How Being Married to Wartime Generals Impacted These Three Presidential First Ladies

Scholar Diana Carlin describes 'uncanny' similarities between the women in a new White House History Quarterly article.

(From left) Former First Ladies Martha Washington, Julia Grant and Mamie Eisenhower.

The military lives of Martha Washington, Julia Grant and Mamie Eisenhower represents a unique bond these three former first ladies share like no other presidential spouses.

All three were married to military generals. They all supported their husbands through crucial wartime moments in American history—the Revolutionary War, the preservation of the Union during the Civil War and later through Reconstruction, and during World War II in the American-led defeat of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). 

But, these three first ladies also shared other foundational aspects in common that made their contribution to the White House remarkably similar and impactful. They came from families of means, they were well educated, they married men who worked their way up the ladder to become military commanders, and they understood how savvy social skills would benefit their husbands and their lives as a whole.   …