[Music]
behind every great man there is a great
woman
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’ll
be counting down our picks for the top
10 most influential United States first
ladies over the past few years as first
lady I have had the extraordinary
privilege of traveling all across this
country and everywhere I’ve gone and the
people I’ve met and the stories I’ve
heard I have seen the very best of the
American spirit number 10 Michelle Obama
kicking off our list is the first
African American first lady Michelle met
Barack at her law firm and soon they
became a powerhouse pair that
personified the American dream as with
many first ladies Obama is influential
in the fashion world but it’s her work
on behalf of military and working
families poverty awareness and childhood
obesity that will be her most enduring
contributions so I want you to know that
this nation’s support doesn’t end as
this war ends not by a long shot we’re
going to keep on doing this we have so
much more work to do
number 9 Edith Wilson Wilson took an
interest in politics sat in on meetings
and led the country in rationing
supplies during World War one though she
was Woodrow Wilson’s second wife she was
nicknamed the first woman president once
her husband suffered a stroke in 1919 as
she nursed him back to health
she vetted all communications and
decided which matters were important
enough to bring to the ailing president
number 8 Dolly Madison Madison refined
the role of the first lady she was
universally well liked was a spectacular
hostess and conversationalist and as
head of the household she redecorated
the newly built executive mansion in a
simple yet luxurious style that
impressed foreign dignitaries but her
most permanent action was to save
national treasures like the Lansdowne
portrait of George Washington when the
British captured the Capitol during the
war of 1812
number seven Nancy Reagan as a former
actress Reagan made significant
contributions to the arts and was known
for her glamour but there was more to
this first lady Reagan was instrumental
in the just saying no campaign against
drug use and she crusaded for the issue
across the globe say yes to your life
and when it comes to drugs and alcohol
just say no Nancy was a close confidant
of the President as well and after his
Alzheimer’s diagnosis she helped
increase awareness of the disease
number six Lady Bird Johnson this highly
educated woman funded her husband’s
early political career and was the first
wife of a president to become a
millionaire independently when she used
her inheritance to get into the media
business the most famous souvenirs of
her time as first lady were conservation
projects and legislation like the
Highway Beautification Act as well as
her significant support of 1964 Civil
Rights Act number five
Jacqueline Kennedy as one of the
youngest ever first ladies
Jackie handled the post with grace and
glamour Kennedy’s entertaining skills
were famous foreign dignitaries loved
her and she enhanced the reputation of
Americans everywhere the White House
restoration was a high point of her
short tenure and it showcased her
interest in art and historic
preservation after JFK’s assassination
she led the country in mourning with
courage and dignity number for Rosalyn
Carter Jimmy Carter is a fiscal
conservative he does not believe in
wasting Lee Carter campaigned vigorously
for her husband and unlike many first
ladies before her she attended cabinet
meetings and acted as his advisor while
she championed numerous causes like
early childhood immunization Human
Rights and the arts her cause of choice
was mental health Carter also acted as
an envoy to locations like Latin America
and continued her charitable work after
leaving Washington with organizations
like Habitat for Humanity I think it
looks pretty nice to have my name up
there with Jimmy’s
number three Betty Ford it was Ford’s
openness about taboo issues that made
her an influential first lady I told my
husband if we have to go to the White
House okay I will go but I’m going as
myself and it’s too late to change my
pattern and if they don’t like it then
they’ll just have to throw me out
whether it was women’s equality abortion
her own mental health or even addiction
she had a public opinion on the subject
her mastectomy significantly raised
breast cancer awareness and once she
left the White House she founded the
Betty Ford Center to help people like
herself overcome chemical dependency
they have to know that there is help
available there’s not only help but
there’s hope for them number two Hillary
Rodham Clinton some called the Clintons
co-presidents whether or not that was
true Hillary’s efforts on behalf of
children and families were crucial as
was her struggle as head of the failed
Task Force on national health care
reform the message is simple it’s time
to bring about fundamental change
control our nation’s soaring health care
costs and provide security for American
families again she later became the
first first lady to run for public
office when she ran for New York State
Senate eventually she increased her
contributions as Barack Obama’s
Secretary of State mr. president-elect I
am proud to join you on what will be a
difficult and exciting adventure in this
new century and may God bless you and
all who serve with you and our great
country
number one Eleanor Roosevelt taking the
top spot on our list is the first lady
of the world
Roosevelt addressed the public on issues
like civil women’s and human rights
through a daily newspaper column press
conferences and more after Washington
she helped draft the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in the
United Nations General Assembly the
object is to make
people everywhere conscious of the
impulse of human rights and freedoms
not only was FDR one of the most popular
presidents his wife was also one of the
most renowned first ladies in American
history do you agree with our list
who do you think is the most influential
first lady in US history for more top
10s
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com we
are playing a long game here and that
change is hard and change is slow and it
never happens all at once but eventually
we get there
[Music]
behind every great man there is a great
woman
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’ll
be counting down our picks for the top
10 most influential United States first
ladies over the past few years as first
lady I have had the extraordinary
privilege of traveling all across this
country and everywhere I’ve gone and the
people I’ve met and the stories I’ve
heard I have seen the very best of the
American spirit number 10 Michelle Obama
kicking off our list is the first
African American first lady Michelle met
Barack at her law firm and soon they
became a powerhouse pair that
personified the American dream as with
many first ladies Obama is influential
in the fashion world but it’s her work
on behalf of military and working
families poverty awareness and childhood
obesity that will be her most enduring
contributions so I want you to know that
this nation’s support doesn’t end as
this war ends not by a long shot we’re
going to keep on doing this we have so
much more work to do
number 9 Edith Wilson Wilson took an
interest in politics sat in on meetings
and led the country in rationing
supplies during World War one though she
was Woodrow Wilson’s second wife she was
nicknamed the first woman president once
her husband suffered a stroke in 1919 as
she nursed him back to health
she vetted all communications and
decided which matters were important
enough to bring to the ailing president
number 8 Dolly Madison Madison refined
the role of the first lady she was
universally well liked was a spectacular
hostess and conversationalist and as
head of the household she redecorated
the newly built executive mansion in a
simple yet luxurious style that
impressed foreign dignitaries but her
most permanent action was to save
national treasures like the Lansdowne
portrait of George Washington when the
British captured the Capitol during the
war of 1812
number seven Nancy Reagan as a former
actress Reagan made significant
contributions to the arts and was known
for her glamour but there was more to
this first lady Reagan was instrumental
in the just saying no campaign against
drug use and she crusaded for the issue
across the globe say yes to your life
and when it comes to drugs and alcohol
just say no Nancy was a close confidant
of the President as well and after his
Alzheimer’s diagnosis she helped
increase awareness of the disease
number six Lady Bird Johnson this highly
educated woman funded her husband’s
early political career and was the first
wife of a president to become a
millionaire independently when she used
her inheritance to get into the media
business the most famous souvenirs of
her time as first lady were conservation
projects and legislation like the
Highway Beautification Act as well as
her significant support of 1964 Civil
Rights Act number five
Jacqueline Kennedy as one of the
youngest ever first ladies
Jackie handled the post with grace and
glamour Kennedy’s entertaining skills
were famous foreign dignitaries loved
her and she enhanced the reputation of
Americans everywhere the White House
restoration was a high point of her
short tenure and it showcased her
interest in art and historic
preservation after JFK’s assassination
she led the country in mourning with
courage and dignity number for Rosalyn
Carter Jimmy Carter is a fiscal
conservative he does not believe in
wasting Lee Carter campaigned vigorously
for her husband and unlike many first
ladies before her she attended cabinet
meetings and acted as his advisor while
she championed numerous causes like
early childhood immunization Human
Rights and the arts her cause of choice
was mental health Carter also acted as
an envoy to locations like Latin America
and continued her charitable work after
leaving Washington with organizations
like Habitat for Humanity I think it
looks pretty nice to have my name up
there with Jimmy’s
number three Betty Ford it was Ford’s
openness about taboo issues that made
her an influential first lady I told my
husband if we have to go to the White
House okay I will go but I’m going as
myself and it’s too late to change my
pattern and if they don’t like it then
they’ll just have to throw me out
whether it was women’s equality abortion
her own mental health or even addiction
she had a public opinion on the subject
her mastectomy significantly raised
breast cancer awareness and once she
left the White House she founded the
Betty Ford Center to help people like
herself overcome chemical dependency
they have to know that there is help
available there’s not only help but
there’s hope for them number two Hillary
Rodham Clinton some called the Clintons
co-presidents whether or not that was
true Hillary’s efforts on behalf of
children and families were crucial as
was her struggle as head of the failed
Task Force on national health care
reform the message is simple it’s time
to bring about fundamental change
control our nation’s soaring health care
costs and provide security for American
families again she later became the
first first lady to run for public
office when she ran for New York State
Senate eventually she increased her
contributions as Barack Obama’s
Secretary of State mr. president-elect I
am proud to join you on what will be a
difficult and exciting adventure in this
new century and may God bless you and
all who serve with you and our great
country
number one Eleanor Roosevelt taking the
top spot on our list is the first lady
of the world
Roosevelt addressed the public on issues
like civil women’s and human rights
through a daily newspaper column press
conferences and more after Washington
she helped draft the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in the
United Nations General Assembly the
object is to make
people everywhere conscious of the
impulse of human rights and freedoms
not only was FDR one of the most popular
presidents his wife was also one of the
most renowned first ladies in American
history do you agree with our list
who do you think is the most influential
first lady in US history for more top
10s
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com we
are playing a long game here and that
change is hard and change is slow and it
never happens all at once but eventually
we get there
[Music]
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