A 2013 - 2014 original C-SPAN feature series telling the stories of America's First Ladies - from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama -
through conversations with top experts, video tours of historic sites, and questions from C-SPAN's audience.

America's First Ladies — from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama
Margaret Taylor
First Lady: 1849 - 1850
Click the list to watch videos
  • Sarah Polk, Margaret Taylor & Abigail Fillmore Program
  • Margaret Taylor program: Opening clip
  • Her Marriage
  • Her children
  • A brief introduction to Margaret Taylor

Biography

Margaret Taylor

Zachary Taylor
Author John S.D. Eisenhower wrote on Mrs. Taylor: “In the upstairs quarters of the White House, Margaret Taylor ran a congenial and welcoming establishment, and since relatives abounded, guests were almost always present. Margaret, however, remained true to her resolve to shun public life, a decision that caused the pampered members of Washington society to begin circulating rumors about her."

Born - September 21, 1788 in Calvert County, Maryland

Parents - Walter Smith & Ann Mackall Smith

Married - June 21, 1810 to Zachary Taylor

Children - Anne Margaret Mackall (1811 – 1875),
Sarah Knox (1814 – 1835),
Octavia Pannel (1816 – 1820),
Margaret Smith (1819 – 1820),
Mary Elizabeth “Betty” (1824 – 1909),
Richard (1826 – 1879)

Died - August 18, 1852 in Pascagoula, Mississippi

Click here to see full bio of Margaret Taylor

 
Did You Know Icon Did You Know...
In the White House, Mrs. Taylor privately welcomed friends and family to her upstairs sitting room but her daughter, Betty Bliss, handled the formal public receptions.
Mrs. Taylor regularly attended St. John’s Episcopal Church.

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