on political grounds, as Tyler was a supporter of [[Thomas Jefferson]].<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} |
The Christian and Tyler families were familiar with one another, and Christian met [[John Tyler]] while he was visiting in 1808. They began a courtship in which Tyler often stopped to visit her while traveling to the state capital.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} Their five-year courtship was restrained and it was three weeks before the wedding that Tyler first kissed her — on the hand. In his only surviving love letter to her, written a few months before their wedding, Tyler promised, "Whether I float or sink in the stream of fortune, you may be assured of this, that I shall never cease to love you."<ref name="Waldrup2006">{{cite book |last1=Waldrup |first1=Carole Chandler |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w67uCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |title=Wives of the American Presidents, 2d ed. |date=2006 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786424153 |page=63 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref><ref name="May2008">{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZ6gu58_lhgC&pg=PA16 |title=John Tyler: The American Presidents Series: The 10th President, 1841-1845 |date=2008 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9781429939218 |page=16 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> Christian's father opposed Tyler on political grounds, as Tyler was a supporter of [[Thomas Jefferson]].<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} |
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==Marriage and family== |
==Marriage and family== |
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Letitia Christian and John Tyler married at |
Letitia Christian and John Tyler married at Cedar Grove on March 29, 1813. After their marriage, they lived in their home Mons-Sacer, built on Tyler family land in [[Greenway Plantation]] using Christian family funds;<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} Letitia's parents had died shortly after the wedding, leaving her a large inheritance.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} Letitia Tyler was left alone after the wedding, as her husband had been called up to serve in the [[War of 1812]]. Two years later, they sold Mons-Sacer and built the [[Woodburn (Charles City, Virginia)|Woodburn]] house nearby before eventually purchasing Greenway in its entirety in 1821.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} The Tylers had nine children, seven of whom survived infancy: Mary in 1815, [[Robert Tyler (Confederate Register of the Treasury)|Robert]] in 1816, John III in 1819, [[Letitia Semple|Letitia]] in 1821, Elizabeth in 1823, Alice in 1827, and Tazewell in 1830.<ref name="gould2">{{Cite book |last=Gould |first=Lewis L. |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780815325857/ |title=American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy |publisher=Garland Publishing |year=1996 |isbn=0-8153-1479-5 |pages=449–462}}</ref>{{Rp|page=111}}Their daughter Anne died in infancy in 1825, and a ninth unnamed child died at birth.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=63}} |
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The Tylers struggled with money throughout their marriage,<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} as the financial burdens of raising several children and participating in the social aspects of politics outpaced any inheritance they received.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=63}} Tyler avoided the limelight during her husband's political rise, preferring domestic responsibilities to those of a public wife.<ref name="diller" /> Tyler was responsible for managing the plantation while her husband was away at the [[Virginia State Capitol]],<ref name="diller" /> often with the assistance of relatives and hired managers.<ref name="scofield2">{{Cite book |last=Leahy |first=Christopher J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N1K-CwAAQBAJ&q=best%2520dressed |title=A Companion to First Ladies |last2=Leahy |first2=Sharon Williams |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-118-73218-2 |editor-last=Sibley |editor-first=Katherine A. S. |pages=144–148 |language=en |chapter=The Ladies of Tippecanoe, and Tyler Too}}</ref>{{Rp|page=145}} Her management of the plantation, and in particular her ability to oversee the economic aspects, allowed her husband to be away for long periods of time, |
The Tylers struggled with money throughout their marriage,<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} as the financial burdens of raising several children and participating in the social aspects of politics outpaced any inheritance they received.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=63}} Tyler avoided the limelight during her husband's political rise, preferring domestic responsibilities to those of a public wife.<ref name="diller" /> Tyler was responsible for managing the plantation while her husband was away at the [[Virginia State Capitol]],<ref name="diller" /> often with the assistance of relatives and hired managers.<ref name="scofield2">{{Cite book |last=Leahy |first=Christopher J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N1K-CwAAQBAJ&q=best%2520dressed |title=A Companion to First Ladies |last2=Leahy |first2=Sharon Williams |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-118-73218-2 |editor-last=Sibley |editor-first=Katherine A. S. |pages=144–148 |language=en |chapter=The Ladies of Tippecanoe, and Tyler Too}}</ref>{{Rp|page=145}} Her management of the plantation, and in particular her ability to oversee the economic aspects, allowed her husband to be away for long periods of time, so his political career could progress.<ref name="boller" />{{Rp|page=79}} Managing the plantation included managing their slaves, feeding them and weaving their clothes.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} There is no surviving record of how Tyler felt about slavery or her husband's ownership of slaves.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=145}} |
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Tyler did accompany her husband while he served as the governor of Virginia. As the governor's wife, she worked as a hostess in the state's capital.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} Despite her husband's insistence, she did not join him in Washington when he was elected to the [[United States Congress]].<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} She opted to stay in Virginia, as the plantation needed further management and she did not wish to live in the poor conditions provided by Washington, D.C.<ref name="diller" /> She accompanied her husband to Washington only once, in the winter of 1828–1829.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} Tyler generally deferred to her husband, but she made one significant exception when he suggested sending their eldest daughter to a Catholic school, which Tyler adamantly refused.<ref name="boller" />{{Rp|page=80}} |
Tyler did accompany her husband while he served as the governor of Virginia. As the governor's wife, she worked as a hostess in the state's capital, [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} Despite her husband's insistence, she did not join him in Washington when he was elected to the [[United States Congress]].<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} She opted to stay in Virginia, as the plantation needed further management and she did not wish to live in the poor conditions provided by Washington, D.C.<ref name="diller" /> She accompanied her husband to Washington only once, in the winter of 1828–1829.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} Tyler generally deferred to her husband, but she made one significant exception when he suggested sending their eldest daughter to a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] school, which Tyler adamantly refused.<ref name="boller" />{{Rp|page=80}} |
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Tyler's health was poor throughout her life, and the Tylers' oldest child, Mary, was responsible for monitoring her when John was away. Tyler's health was worsened by the toll of several pregnancies and the burden of her husband often being away. |
Tyler's health was poor throughout her life, and the Tylers' oldest child, Mary, was responsible for monitoring her when John was away. Tyler's health was worsened by the toll of several pregnancies and the burden of her husband often being away.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=146}} By 1827, her poor health had become a constant, and she was plagued by regular [[headache]]s. Attempts were made to treat her illness with trips to the [[The Greenbrier|Greenbrier spring]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Deppisch |first=Ludwig M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wy1qBgAAQBAJ |title=The Health of the First Ladies: Medical Histories from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama |publisher=McFarland |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-7864-7436-3 |pages=32–38 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=33}} Her husband stepped away from politics twice, in 1821 and in 1836, to be closer to her.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=146}} |
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The Tylers moved to [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], in 1837.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} In 1839, Tyler had a stroke that left her disabled, and her health deteriorated over the following years.<ref name="diller" /> Most of her time after her stroke was spent reading the Bible and her [[prayer book]].<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} By this point in her life, these were the only two books that she would read.<ref name="boller" />{{Rp|page=|pages=79–89}} She did, however, continue to oversee affairs at the plantation. After her son Robert married, Tyler developed a close bond with her daughter-in-law [[Priscilla Cooper Tyler]].<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=59}} |
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== First lady of the United States == |
== First lady of the United States == |
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The sudden death of President [[William Henry Harrison]] caused John Tyler to ascend to the presidency. Letitia Tyler's health had made it impossible for her to manage the White House, and she did not immediately travel to Washington with the rest of her family. When she did arrive, she remained in a wheelchair in the upstairs living quarters of the White House.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} She came down once, to attend the wedding of her daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.<ref name="Lindsay2001">{{cite book |last1=Lindsay |first1=Rae |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eo0xcLkycIwC&pg=PA111 |title=The Presidents' First Ladies |date=2001 |publisher=R & R Writers / Agents, Inc. |isbn=9780965375337 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> She may have attended the theater at least once while serving as first lady.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Anthony |first=Carl Sferrazza |url=https://archive.org/details/firstladiessagao00anth |title=First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power, 1789-1961 |publisher=William Morrow and Company |year=1990 |isbn=9780688112721 |pages=121–123 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=121}} While upstairs, she continued to spend her time reading her Bible and her prayer book.<ref name="diller" /> |
The sudden death of President [[William Henry Harrison]] in 1841 caused John Tyler to ascend to the presidency. Letitia Tyler's health had made it impossible for her to manage the White House, and she did not immediately travel to Washington with the rest of her family. When she did arrive, she remained in a wheelchair in the upstairs living quarters of the White House.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} She came down once, to attend the wedding of her daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.<ref name="Lindsay2001">{{cite book |last1=Lindsay |first1=Rae |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eo0xcLkycIwC&pg=PA111 |title=The Presidents' First Ladies |date=2001 |publisher=R & R Writers / Agents, Inc. |isbn=9780965375337 |language=en |access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> She may have attended the theater at least once while serving as first lady.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Anthony |first=Carl Sferrazza |url=https://archive.org/details/firstladiessagao00anth |title=First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power, 1789-1961 |publisher=William Morrow and Company |year=1990 |isbn=9780688112721 |pages=121–123 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=121}} While upstairs, she continued to spend her time reading her Bible and her prayer book.<ref name="diller" /> |
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Although she retained authority over how the duties of the first lady were carried out,<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=121}} Tyler delegated the management of the White House to her daughter Letitia and her responsibilities as hostess to her daughter-in-law Priscilla.<ref name="diller" /> She also played the role of advisor for her husband as he often discussed difficult issues of the presidency with her. She was well-versed enough in political issues to discuss them in detail with visitors.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=121}} Distinguished visitors to the White House, such as [[Charles Dickens]] and [[Washington Irving]], were sometimes welcomed upstairs to meet her.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} |
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Tyler's physical and mental health deteriorated throughout 1842.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} She |
Tyler's physical and mental health deteriorated throughout 1842.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} She had a second stroke on September 9, 1842, and she died the following day on September 10.<ref name="diller" /> Her death came as a shock to the Tyler family, who believed that she had stabilized.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=35}} She was the first woman to die while serving as first lady of the United States,<ref name="diller" /> and she remains the shortest-lived of any American first lady, dying at the age of 51.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Strock |first=Ian Randal |url=https://archive.org/details/rankingfirstladi0000stro |title=Ranking the First Ladies |publisher=Carrel Books |year=2016 |isbn=9781631440601 |pages=28}}</ref> Her funeral was widely publicized as the first of an incumbent first lady. Her coffin [[Lying in state|lay in state]] in the [[East Room]] of the White House, then a procession carried her coffin away.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=123}} Tyler was buried on her father's estate at Cedar Grove, and the White House was decorated in black for a period of mourning.<ref name="diller" /> |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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{{external media | width = 210px | |
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right |
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| video1 =[http://firstladies.c-span.org/FirstLady/10/Anna-Harrison.aspx America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler], 2013, [[C-SPAN]]<ref name="span A">{{cite web | title =America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler | publisher =[[C-SPAN]] | year =2013 |
| video1 =[http://firstladies.c-span.org/FirstLady/10/Anna-Harrison.aspx America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler], 2013, [[C-SPAN]]<ref name="span A">{{cite web | title =America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler | publisher =[[C-SPAN]] | year =2013 | url =http://firstladies.c-span.org/FirstLady/10/Anna-Harrison.aspx | access-date =April 24, 2013}}</ref> }} |
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| url =http://firstladies.c-span.org/FirstLady/10/Anna-Harrison.aspx | access-date =April 24, 2013}}</ref> }} |
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Tyler had little influence on her husband's presidency, confined to the White House living quarters. She also played no public role, but she maintained a positive reputation despite her husband's embattled political situation.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} Priscilla Cooper Tyler remembered her as "the most entirely unselfish person you can imagine. Notwithstanding her very delicate health, mother attends to and regulates all the household affairs and all so quietly that you can't tell when she does it."<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} |
Tyler had little influence on her husband's presidency, confined to the White House living quarters. She also played no public role, but she maintained a positive reputation despite her husband's embattled political situation.<ref name="schneider" />{{Rp|page=60}} Priscilla Cooper Tyler remembered her as "the most entirely unselfish person you can imagine. Notwithstanding her very delicate health, mother attends to and regulates all the household affairs and all so quietly that you can't tell when she does it."<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} |
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The first historian's appraisal of Tyler's tenure as first lady was that of Laura Holloway in 1870.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=145}} Few primary sources exist regarding Tyler's life, with most surviving mentions of her being those in letters between members of the Tyler family.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=148}} None of Tyler's own letters survive.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} Due to her inability to serve as first lady, Tyler has been overshadowed in recent historical analysis by her surrogate, Priscilla Cooper Tyler,<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=148}} and her husband's second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=149}} |
The first historian's appraisal of Tyler's tenure as first lady was that of [[Laura Carter Holloway|Laura Holloway]] in 1870.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=145}} Few primary sources exist regarding Tyler's life, with most surviving mentions of her being those in letters between members of the Tyler family.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=148}} None of Tyler's own letters survive.<ref name="watson" />{{Rp|page=62}} Due to her inability to serve as first lady, Tyler has been overshadowed in recent historical analysis by her surrogate, Priscilla Cooper Tyler,<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=148}} and her husband's second wife, [[Julia Gardiner Tyler]].<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=149}} |
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Tyler appears on a 28p (£0.28) commemorative postage stamp from the [[Isle of Man Post Office]], issued May 23, 2006, as part of a series honoring Manx-Americans.<ref>{{cite web |title=- Isle of Man Post Office Website |url=http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/Viewlargeimage.aspx?file=Manx_Links_With/WashingtonSet.jpg&border=0&alt=WashingtonSet&align= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520001117/http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/Viewlargeimage.aspx?file=Manx_Links_With/WashingtonSet.jpg&border=0&alt=WashingtonSet&align= |archive-date=May 20, 2009 |website=www.gov.im}}</ref> She also appears on a one-half |
Tyler was a descendant of Manx settlers of Virginia<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/famhist/v02n4.htm |title=The Manx in American History |date=October 1980 |first=Edward |last=Sayle |journal=Isle of Man Family History Society Journal |volume=2 |issue=4 |access-date=April 19, 2023}}</ref> and she appears on a 28p (£0.28) commemorative postage stamp from the [[Isle of Man Post Office]], issued May 23, 2006, as part of a series honoring Manx-Americans.<ref>{{cite web |title=- Isle of Man Post Office Website |url=http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/Viewlargeimage.aspx?file=Manx_Links_With/WashingtonSet.jpg&border=0&alt=WashingtonSet&align= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520001117/http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/Viewlargeimage.aspx?file=Manx_Links_With/WashingtonSet.jpg&border=0&alt=WashingtonSet&align= |archive-date=May 20, 2009 |website=www.gov.im}}</ref> She also appears on a one-half-ounce gold coin and a bronze medal issued by the [[United States Mint]] on July 2, 2009, as part of a series of commemorative [[First Spouse Program|first spouse coins]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2009 Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin | US Mint Release Information, Price, Mintage |url=http://firstspousecoinguide.com/2009-letitia-tyler-first-spouse-coin/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109065623/http://firstspousecoinguide.com/2009-letitia-tyler-first-spouse-coin/ |archive-date=January 9, 2011 |access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref> |
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Since 1982, [[Siena College Research Institute]] has periodically conducted surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president.<ref name="Siena2014">{{cite web |title=Eleanor Roosevelt Retains Top Spot as America's Best First Lady Michelle Obama Enters Study as 5th, Hillary Clinton Drops to 6th Clinton Seen First Lady Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, Bess Truman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags Lincolns Down in the Ratings |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FirstLadies2014Release_Final.pdf |website=scri.siena.edu |publisher=Siena Research Institute |access-date= |
Since 1982, [[Siena College Research Institute]] has periodically conducted surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president.<ref name="Siena2014">{{cite web |title=Eleanor Roosevelt Retains Top Spot as America's Best First Lady Michelle Obama Enters Study as 5th, Hillary Clinton Drops to 6th Clinton Seen First Lady Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, Bess Truman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags Lincolns Down in the Ratings |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FirstLadies2014Release_Final.pdf |website=scri.siena.edu |publisher=Siena Research Institute |access-date=May 16, 2022 |date=February 15, 2014}}</ref> Historians were found to know "almost nothing about" Tyler.<ref name="scofield2" />{{Rp|page=144}} Consistently, she has been ranked in the bottom quartile of first ladies by historians in these surveys. In terms of cumulative assessment, Tyler has been ranked: |
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*35th of 42 in 1982<ref name="Siena2008">{{cite web |title=Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2nd Place Hillary moves from 5 th to 4 th; Jackie Kennedy from 4th to 3rd Mary Todd Lincoln Remains in 36th |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FL_2008Release.pdf |publisher=Siena Research Institute |access-date= |
*35th of 42 in 1982<ref name="Siena2008">{{cite web |title=Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2nd Place Hillary moves from 5 th to 4 th; Jackie Kennedy from 4th to 3rd Mary Todd Lincoln Remains in 36th |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FL_2008Release.pdf |publisher=Siena Research Institute |access-date=May 16, 2022 |date=December 18, 2008}}</ref> |
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*30th of 37 in 1993<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
*30th of 37 in 1993<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
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*34th of 38 in 2003<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
*34th of 38 in 2003<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
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*35th of 38 in 2008<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
*35th of 38 in 2008<ref name="Siena2008"/> |
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*37th of 39 in 2014<ref name=" |
*37th of 39 in 2014<ref name="2014Siena1">{{cite web |title=Siena College Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States 2014 FirstLadies2014_Full Rankings.xls |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Appendix_A_Overall_Survey_Results.pdf |website=scri.siena.edu |publisher=Siena College Research Institute/C-SPAN |access-date=October 21, 2022 |date=2014}}</ref> |
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In the 2014 survey, Tyler and her husband were ranked the 36th out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple".<ref>{{cite web |title=2014 Power Couple Score |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Appendix_C_Power_Couples.pdf |website=scri.siena.edu/ |publisher=Siena Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States |access-date= |
In the 2014 survey, Tyler and her husband were ranked the 36th out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple".<ref>{{cite web |title=2014 Power Couple Score |url=https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Appendix_C_Power_Couples.pdf |website=scri.siena.edu/ |publisher=Siena Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States |access-date=October 9, 2022}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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[[Category:Family of John Tyler|Letitia Christian Tyler]] |
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Revision as of 22:20, 16 August 2024
Letitia Christian Tyler | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1842 | |
| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role April 4, 1841 – September 10, 1842 | |
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | Priscilla Tyler (acting) |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841 | |
| Vice President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Floride Calhoun |
| Succeeded by | Sophia Dallas |
| First Lady of Virginia | |
| In role December 10, 1825 – March 4, 1827 | |
| Governor | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Susanna Lawson Pleasants |
| Succeeded by | Frances Ann Gwynn Giles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Letitia Christian November 12, 1790 Providence Forge, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1842 (aged 51) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Cedar Grove Plantation Cemetery, New Kent County, Virginia |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9, including Robert and Letitia |
Letitia Christian Tyler (née Christian; November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842) was the first lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842 as the first wife of President John Tyler. After meeting in 1808, the two married in 1813. She managed their plantation in Virginia while her husband progressed his political career at the state capital and in Washington, D.C., accompanying him only while he was governor of Virginia. She had a stroke in 1839 that left her permanently disabled.
Tyler became the second lady of the United States when her husband became vice president of the United States in 1841, and she became the first lady when President William Henry Harrison died the following month and her husband ascended to the presidency. Tyler was unable to perform the duties of first lady due to her health, delegating them to her daughter-in-law Priscilla Cooper Tyler. She died of a second stroke in 1842, becoming the first person to die while serving as first lady of the United States. Tyler played virtually no role in her husband's presidency, but maintained a positive reputation among the American people.
Early life
Letitia Christian was born on November 12, 1790, at the Cedar Grove plantation in New Kent County, Virginia. She was the seventh child[1]: 109 of Mary (née Browne) and Robert Christian, a wealthy planter[2]: 58–59 who was well connected with the nation's political elite, including President George Washington.[3]: 61 She was raised as a devout Episcopalian, and she closely followed norms of the time relating to piety and chastity.[4]: 79 Christian did not receive a formal education, but she was taught how to be the mistress of a Southern plantation.[5]
The Christian and Tyler families were familiar with one another, and Christian met John Tyler while he was visiting in 1808. They began a courtship in which Tyler often stopped to visit her while traveling to the state capital.[3]: 62 Their five-year courtship was restrained and it was three weeks before the wedding that Tyler first kissed her — on the hand. In his only surviving love letter to her, written a few months before their wedding, Tyler promised, "Whether I float or sink in the stream of fortune, you may be assured of this, that I shall never cease to love you."[6][7] Christian's father opposed Tyler on political grounds, as Tyler was a supporter of Thomas Jefferson.[3]: 62
Marriage and family
Letitia Christian and John Tyler married at Cedar Grove on March 29, 1813. After their marriage, they lived in their home Mons-Sacer, built on Tyler family land in Greenway Plantation using Christian family funds;[2]: 59 Letitia's parents had died shortly after the wedding, leaving her a large inheritance.[3]: 62 Letitia Tyler was left alone after the wedding, as her husband had been called up to serve in the War of 1812. Two years later, they sold Mons-Sacer and built the Woodburn house nearby before eventually purchasing Greenway in its entirety in 1821.[2]: 59 The Tylers had nine children, seven of whom survived infancy: Mary in 1815, Robert in 1816, John III in 1819, Letitia in 1821, Elizabeth in 1823, Alice in 1827, and Tazewell in 1830.[8]: 111 Their daughter Anne died in infancy in 1825, and a ninth unnamed child died at birth.[3]: 63
The Tylers struggled with money throughout their marriage,[2]: 59 as the financial burdens of raising several children and participating in the social aspects of politics outpaced any inheritance they received.[3]: 63 Tyler avoided the limelight during her husband's political rise, preferring domestic responsibilities to those of a public wife.[5] Tyler was responsible for managing the plantation while her husband was away at the Virginia State Capitol,[5] often with the assistance of relatives and hired managers.[9]: 145 Her management of the plantation, and in particular her ability to oversee the economic aspects, allowed her husband to be away for long periods of time, so his political career could progress.[4]: 79 Managing the plantation included managing their slaves, feeding them and weaving their clothes.[2]: 59 There is no surviving record of how Tyler felt about slavery or her husband's ownership of slaves.[9]: 145
Tyler did accompany her husband while he served as the governor of Virginia. As the governor's wife, she worked as a hostess in the state's capital, Richmond.[2]: 59 Despite her husband's insistence, she did not join him in Washington when he was elected to the United States Congress.[3]: 62 She opted to stay in Virginia, as the plantation needed further management and she did not wish to live in the poor conditions provided by Washington, D.C.[5] She accompanied her husband to Washington only once, in the winter of 1828–1829.[2]: 59 Tyler generally deferred to her husband, but she made one significant exception when he suggested sending their eldest daughter to a Catholic school, which Tyler adamantly refused.[4]: 80
Tyler's health was poor throughout her life, and the Tylers' oldest child, Mary, was responsible for monitoring her when John was away. Tyler's health was worsened by the toll of several pregnancies and the burden of her husband often being away.[9]: 146 By 1827, her poor health had become a constant, and she was plagued by regular headaches. Attempts were made to treat her illness with trips to the Greenbrier spring.[10]: 33 Her husband stepped away from politics twice, in 1821 and in 1836, to be closer to her.[9]: 146
The Tylers moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1837.[2]: 59 In 1839, Tyler had a stroke that left her disabled, and her health deteriorated over the following years.[5] Most of her time after her stroke was spent reading the Bible and her prayer book.[2]: 59 By this point in her life, these were the only two books that she would read.[4]: 79–89 She did, however, continue to oversee affairs at the plantation. After her son Robert married, Tyler developed a close bond with her daughter-in-law Priscilla Cooper Tyler.[2]: 59
First lady of the United States
The sudden death of President William Henry Harrison in 1841 caused John Tyler to ascend to the presidency. Letitia Tyler's health had made it impossible for her to manage the White House, and she did not immediately travel to Washington with the rest of her family. When she did arrive, she remained in a wheelchair in the upstairs living quarters of the White House.[2]: 60 She came down once, to attend the wedding of her daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.[11] She may have attended the theater at least once while serving as first lady.[12]: 121 While upstairs, she continued to spend her time reading her Bible and her prayer book.[5]
Although she retained authority over how the duties of the first lady were carried out,[12]: 121 Tyler delegated the management of the White House to her daughter Letitia and her responsibilities as hostess to her daughter-in-law Priscilla.[5] She also played the role of advisor for her husband as he often discussed difficult issues of the presidency with her. She was well-versed enough in political issues to discuss them in detail with visitors.[12]: 121 Distinguished visitors to the White House, such as Charles Dickens and Washington Irving, were sometimes welcomed upstairs to meet her.[2]: 60
Tyler's physical and mental health deteriorated throughout 1842.[2]: 60 She had a second stroke on September 9, 1842, and she died the following day on September 10.[5] Her death came as a shock to the Tyler family, who believed that she had stabilized.[10]: 35 She was the first woman to die while serving as first lady of the United States,[5] and she remains the shortest-lived of any American first lady, dying at the age of 51.[13] Her funeral was widely publicized as the first of an incumbent first lady. Her coffin lay in state in the East Room of the White House, then a procession carried her coffin away.[12]: 123 Tyler was buried on her father's estate at Cedar Grove, and the White House was decorated in black for a period of mourning.[5]
Legacy
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler, 2013, C-SPAN[14] |
Tyler had little influence on her husband's presidency, confined to the White House living quarters. She also played no public role, but she maintained a positive reputation despite her husband's embattled political situation.[2]: 60 Priscilla Cooper Tyler remembered her as "the most entirely unselfish person you can imagine. Notwithstanding her very delicate health, mother attends to and regulates all the household affairs and all so quietly that you can't tell when she does it."[3]: 62
The first historian's appraisal of Tyler's tenure as first lady was that of Laura Holloway in 1870.[9]: 145 Few primary sources exist regarding Tyler's life, with most surviving mentions of her being those in letters between members of the Tyler family.[9]: 148 None of Tyler's own letters survive.[3]: 62 Due to her inability to serve as first lady, Tyler has been overshadowed in recent historical analysis by her surrogate, Priscilla Cooper Tyler,[9]: 148 and her husband's second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler.[9]: 149
Tyler was a descendant of Manx settlers of Virginia[15] and she appears on a 28p (£0.28) commemorative postage stamp from the Isle of Man Post Office, issued May 23, 2006, as part of a series honoring Manx-Americans.[16] She also appears on a one-half-ounce gold coin and a bronze medal issued by the United States Mint on July 2, 2009, as part of a series of commemorative first spouse coins.[17]
Since 1982, Siena College Research Institute has periodically conducted surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president.[18] Historians were found to know "almost nothing about" Tyler.[9]: 144 Consistently, she has been ranked in the bottom quartile of first ladies by historians in these surveys. In terms of cumulative assessment, Tyler has been ranked:
- 35th of 42 in 1982[19]
- 30th of 37 in 1993[19]
- 34th of 38 in 2003[19]
- 35th of 38 in 2008[19]
- 37th of 39 in 2014[20]
In the 2014 survey, Tyler and her husband were ranked the 36th out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple".[21]
See also
- Caroline Harrison, wife of Benjamin Harrison, who died while serving as first lady
- Ellen Axson Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson, who died while serving as first lady
References
- ^ Gould, Lewis L. (1996). American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy. Garland Publishing. pp. 109–116. ISBN 0-8153-1479-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Schneider, Dorothy; Schneider, Carl J. (2010). First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Facts on File. pp. 58–61. ISBN 978-1-4381-0815-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Watson, Robert P. (2001). First Ladies of the United States: A Biographical Dictionary. Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 61–65. doi:10.1515/9781626373532. ISBN 978-1-62637-353-2. S2CID 249333854.
- ^ a b c d Boller, Paul F. (1988). Presidential Wives. Oxford University Press. pp. 78–80.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diller, Daniel C.; Robertson, Stephen L. (2001). The Presidents, First Ladies, and Vice Presidents: White House Biographies, 1789–2001. CQ Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-1-56802-573-5.
- ^ Waldrup, Carole Chandler (2006). Wives of the American Presidents, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 63. ISBN 9780786424153. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ May, Gary (2008). John Tyler: The American Presidents Series: The 10th President, 1841-1845. Macmillan. p. 16. ISBN 9781429939218. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ Gould, Lewis L. (1996). American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy. Garland Publishing. pp. 449–462. ISBN 0-8153-1479-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Leahy, Christopher J.; Leahy, Sharon Williams (2016). "The Ladies of Tippecanoe, and Tyler Too". In Sibley, Katherine A. S. (ed.). A Companion to First Ladies. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 144–148. ISBN 978-1-118-73218-2.
- ^ a b Deppisch, Ludwig M. (2015). The Health of the First Ladies: Medical Histories from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. McFarland. pp. 32–38. ISBN 978-0-7864-7436-3.
- ^ Lindsay, Rae (2001). The Presidents' First Ladies. R & R Writers / Agents, Inc. ISBN 9780965375337. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Anthony, Carl Sferrazza (1990). First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power, 1789-1961. William Morrow and Company. pp. 121–123. ISBN 9780688112721.
- ^ Strock, Ian Randal (2016). Ranking the First Ladies. Carrel Books. p. 28. ISBN 9781631440601.
- ^ "America's First Ladies, Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler & Julia Tyler". C-SPAN. 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ^ Sayle, Edward (October 1980). "The Manx in American History". Isle of Man Family History Society Journal. 2 (4). Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ "- Isle of Man Post Office Website". www.gov.im. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009.
- ^ "2009 Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin | US Mint Release Information, Price, Mintage". Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
- ^ "Eleanor Roosevelt Retains Top Spot as America's Best First Lady Michelle Obama Enters Study as 5th, Hillary Clinton Drops to 6th Clinton Seen First Lady Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, Bess Truman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags Lincolns Down in the Ratings" (PDF). scri.siena.edu. Siena Research Institute. February 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2nd Place Hillary moves from 5 th to 4 th; Jackie Kennedy from 4th to 3rd Mary Todd Lincoln Remains in 36th" (PDF). Siena Research Institute. December 18, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "Siena College Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States 2014 FirstLadies2014_Full Rankings.xls" (PDF). scri.siena.edu. Siena College Research Institute/C-SPAN. 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "2014 Power Couple Score" (PDF). scri.siena.edu/. Siena Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
External links
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| Life |
| .png) |
| Presidency | ||
| Public image | ||
| Family |
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| Related | ||
Categories:
- 1790 births
- 1842 deaths
- 19th-century American people
- 19th-century American women
- American people of English descent
- American people of Manx descent
- First ladies of the United States
- First ladies and gentlemen of Virginia
- Family of John Tyler
- People from New Kent County, Virginia
- Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States
- Episcopalians from Virginia
- 19th-century American Episcopalians