Since the days of Martha Washington, the role of the First Lady has been an evolving symbol of influence, style, and advocacy in American history. While the Office of the First Lady was only ...

click image for close-up When American painter Edward Savage sketched a prototype for a print of George Washington and his family in 1789, it included Martha Custis Washington, the wealthy widow ...

click image for close-up George Washington and Martha Dandridge Custis were wed in January of 1759. Both were twenty-seven years old, and they had spent a total of fewer than three weeks together.