This Week: 'Transformative First Ladies'

Experts at events to discuss Martha Washington and her descendants, the 'revolutionary' Abigail Adams and Betty Ford, and the pioneering influence of Rosalynn Carter.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter testifyies on behalf of the President's Commission on Mental Health before the Senate Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research, Washington, D.C in 1979. (Photo: Library of Congress)

Experts and authors are slated to discuss some of America’s most impactful first ladies in events this week that include an examination of Martha Washington and her descendants from the Custis family; former First Ladies Abigail Adams and Betty Ford, who both served as advisors to their husbands and expressed their opinions freely; and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter who shaped mental health policies, led humanitarian efforts, and redefined the role of first lady. Full details of the events are included in the Calendar below.

Calendar