Presidents and First Ladies

An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation.

Woodrow & Edith Wilson

In 1915, less than a year after his wife Ellen died, President Woodrow Wilson met a charming widow named Edith Bolling Galt. To their surprise, they felt a connection. By June of that same year, Woodrow had proposed, telling Edith, "In this place, time is not measured by weeks, or months, or years, but by deep human experiences..." Woodrow's statement would become true of both their life together and his tenure as president. Woodrow & Edith Wilson offers a behind-the-scenes look at this intriguing couple, from Woodrow's leadership during World War I and his struggle to enact peace treaties to his stroke in 1919. It also follows them through Woodrow's fight to recover-and Edith's controversial assumption of many of the routine duties and details of the presidency.