Most people think that we haven’t had a female president – but they don’t know about Edith Wilson! Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson’s wife, is considered by many to be the first female president of the United States. My APUSH teacher in high school told me about Edith, and she has been one of my favorite women in history since.
To keep this in context with Woodrow’s presidency – Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913-1921.
Before Edith had to take over the White House, she was a great first lady. Before World War I, she hosted many parties, but once the U.S. entered the war, she focused on helping the war effort.
In 1919, Woodrow had a massive stroke that left him pretty much incapable of performing his duties as president adequately. At this time, the U.S. Constitution didn’t state what to do if the president could no longer perform his duties. Today, power would be transferred to the vice president – but this wasn’t the case back then, especially because Woodrow’s vice president refused to assume the role of president.
Basically, Edith had to take over. If she didn’t, Woodrow’s legacy would fall apart, and he would be devastated. Doctors even thought that he would stop fighting to live if he lost the presidency. So, Edith took over out of love – not political ambition.
Edith was able to take over because she controlled all communication to the president. However, she never admitted to assuming the role that she did. That being said – Edith’s power wasn’t unnoticed. Some people criticized Woodrow’s presidency as a “petticoat presidency,” and others praised Edith.
Whether people liked it or not, Edith was in charge for around 17 months. No one voted for her or called her president – but that was exactly what she was. And a pretty good president at that!
When Woodrow’s presidency ended in 1921, the Wilson’s retired, and Woodrow died three years later. Edith made sure Woodrow’s legacy lived on until she died in 1961.
Edith was an amazing woman who did amazing things, and she should be talked about more often. After all, being the first female president is pretty cool! If you want to find out more about her, check out this great article about her life.
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