A Brief History of First Ladies and Their Causes

Since the days of Dolly Madison, the job of presidential spouse has often involved picking a signature issue.
Corbis

Lucy Hayes, 1877-1881
Known as "Lemonade Lucy," the wife of nineteenth president Rutherford B. Hayes presided over a White House where alcohol was controversially prohibited at State dinners and receptions. As sober as her notoriously dry husband, Hayes soon became the poster woman for the female-led temperance movement. Although her stand made some (especially foreign ministers) view her as an overly-moralistic teetotaler, others, such as poet Margaret E. Winslow, celebrated her "righteous cause."

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