Summary of Cormac O'Brien's Secret Lives of the First Ladies

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Martha Washington was the first first lady of the United States, and she was married to George Washington from 1750 to 1757. She was a very capable woman, but she wasted no time in finding another husband.

#2 George Washington was the first president of the United States, and he was also the husband of Martha Washington. Martha was a wealthy woman, but she was also very charitable and sociable. She helped make her husband and the United States, and not just because of her wealth.

#3 After John Custis’s death, his will was a headache for Daniel and Martha because it stipulated that his illegitimate son by a slave woman, Mulatto Jack, be freed and inherit a handsome portion of the Parke-Custis fortune.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822540019

IRB Media

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Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Martha Washington was the first first lady of the United States, and she was married to George Washington from 1750 to 1757. She was a very capable woman, but she wasted no time in finding another husband.

#2

George Washington was the first president of the United States, and he was also the husband of Martha Washington. Martha was a wealthy woman, but she was also very charitable and sociable. She helped make her husband and the United States, and not just because of her wealth.

#3

After John Custis’s death, his will was a headache for Daniel and Martha because it stipulated that his illegitimate son by a slave woman, Mulatto Jack, be freed and inherit a handsome portion of the Parke-Custis fortune.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

Abigail Adams was a patriot who always spoke her mind, and she was extremely eloquent. She and her husband John Adams were extremely in love, and they had four children together.

#2

Abigail Adams was the first president’s wife to be both a political figure and a mother. She was a capable, practical, and hardheaded New England matriarch who appreciated the benefits of liberty so dearly purchased.

#3

Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, was sent to Europe in 1784 to be reunited with her husband. She was seasick on the ship, and when she recovered, she took control of it. She taught the cook how to do his job, and she scrubbed the ship from stem to stern when they arrived in England.

#4

Abigail and John had high expectations of their children, and when they didn’t live up to those expectations, they were harsh.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

Jefferson was married to Martha Wayles Skelton, a ravishing young Southern belle, in 1772. They were very close, and she was a source of musical inspiration for him. However, her health was weak, and she died after 19 years of marriage.

Insights from Chapter 4

#1

Dolley Payne Madison was the first first lady, and she was also the first American fashion diva. She was married to President James Madison in 1794, and they had a warm and successful marriage.

#2

Dolley’s introduction to official government hostessing came in 1809, when she became the first lady in title as well as practice. She knew how to throw a party, and her parties were gay affairs indeed.

#3

After her husband’s death in 1836, Dolley moved back to Washington to resume her role as First Entertainer of the land. She remained a central figure in Washington society, and it was customary for newly inaugurated presidents to call on her.

#4

Dolley Payne Todd, the Quaker wife of James Madison, was