Best First Ladies

This is for our subscriber DD. Thanks for the great suggestion! Here we have ranked the top 10 best first ladies...

1. Eleanor Roosevelt

• She gave money to the poor people; and, when she was young, she helped give food to poor people with her dad.

• She helped in the civil rights movement.

• One time people were being racist because there was a singer named Marion Anderson who wasn't allowed to sing because she was black. But Eleanor Roosevelt made it where she could sing.

• She was the U.S.'s first UN ambassador and wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• She helped with women's rights.
  

2. Abigail Adams

• While John Adams was helping to write the Declaration of Independence, Abigail Adams said he should put women's rights in there, but he couldn't.

• She hated slavery. Even though Jefferson had enslaved many people, he still put anti-slavery language in the Declaration of Independence. When it was taken out, Abigail was mad.

• She taught her employee, James, how to read and encouraged him to go to school. When the school tried to kick him out because he was African American, Abigail didn't let them. Read more here.
  

3. Michelle Obama

I really like Barack Obama, and I think that they were similar.

4. Martha Washington

If George Washington hadn't done those stuff, there may have been no United States. And, when George Washington got the letter to go create the country, he didn't want to. But Martha Washington asked him to do it, so he did it.

5. Dolley Madison

Dolley Madison ranked as the fifth best first lady because, during the War of 1812, when the White House was being burned, she saved George Washington's portrait and many important papers.

6. Lucy Hayes

I have three reasons why Lucy Hayes was a good first lady. (1) She gave money to poor women. (2) She refused to serve liquor and served lemonade, instead. And that gave her the nickname "Lemonade Lucy." (3) In 1878, Lucy hosted the first Easter-egg roll in the White House lawn.

7. Hillary Clinton

She was the first woman to win the popular vote for president.

8. Sarah Polk

I think that she was a smart first lady because, even though at her time women weren't allowed to say their opinions on stuff, she did. And she had strong opinions. Also, she helped President Polk write speeches.

9. Jacqueline Kennedy

She was really smart and nice. After she had finished being first lady, she decided to live in New York and she fought for beautiful buildings not to be torn down.

10. Frances Cleveland

She was one of the most popular first ladies. She was also the youngest first lady, at age 21.