Harriet Lane
No fewer than thirteen women have served in the capacity of First Lady of the United States while not the spouse of the president. Only one of them is recognized officially as the First Lady by the White House and the National First Ladies Library (a National Historic Site in Canton, Ohio considered the authority on the history of the office). That one is Harriet Lane, who served as First Lady during the administration of the United States’ only bachelor president, James Buchanan.
Harriet Lane has been compared to a First Lady of many years later – Jacqueline Kennedy – for several of the traits they shared. She altered the appearance of her dress by lowering its neckline, leading the women of Washington and later the rest of the country to follow suit. She was dedicated to the advancement of the arts in the White House, making sure that artists, musicians, poets, and novelists were invited to White House dinners and receptions.
The Buchanan presidency was the last preceding the Civil War and the sectional tensions in the capital reached their peak during its term. Harriet used considerable skill to ensure that these tensions did not disrupt White House functions involving Americans from North and South with foreign dignitaries and representatives.
Harriet was well prepared for her position as First Lady, having previously accompanied Buchanan to England when he was assigned there as the Ambassador to the Court of St. James. She so impressed Queen Victoria that Her Majesty granted her the rank of Ambassador’s Wife, an important diplomatic distinction regarding protocol in the more class conscious British system.
Harriet was involved in social issues as well, as an advocate for the rights and living conditions of Native Americans on reservations, and for educational rights of children. She also advocated for the improvement of sanitary conditions in American cities. By the time the Buchanan Administration came to an end the first seven states which would form the Confederacy had seceded, and her legacy is largely overlooked by history. Like Abigail, she recognized the power of her position, although not with a spouse, but with a largely adoring public.