<First Ladies and the White House
The White House recently celebrated its 200th
birthday. Take this little quiz and test your knowledge and learn
about THE FIRST LADIES AND THE WHITE HOUSE
The First Ladies have the pleasure ?? and privilege
of living in the White House. Of course, all brought their own
ideas of what that house should look like. Some oversaw
"decorating" changes; others structural. Some were lasting changes;
others fleeting. Take your guess, then click on the dot next to the
name and see if you were correct.
1) Who was the First First Lady occupant of the
mansion and hung her laundry in the East Room ?
Martha Washington
Abagail Adams
2) In the War of 1812, the British set fire to the
mansion. Who redecorated the charred mansion in the "French style"
and met with much opposition ?
- Dolley Madison
- Elizabeth Monroe
3) As an ex-teacher, this First Lady was appalled at
the lack of books at the mansion so her husband got Congress to
vote money for books and she stocked what would become the White
House Library. Who was she?
- Abagail Fillmore
- Lousia Adams
4) While the country was split by war, she overspent
by $6,700 the $20,000 Congressional appropriation for White House
redecoration.
- Edith Wilson
- Mary Lincoln
5) Whose post civil war redecoration was described
by critics as "Greek Revival Mississippi Steamboat". ?
- Eliza Johnson
- Julia Grant
6) This First Lady spent time at the Library of
Congress researching for her planned historical
redecoration, but it was never achieved because of her husband's
assassination.
- Ida McKinley
- Crete Garfield
7) She had a grand plan for a totally new mansion,
but because Congress failed to act on the appropriation, she had to
settle instead for installing electricity and starting the china
collection.
- Caroline Harrison
- Lucy Hayes
8) During her term as First Lady the West Wing was
added for the Executive Offices giving the First Family more
privacy for their living quarters. She also began the First Ladies
Picture gallery and completed the China collection started
previously by Caroline Harrison.
- Francis Cleveland
- Edith Roosevelt
9) When the leg of her daughter's piano fell through
the ceiling, this First Lady joined her husband and opposed the
idea of a new mansion. Her active campaign for a major renovation
was one of the very few issues for which she lobbied. Because of
the massive structural renovation, she and her husband spent most
of their second term living in Blair House.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Bess Truman
10) This First Lady did a "historical" restoration
of the White House. It was her idea to develop the White House
Guidebook to be sold to fund the upkeep of the mansion. She also
won an Emmy Award for her television tour of the White House.
- Jackie Kennedy
- Lady Bird Johnson
11) Under her direction, the collection of authentic
antiques in the White House went from 1/3 to 2/3 and outside lights
that illuminate the mansion at night were installed. She also began
the "Candlelight Tours" at the Christmas holidays.
- Rosalynn Carter
- Pat Nixon
12) At the time, there was a routine appropriation
of $50,000 for the new occupants of the White House to "refurbish"
but it was not enough for this First Lady who estimated $900,000
would be needed. She raised the money through private donations and
then spent $200,000 on new White House China.
- Nancy Reagan
- Barbara Bush
