9 American First Ladies Who Weren’t Married to the President

6. Martha Johnson Patterson

President Andrew Johnson had a wife to take on the role of White House hostess, but she just wasn’t prepared for this. She was so publicity shy, and the social environment didn’t help her at all since her husband’s administration has always stirred controversy.

So she decided to delegate most of her responsibilities to her elder daughter, Martha Johnson Patterson. In line with the gloomy mood that lingered in the years following the Lincoln assassination and the Civil War, Martha kept an air of restraint and modesty during her time as presidential hostess. Her attitude, as well as her achievements, would make her one of the most popular first ladies.

Along with organizing the president’s social receptions, she assisted with the redecoration of the White House’s interior and installed milk cows on the mansion lawn. Like many modern first ladies, Martha handled a wide range of duties. For instance, she was also responsible for compiling multiple paintings of past presidents into a portrait gallery.

One employee of the White House would later say about the president’s daughter: “She was the real first lady… She made no pretenses of any type, but was always direct and honest.”