Martha Washington was the first First Lady of the United States. As first lady, she initiated a weekly reception on Friday evenings hosting members of Congress, visiting dignitaries, and men and women from the local community. She journeyed to Cambridge, Valley Forge, Philadelphia, and Morristown to support George Washington and the soldiers in their disease-ridden winter encampments.
Elizabeth Hamilton was the wife of American Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, the 1st U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. She helped Hamilton draft political speeches (including George Washington’s Farewell Address), correspond with heads of state, and raise a family. In 1806, she became a co-founder of New York's first private orphanage.
Abigail Adams was the first woman to serve as Second Lady of United States and the second woman to serve as First Lady. She was also the mother of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams. In her most famous letter, she pleaded that the Founding Fathers “remember the ladies.” Adding, “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.”
Nationally, American contralto Marian Anderson broke barriers. Her first record featured spirituals “DeepRiver” and “My Way’s Cloudy.” She was the first African American to perform with the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Despite, she was still subject to racial bias.
Indira Gandhi was India’s third prime minister and the first woman to lead the nation’s millions from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. India’s Green Revolution was one of the important pieces of her term in office.
