Lisa Meade, park ranger from First Ladies National Historic Site in Canton, explains the many roles that first ladies have played throughout our nation’s history, including activist, political partner, White House hostess, and celebrity.

See how first ladies like Jackie Kennedy, Mary Todd Lincoln, Frances Cleveland, Dolley Madison, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and more defined (and sometimes strained against) their roles.

Due to a technical error, we didn’t record the first few minutes of the program. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you enjoy Meade’s insightful talk.

For more history talks, check out our Civil War series with James A. Garfield National Historic Site. Several programs from the series can be viewed online in their entirety, including: