How the term “First Lady” came about for the wives of US presidents

From Martha Washington to Jill Biden, the wives of the 46 US presidents so far, always called “First Ladies”.

A term that has never been officially defined, does not imply a prominent position in politics and yet remains one of the most talked about titles.

The wives of presidents were seen as mere representatives of their husbands at official and ceremonial events, with the “first lady” usually closely watched with the public waiting for her to “witness” some of her husband’s thoughts, having the ability to influence the behavior and public opinion.

Initially, the title of “first lady” began to be used near the end of the 19th century by Americans, and by the end of the 20th century it had been adopted by other countries, even in those where this woman receives much less attention and still exercises less influence than that of the United States.

The term first appeared in a newspaper article in 1843 talking about Martha Washington, but it was not immediately adopted by the public. A few decades later, specifically in the 1930s, the term began to be used by many in the United States, with it being considered a distinctly American term.

Historian Matthew Costello, however, disputes the above theory, arguing that the first documented reference to a “first lady” occurred some forty years after Martha Washington’s death, when a work on the life and presidency of George Washington was published. , in which they wrote about his wife that “The first lady of the nation retained the habits of her former life.”

But apart from the above theories, the most important role for the development and expansion of this term was naturally played by the press of the time, as all journalists began to use this term widely in their descriptions

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