Abigail Fillmore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abigail Fillmore
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| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853 |
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| President | Millard Fillmore |
| Preceded by | Margaret Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Jane Pierce |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850 |
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| Vice President | Millard Fillmore |
| Preceded by | Sophia Dallas |
| Succeeded by | Mary Breckinridge |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Abigail Powers
March 13, 1798 Stillwater, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 1853 (aged 55) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Millard Powers Fillmore Mary Abigail Fillmore |
| Signature |  |
Abigail Fillmore (born Abigail Powers; March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853) was the First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853. She was the wife of President Millard Fillmore.
Abigail started working as a schoolteacher when she was 16 years old. She even taught Millard Fillmore, who was two years younger than her. She kept teaching after they got married in 1826. She stopped teaching when her son, Millard Powers Fillmore, was born in 1828.
She lived in Buffalo, New York, while her husband worked in politics. She sometimes joined him in cities like Albany, New York and Washington, D.C.. In 1849, she became the Second Lady of the United States. This happened when her husband was elected Vice President. She became First Lady in 1850 when her husband became president.
Abigail Fillmore's biggest achievement as First Lady was creating the first White House Library. She loved books her whole life. She believed a home wasn't complete without books. The library became a popular room for guests. It was also a place where people gathered to discuss books and ideas.
She was also interested in politics. Her husband often asked for her thoughts on important government matters. She didn't enjoy being the White House hostess as much. She had health problems, including an ankle injury, that made it hard for her to do some duties. Her daughter, Mary Abigail Fillmore, often helped with social events. Abigail Fillmore died in 1853 from pneumonia, just weeks after her husband's presidency ended.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Abigail Powers was born in Stillwater, New York, on March 13, 1798. She was the youngest of seven children. Her father, Reverend Lemuel Powers, died when she was two years old. After his death, her family moved to Sempronius, New York. They lived with relatives because they didn't have much money.
Her father had a large collection of books. Abigail loved to read them. Her mother, who was a schoolteacher, taught her to read and value education. Abigail grew to love literature. She also became good at subjects like math, government, history, and geography. Her family was friends with a local person who was against slavery. This helped her learn about abolitionism when she was young.
Abigail started teaching school at age 16. This made her the first First Lady to have had a career before marriage. In 1814, she taught part-time at Sempronius Village school. By 1817, she was a full-time teacher. In 1819, she took another teaching job at New Hope Academy. She continued her own studies while teaching. As an adult, she learned to speak French and play the piano.
Marriage and Family Life
Abigail met Millard Fillmore when he was her student at New Hope Academy. They got engaged in 1819. However, they waited several years to marry. Millard wasn't wealthy enough to support a family yet. Abigail's family also didn't want her to marry a farmer's son. They stayed in touch while they both worked as teachers.
Abigail and Millard married on February 5, 1826. They married after Millard became a lawyer. They moved to East Aurora, New York. Many women teachers were expected to quit after marriage. But Abigail kept teaching until her children were born.
The Fillmores had two children. Their son, Millard Powers Fillmore, was born in 1828. Their daughter, Mary Abigail "Abbie" Fillmore, was born in 1832. In 1830, they moved to Buffalo, New York. Millard helped build up the city. He was a member of the New York State Assembly at this time. Abigail often took care of the house and children by herself. She sometimes worried when he was away for work. In Buffalo, they joined the local Unitarian Church. Millard's law practice became successful. This gave the Fillmores a comfortable life. Abigail also helped build Buffalo's first public library. She collected 4,000 books for her own home. She even named the town of Newstead, New York in 1831.
Life in Washington, D.C. and Albany
Millard was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1832. Abigail stayed in Buffalo while he was in Washington, D.C.. He left Congress in 1834. But he was elected again in 1836. This time, Abigail went with him to Washington. They left their children with relatives in New York. In Washington, she attended social events for politicians' wives. She also visited cultural and academic places. They continued this routine when Congress was in session. She wrote letters to her children often. She encouraged them to improve themselves.
Abigail was well-liked in Washington society. In 1840, she was asked to dedicate a building. This was a special honor for a woman back then, but she declined. While in Washington, she listened to a Senate debate in 1837. She also met famous writer Charles Dickens in 1842.
They returned to Buffalo after Millard left Congress in 1842. Abigail became a popular hostess there. When Millard was elected New York State Comptroller, the family moved to Albany, New York. She became involved in the social life there too. She enjoyed observing social parties. The Fillmores were separated from their children again in Albany. Their children went to Massachusetts.
On Independence Day in 1842, Abigail hurt her ankle. She slipped on an uneven sidewalk. The injury was so bad she couldn't walk for two weeks. When she tried to walk, her foot became more swollen. She was in bed until winter. She was confined to her room for several months. For the next two years, she had to use crutches to walk. Her ankle never fully healed. She had pain for the rest of her life.
Abigail became more well-known when her husband was chosen to run for Vice President in 1848. She was described nicely in a magazine. The Whig ticket won. Abigail became the Second Lady of the United States in March 1849. Her health made it hard for her to return to Washington. So she stayed in Buffalo. She found Washington's social life uninteresting. She spent much of her time caring for her sister, who had a stroke. She briefly visited Washington in 1850 to see her husband. She enjoyed meeting famous writers like Ann S. Stephens and Lydia Sigourney.
First Lady of the United States
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President Zachary Taylor died in July 1850. This meant Millard became President of the United States. Abigail became his First Lady. Abigail was on vacation in New Jersey with her children when President Taylor died. When she learned she would be First Lady, she felt unsure. She worried she wouldn't do a good job. She had become used to quiet home life. She was nervous about the new expectations. She arrived at the White House in October. Her sister's death in February 1851 caused her much sadness.
Inside the White House, Abigail was an active First Lady. She hosted many social events. She enjoyed good conversations. However, she didn't always like the social parts of the role. She felt many guests weren't interested in her intellectual discussions. She often went on carriage rides with her husband around Washington. She also enjoyed the cultural side of Washington. She regularly went to art shows and concerts. She sometimes traveled without her husband, which was unusual. In the summers, she visited friends and family in New York.
The Fillmores had not grown up wealthy. They were not interested in fancy decorations. Abigail did not redecorate the White House much. Instead, she made the White House feel like a comfortable middle-class home. She did choose nice mahogany furniture and fine carpets. She also made sure the White House heating system was improved. She had a kitchen stove installed for cooking.
Abigail and Millard wrote letters to each other often when they were apart. Their letters often talked about politics. She would give him advice on government matters. She followed bills in Congress closely. She could discuss political news in detail. He valued her opinion. He reportedly never made big decisions without asking her first. Abigail may have advised her husband not to sign the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. However, he eventually did sign it. She may have also encouraged him to stop the practice of flogging (whipping) as punishment in the Navy. Abigail often received letters from people asking her to talk to the president for them. These were often from charities or people asking for jobs. Her brother David even received a job in the Fillmore administration.
Because of her poor health, Abigail let her daughter Abbie handle many duties. Abbie met with visitors outside the White House. Abigail's ankle injury made being a hostess harder. She would often be in bed for a day after standing for hours. By the end of Millard's presidency, Abbie did most of the social events. Abigail also hurt her ankle again in 1851. This left her unable to move for weeks. Social life at the White House became more quiet. This was due to President Taylor's death and growing political disagreements.
White House Library
When Abigail first moved into the White House, she was surprised there was no library. Past presidents had brought their own books. But they took them when they left office. The Fillmores decided a library was needed. Abigail was used to having books at home. Millard needed reference books for his work as president.
Congress approved $2,000 for books. Abigail chose books for a White House library in the Oval Room. She was in charge of organizing and decorating the room. She used a simple, comfortable style. She used walnut furniture. When new books arrived, she opened them herself. She placed them on the shelves.
The library became a social center in the White House. Abigail hosted writers like William Thackeray and Washington Irving. She also hosted performers like Anna Bishop and Jenny Lind. This created a special gathering place for thinkers and artists. This library became her main focus as First Lady. It was a reception room, a family room, and a quiet place for her husband. It was also a music room. Abbie played the piano, harp, and guitar there. Abigail spent much of her time in her library. Millard often spent an hour there at night.
Death
Abigail was the first First Lady to attend the inauguration of the next president. After leaving the White House, she and her husband planned to travel. But she caught a cold. It turned into bronchitis and then pneumonia. A doctor tried a treatment that may have made her sicker. She died from her illness at the Willard Hotel on March 30, 1853. She was 55 years old. She was honored in Washington. Then she was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.
Washington went into a period of sadness. Many government offices temporarily closed. In his writings, Millard said she helped him with his education.
Five years after her death, on February 10, 1858, her husband married Caroline Carmichael McIntosh. She was a wealthy widow from Buffalo. They were married until Millard died in 1874.
Legacy
Abigail Fillmore was First Lady before the role received much public attention. She hasn't been written about as much as other First Ladies. She is often seen as less active. She is best remembered for creating the White House library. Not many of her personal letters survived. Most are believed to have been destroyed by her son. What remains are mostly lists of books she asked her husband to buy.
Historians have different ideas about how much her poor health affected her duties. Some say her ankle injury really limited her. Others think it was an excuse to avoid responsibilities. She is usually remembered as an intelligent woman. She was also a supportive influence in her husband's life.
See also
In Spanish: Abigail Fillmore para niños
