Harriet Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harriet Lane
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Lane c. 1860
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| Acting First Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 |
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| President | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | Jane Pierce |
| Succeeded by | Mary Todd Lincoln |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harriet Rebecca Lane
May 9, 1830 Franklin County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1903 (aged 73) Narragansett, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Spouse | Henry Johnston |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature |  |
Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston (born May 9, 1830 – died July 3, 1903) was a very important woman in American history. She served as the acting First Lady of the United States from 1857 to 1861. This was during the time her uncle, James Buchanan, was president. President Buchanan never married, so Harriet stepped into this special role.
Harriet Lane was known for being charming and good at diplomacy. She was a trendsetter, and many people copied her fashion. She also used her position to help good causes. Some people even call her the first "modern" First Lady because of her influence. After she passed away, she left money to start a new school. Several ships have also been named in her honor, including the USCGC Harriet Lane, which is still in service today.
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Who was Harriet Lane?
Harriet Lane is the only person who served as First Lady for a president who was not married. Her uncle, James Buchanan, was the only U.S. president never to marry. She is one of 11 women who have been First Lady but were not married to the president. Most of these women were relatives of presidents whose wives had passed away.
Harriet Lane's Early Life
Harriet Lane grew up in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She was the youngest child of Elliott Tole Lane, a merchant, and Jane Ann Buchanan Lane. Sadly, she lost her mother when she was nine years old. Two years later, her father also passed away, leaving her an orphan.
Harriet asked her favorite uncle, James Buchanan, to become her legal guardian. Buchanan was an unmarried senator from Pennsylvania. He took good care of Harriet and her sister. He sent them to boarding schools, including the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C.. By this time, Buchanan was the Secretary of State. He kept his promise to Harriet and introduced her to important people in society and politics.
In 1854, Harriet joined her uncle in London, England. He was serving as the U.S. minister (like an ambassador) there. Queen Victoria herself gave "dear Miss Lane" the same rank as an ambassador's wife. Many people admired her beauty. Harriet was of medium height with light, almost golden hair and beautiful "violet colored" eyes.
Harriet Lane as Acting First Lady
When her uncle became president in 1857, Washington, D.C., welcomed Harriet as its new "Democratic Queen." Harriet was a very popular hostess during the four years of President Buchanan's time in office. Women copied her hairstyles and clothing. Parents even named their daughters after her! A popular song called "Listen to the Mockingbird" was dedicated to her.
While living in the White House, Harriet used her position to support important social causes. For example, she worked to improve the living conditions for Native Americans on reservations. She also made sure to invite artists and musicians to White House events. Because she was so popular and worked for good causes, many historians see her as the first "modern" First Lady. Her popularity back then is often compared to that of Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s. The president's yacht was even named after her! This was the first of several ships to be named in her honor.
As tensions grew in the country before the American Civil War, Harriet was very careful with her weekly dinner parties. She planned the seating arrangements to make sure important guests were honored and that political enemies were kept apart. She was very tactful, but her job became impossible as the country divided. Seven states had left the United States by the time President Buchanan left office. He and Harriet returned to his home, Wheatland, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Harriet Lane's Personal Life
While she was in England, a man named Sir Fitzroy Kelly proposed marriage to Harriet. Even Queen Victoria wanted her to marry him so she would stay in England!
Harriet thought about marrying several different bachelors. Her uncle warned her not to rush into marriage. Harriet eventually married Henry Elliott Johnston, a banker from Baltimore, when she was 36 years old. They had two sons: James Buchanan Johnston (born 1866) and Henry Elliot Johnston (born 1869). Sadly, within 18 years, from 1867 to 1885, her uncle, her husband, and both of her children passed away.
Harriet Lane's Later Life and Legacy
Harriet wrote her will in 1895. She lived for eight more years, and during that time, her wealth grew a lot. In 1899, she added a special instruction to her will. She wanted a school building to be built on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral. She asked for it to be called the Lane-Johnston Building. This was to honor her husband's and her own family names, and to remember their sons.
In 1903, she increased her gift. She said that half of the money should be used for the building. The rest was to "provide for the free maintenance, education and training of choirboys." This gift helped start the famous boys' school known today as St. Albans School. It opened in October 1909.
Harriet Lane Johnston's funeral was held by important church leaders. She was buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. Her grave has a Celtic cross, similar to a special cross at the cathedral. In 1905, guests were invited to see the first stone laid for the St. Albans School building. The invitation called it "The Lane Johnston Choir School for Boys of the Washington Cathedral."
Harriet Lane's Gifts to the World
Harriet Lane left many important gifts in her will. She helped create a children's hospital and a boys' school. She also gave her collection of artwork to the Smithsonian. Several ships have been named after her.
Her childhood home, the Lane House, was recognized as a historic place in 1972.
A Hospital and a School for Children
Harriet gave $400,000 (a huge amount of money in 1903) to create the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children. This was at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. It was a memorial to her two sons who had died young. The Harriet Lane Home officially opened in October 1912. It was the first children's clinic in the United States connected to a medical school.
This home became a leader in treating, teaching, and researching children's health. It treated over 60,000 children each year! Many famous doctors worked there. For example, Helen Taussig helped create the "blue baby operation" for heart problems. Leo Kanner studied children with autism. Lawson Wilkins developed ways to treat children with certain gland problems, like dwarfism. John E. Bordley and William G. Hardy made breakthroughs in finding hearing problems in very young children.
Today, the Harriet Lane Outpatient Clinics still help thousands of children around the world. The well-known medical book for doctors who treat children, The Harriet Lane Handbook, is named after her. It is still published today.
Harriet Lane's Art Collection
Harriet had a collection of European artworks. She left this collection to the U.S. government. The Smithsonian Institution called her the "First Lady of the National Collection of Fine Arts" after they received her art.
Ships Named After Harriet Lane
The United States Coast Guard has named three ships after Harriet Lane.
- The first was the USRC Harriet Lane, launched in 1857. It was later used by the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
- The second ship was the USCGC Harriet Lane (WSC-141), which served from 1926 to 1946.
- The third ship named for Harriet Lane is the USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC-903). This ship was launched in May 1984 and is still actively serving today.
Images for kids
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Harriet Lane's signature
See also
In Spanish: Harriet Lane para niños
