Ten Most Influential First Ladies

The traditional role of the first lady is that of a hostess of the White House. She is not elected, has no political powers, and brings no salary. However, the first lady unofficially stands as a humanitarian, participates in charity work, and many campaign greatly for their husbands. The top ten most influential first ladies all participate in all of these lines of unwritten duty. The top ten most influential first ladies helped to reshape the role of the first lady. The first lady informally should stand as a humanitarian, promoting the good of the people and environment. Top first lady Florence Harding involved herself on all issues of humanity, spreading from the protection of animals to Armenian relief to reduced penal cases and removal of children from the penal system on grounds of being too young to go to jail. Eleanor Roosevelt also promoted humanity. Eleanor touched all corners of the globe, spoke out on all issues from poverty to African American rights, the troubles of working women to migrant workers and disgruntled students. Lady Bird Johnson made people away of the threat of the dangers to our planet and tried to promote the understanding of the balance between man and nature. She set up Highway Beautification programs and other environment-benefiting plans. She was intent on figuring out 'how can I make the nation better?' Betty Ford is another influential first lady. She spoke out on abortion rights, the ERA, and her desire for women to be involved in the Supreme Court. She was honest and open and made women more aware of breast cancer. She supported her husband one hundred percent in his campaign, but her illness was catching up with her. Nonetheless, she continued to fight alongside him. Rosalynn Carter was another important first lady. She traveled across the country supporting and raising awareness of her husband's campaign. She was a liaison between the president and the public. She worked heavily on foreign