Abigail Fillmore

Abigail Fillmore (; March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853) was the first lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853 as the first wife of President Millard Fillmore. She began work as a schoolteacher at the age of 16, where she took on Millard Fillmore, who was two years her junior, as a student. Fillmore continued her teaching work after their marriage in 1826 until the birth of their son Millard Powers Fillmore in 1828. She lived in Buffalo, New York, while her husband advanced his political career in Albany, New York, and Washington, D.C. She would occasionally join him in these cities, becoming involved in local social life. She became the second lady of the United States in 1849 after her husband was elected vice president on the Whig Party presidential ticket, and she became the first lady of the United States in 1850 after her husband succeeded to the presidency.

Fillmore's most noted achievement as first lady was the establishment of the first White House Library. She had a lifelong appreciation for literature and refused to live in a home without books. The library became a popular reception room in the White House and functioned as the home of a literary salon. She was also involved in the political aspects of the presidency, and her husband often sought her opinion on state affairs. Fillmore took less interest in the role of White House hostess, and suffered from ailments that prevented her from carrying out some of her duties, including an injured ankle that limited her mobility. Many of her social responsibilities were delegated to her daughter Mary Abigail Fillmore. Fillmore died of pneumonia in 1853, less than a month after the end of her tenure as first lady. She has received little historical attention; she is considered one of the most obscure first ladies, and much of her correspondences is lost.

Early life and education Abigail Powers was born in Stillwater, New York, on March 13, 1798, in Saratoga County. They moved in with Abigail's older brother Cyrus Powers because of their impoverished state. Her father had left behind a large library of his personal books, which Abigail read extensively. She came to love literature and also became proficient in other subjects such as math, government, history, philosophy, and geography. She was also made familiar with abolitionism as a child, as the Baptist faith opposed slavery and her family was friends with local abolitionist George Washington Jonson. In 1814, Abigail became a part-time school teacher at the Sempronius Village school. In 1817, she became a full-time teacher, and in 1819, she took on another teaching job at the private New Hope Academy.

Marriage and family While teaching at New Hope Academy, she took on Millard Fillmore as a student. Millard was not wealthy enough to support a family, and Abigail's family discouraged her from marrying the son of a dirt farmer. They remained in contact as they pursued separate teaching careers over the following years. In 1824, she became a private tutor in Lisle to three of her cousins. She was then asked to open up a private school in Broome County; she opened the school, and in 1825, she went back to Sempronius to teach in her original position,

Abigail and Millard married in her brother's house in Moravia, New York, on February 5, 1826, after Millard had become an attorney,

Washington, D.C., and Albany, New York Millard was elected as a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1832, and Abigail stayed in Buffalo while he was in Washington, D.C. He stepped down in 1834, but he was elected again in 1836, and this time Abigail accompanied him to Washington, leaving the children with relatives in New York. Here she would fulfill the social obligations of a politician's wife, and she also sought out cultural and academic institutions in the city. Her sister's death in February 1851 caused her considerable grief.

Within the White House, Fillmore was an active first lady who hosted many social events. She was an active conversationalist, though did not enjoy the social aspects of the role. Fillmore considered most guests to be "cave dwellers" and found they had little interest in her intellectual pursuits. She would often go on coach rides with her husband around Washington and the surrounding countryside. Fillmore also took advantage of the cultural elements of Washington while serving as first lady, regularly attending art exhibitions and concerts, breaking precedent by traveling without her husband. In the summers, she would return to New York to visit friends and family.

The Fillmores had come from poverty, and as such they had little interest in elaborate decoration or refurnishing. Unlike many first ladies, Abigail did not extensively redecorate the White House upon entering. Instead, she designed the White House interior in the style of a middle-class home. She did, however, emphasize the use of mahogany and fine carpets. She also oversaw the expansion of the White House heating system and had a kitchen stove installed to replace the practice of cooking by fireplace.

Abigail and Millard corresponded regularly when they were apart. Their letters often concerned politics, and she would write back offering him advice and counsel on political matters. She closely followed bills in Congress and other political news, and she was able to discuss them in detail. He valued her opinion, and he reportedly never made any important decision without first consulting her. Abigail may have advised her husband not to sign the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, though he eventually did. She may have also encouraged him to end the practice of flogging as a punishment in the Navy. Abigail would regularly receive letters from citizens asking her to speak to the president on their behalf, particularly from charities asking for donations and people asking for political patronage. One such individual was her brother David, who received a position in the Fillmore administration.

Due to her poor health, Fillmore delegated many of her duties to her daughter Abbie, who was responsible for meeting with callers outside of the White House. Her ankle injury further complicated her role as White House hostess, and she would often be bedridden for a day after standing for hours to manage a long receiving line. By the end of the Fillmore presidency, Abbie carried out most of the social aspects of the role. One particular incident that prevented Fillmore from carrying out her duties was a second injury to her ankle in 1851 that left her incapacitated for weeks. She was also relieved from further responsibilities due to the more reserved nature of social life at the White House caused by President Taylor's death and growing political polarization.

White House library

When Abigail first moved into the White House, she was reportedly appalled at the fact that there was no library in it. Previous presidents had brought their own private book collections to the White House, retaining them after the end of their presidencies. The Fillmores decided that a library was a necessary fixture in the White House, as Abigail was accustomed to having books in the home and Millard depended on reference books in his work as president. With $2,000 authorized by Congress, she selected books for a White House library in the Oval Room. Abigail took responsibility for the organization and decoration of the room. She modeled the room after the style of Andrew Jackson Downing, using cottage furniture with walnut frames. Whenever new packages of books arrived, she would personally open them and place the books.

The library became a social hub of the White House during the Fillmore administration. Abigail hosted writers such as William Thackeray, Washington Irving, and Helen Aldrich De Kroyft and performance artists such as Anna Bishop and Jenny Lind, essentially creating a White House literary salon. This library became her primary focus as first lady, with it serving as a reception room, a family room, and a place of rest for her husband. It also doubled as a music room, with Abbie using the room to play piano, harp, and guitar. Abigail spent a large portion of her time as first lady in her library, and Millard often spent an hour in the library at night after leaving the executive chamber.

Death alt=A tombstone that reads "Abigail Powers, wife of Millard fillmore, 1798–1853, placed by the Abigail Fillmore Chapter, N.S.D.A.R." Abigail was the first first lady to attend the inauguration of her successor. After leaving the White House, she and her husband had begun planning travel. Their plans were interrupted when she fell ill. What started as a cold became bronchitis and then pneumonia. When a doctor was called, he used an ineffective cupping and blistering technique that may have worsened her health. She died of her illness in the Willard Hotel on March 30, 1853, aged 55. She was laid in state in Washington and then buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

Washington went into a period of mourning, and much of the federal government temporarily ceased operations in respect of her death. In his memoirs, Millard credited her for the support that she provided in progressing his education. On February 10, 1858, nearly five years later, her husband, then 58, married 44-year-old Caroline Carmichael McIntosh, a wealthy Buffalo widow. They remained married for sixteen years until Millard's death from a stroke on March 8, 1874, at the age of 74.

Legacy In the years preceding the American Civil War, the position of first lady received very little public attention. Fillmore has not received significant historical coverage relative to first ladies of other eras, and is often regarded as a less active first lady. She is best remembered for her organization of a library in the White House. Biographers of Millard Fillmore have generally given little attention to Abigail, in part due to the lack of surviving documents. Most of her private correspondences have been lost and are presumed to have been destroyed by her son. What does survive is primarily lists of books that she asked her husband to purchase while he traveled. Historians disagree on the extent that her poor health and ankle injury prevented her from carrying out White House duties; some say that it was severe enough to limit her ability, while others say that it was merely an excuse to avoid the responsibilities of a first lady. She is typically recognized as an intellectual and as a supportive influence in the president's life.