Consider Caroline Harrison as one of the most underage or to serve in this role. Well learn why in this segment of first ladies, influence and image. Here to tell us more about Caroline Harrison or two guests who know the office well. The first ladys historian, the director meredith of that enormously popular first ladies exhibit at this milled sonia. Its edi i thank you for coming in. And bills seale, white house historian, has spent his professional career understanding the history of that buildings. Among his books is the president s white house. And doctors, were going to start with an illustration tonight. For the government was spending a lot of money. Its she got into it by wanting to create a house, they were crammed in this house. The only lived upstairs. You see, understand on the picture, the middle of the upper picture, the columns and the street side of it the office was on the left. Its the east room was below that, and the other public rooms on the ground floor. Then the other, and the west and on the right side, says that was a bath and a half, she wanted Something Big to live in but also something to entertain in its, because the harrisons entertained all the time. She had this plan done its. You are looking at the back part of the white house with the rand porch where president truman later built a balcony. Its the center part is the old white house, built at the turn of the century. The white house is on a bank, about 17 feet up, on one side, one story, two story house on the back. What do you see here is a quadrangle with the greenhouses the they had some. You see, thats dropped. The windows would still have the beautiful view of the potomac. On the right side was to be the National Gallery or the national museum. And then other public rooms on the other side. Then the second floor they had guest rooms, family quarters, and such as that to make it more livable, as well as the office. Looks like some of the grand houses of europe. Okay this is great to brand me as a traditionalist, but are you happy she was unsuccessful . Its yes it was basically Theodore Roosevelt who insisted it be restored. Its so edi, whats interesting is that this woman came into the white house not being seen as political, but she had an innate sense of how to lobby for this. Yes she did. She was in fact successful in getting passed to the senate. Tell me the story of how she put together that Winning Coalition for the. Senates well she went about lobbying through her entertaining in the first place, its but she also called in the press and got them to sign on that this was a good idea. Of course they were at the white house at the centennial of the presidency. She thought this would a, be a wonderful plan, as a memorial for the 100th anniversary its. The nation had grown in land and foward, and she wanted a residence that reflected the global power of the United States. So this was a perfect opportunity. She called in the press. She got a lot of major people in washington interested. She lobbied the senate, she lobbied the house. I will let bill tell why it failed. Before you do that she also enlisted the help of a former first lady. Its yes, harriet lane. She brought her in, and also use the name of George Washington, and how it would be a fitting memorial. Its he had built the house, she was making it work. Thats right. And hadnt washington also envisioned that it could be added on as he did to mount vernon . , yes in years to come. They thought a lot over bills. And Leland Stanford of california was misses here or sinces great ally. He spent the night speaking sleeping in the cloakroom. Hoping the active appropriation would go through, its but speaker read, he was a very razor ton kind of sharp guy, he cooked up a story that harrison had dear to appoint a postmaster in maine without his approval and he crushed the whole thing. Its so lacking her ability to expand the white house, she turned to restoring which already had. She redecorated, thinking and hoping it was a minor thing to do, and she became interest in the Historic House and began researching antique staff, she had a decorator in boston making things spiffy. Tiffany had been the last one to do the rooms. Its they were very rundown with the special effects that no one could reproduce. When she got to the white house she didnt just find furniture that had been stored. Here is a quote from the white house. The rats, how nearly taken, the rats have nearly taken over the building that its become necessary to gets a man with paris to drive them. Out they have become so numerous and build that theyve gotten up on the table in the upper hall and got one up. They had invested in the white house, in the basement and attic. And so apparently, the man with the fear it was brought in to help reduce the wrath population, its but there was also a man with a gun i think. With a pistol, yeah. , we were shooting the rats when ever he saw them. He would proceed her through the attic. The attic had no access to. Its when the elevator was put into the white house, he had steer access, he had to go up a ladder. She went up there with this guard with a gun, its and they began pulling things out of boxes. The wrath would appear and should it, there were big ones as well. Its shed shoot, hed scream. Wed like to invite you to participate in this series where weve been learning a lot, we hope you are too. This is our next to last for season, one and you can participate by calling, our phone number is in the central and eastern time zones. If you live out west, fast mountain pacific or beyond please use the 202 area code. If you would like you can join our facebook community, we have come its coming, its and if you tweet us please use the hashtag force, ladies will make some of your comments and questions in our discussion tonight. Its as she approached the white house she was criticized by the press for being overly domestic. Thats correct. What was the view of the changing first lady that would be criticize to be domestic . I think they thought that doing actual housework, which was rumored rather than you know, looking for historical treasures and trying to find, trying to salvage the history of the white house and the presidency, she was engaging in housework and maybe cooking their own meals. This was seen as very much beneath the dignity of a first lady. But one of the things that she mirrors in the time is the growing Home Economics movements, which organized itself around 1890. And she was very much a part of her times in anticipating what was thought to be the professionalization of housework. So instead of being praised for what she did, she was criticized. And she couldnt fathom why there was all this, you know, scorn and mocking and so forth in the press of what she was doing in the white house. I dont think people quite understood which was trying to accomplish. But you know, edi, i would have thought that washington was heard on first. Ladies there heard on them until they prove themselves. She was a popular woman in washington socially. But when she got into the house it was different. I think she was very nervous. Its what we learned with cleveland, is that the press went into a frenzy over her. The press was prepared to cover this first levy lady and werent happy with what they were seeing. Heres the quote, again from her diary, she wrote im disgusted with the newspapers and reporters. Truth is characteristic, entirely unknown to them. A sentiment we might hear from a president today . Its sounds very modern doesnt it. Its a very clever woman. Young, with a husband who had no use for pr. Its people flocked around for francis cleveland. She was the sort of a Jacqueline Kennedy of her age. She was ten years younger than jackie was when she entered the white house. She was very popular and there was this whole thing about this may december romance that took place with the president. There was speculation that maybe he was courting her mother, there was the bombshell when it was announced he was scoring the young and beautiful its frances so you have the beautiful Frances Cleveland, and the harrisons. She was a matronly woman by that age. She was beautiful but its Frances Cleveland, franky as she was known in the press, just to tell a story about how clever she was. The prince of spain was the first state, same age as cleveland, there was a reception at the white house and cleveland was a beautiful, woman she wore diamonds, bracelets, perfect royalty. And she wore a offwhite silk dress with a Little Antique lace at the top, white, camellia and her wedding band. It was a coup. She stole the show. Its so benjamin, harrison ours 23rd president , he was a republican. Cleveland was a democrat. Were going to learn a bit about the politics and some of the policies of his administration. Were going to talk about the fact that will be hearing quotes or reading quotes from her diary throughout this 90 minutes, and dave murdoch on the twitter says knowing how important the presidency had become, did caroline expect her diary to be made public someday . Were going to visit there for the first time in indianapolis and get to notes the diaries. So you have the Caroline Harrison white house diary. She kept the diary, its very fragile. Shes written in the front here keeping the diary and dates, 1880 1991 for this. Once in the diary she mentions several different things. She mentions going to Arlington Cemetery and decorating the soldiers grave site at arlington. She mentions riding with benjamin to the soldiers home and hospital. You know, some of the things that were very near and dear to her here were working with the orphan asylum and with the hospitals, she continued to some of that while she was in washington as well visiting the hospitals and whatnot there as well. She also mentioned some of the other events and things that are going on in her diary. Her artistic abilities i think come through eventually, her love flowers is mentioned, she mentions having a floral arrangement for different banquets and dinners. As well as the pan american conference of all the north and south american countries coming together meeting there. She mentions doing the decorations there for that. She mentions the dinner at the arlington in washington d. C. We have Vice President , the president s, where the delegations were sitting at that particular dinner. She also talks about the centennial celebration in new york forts the George Washington inauguration from 1789 of course to her son in 1889, so things from the banquet and whatnot here. Its and then also very personal and family related things matched in the diary. Its she mentions what the weather is like. One of the things that she mentions is the christening of their young granddaughter, mary lodge mickey, she says that they use water from the river jordan that her sister brought back from a trip over there. We actually have some of that water in our collection here, today so a little container here, actually have, some water in there as well. A bottle from the river jordan that her sister brought back. And Mary Lodge Mckee was christened there, she mentions christmas at the white house, having the tree put up for the grandchildren. Harrisons actually had the first decorated Christmas Tree in the white house. Opera glasses as well, we have her little opera glasses that were given to her as a Christmas Gift that she mentions in the diary as well. So the answer to the viewers question is it looks like she very much intended for these to be public documents. You never know, if she had started earlier a person can become so absorbed in a diary, it almost becomes like a confidant or a friend to write. I dont know whether she did or not. She didnt do other self promotional things. She and the president both suffered from depression. Eventually had an impact on her health. But they fought that together very hard. But keeping busy. Bethany johnson on twitter asked the question, how many children did benjamin and Caroline Harrison have . So the white house in their time were filled with children but they were grandchildren. They were grandchildren, and their children. The sun was in and out. He lived out in alina, montana, but his wife and children were there. Its this little boy baby mckee became famous for doing nothing just being a baby at the white house. So it was crowded, and there was lots of entertaining. The evening was absolutely absorbed with that. And remember, the office was in the house at the other end of the hall from the family quarters. Most employees were called, they were paid from the agencies. All these children and the routine of the private, house plays the public activities, it was a busy place. We mentioned at the outset the first lady was an artist, and were going to learn a little bit more about the kind of art she particularly, loved but lets do a few calls. Im going to talk to horrific, whos watching us in philadelphia. Would you mind needing the volume on your tv . Were getting feedback. Sure. Thank you for taking my call, im enjoying the series. Can you tell us a little bit about her background, who were her . Parents where was she raised . Was she educated . Long before she met her husband, can you tell us a little bit about that . Sure. She was brought up and born in oxford, ohio. Her father had been a minister, but at the time, he was a professor at the university, miami university, and then went on to found the oxford womens institutes, which was a college for women. And so her parents were both extremely well educated, and her father was a supporter of womens education. So he made certain that his daughter had a good one. And i think that sort of interest into her for the future in womens accomplishments, and you know, the progress of women. Laura is watching in clerks, phil indiana. Youre on. Why are the first ladies called the first ladies . Good question. Where they called the first ladies . I think that started when Zachary Taylor use that term for dolly medicine for her Memorial Service in 1849, he said she was actually the first lady of our land. She was a connection to the revolutionary time period, and she keeps coming back to the white house. She was the first in social standing probably for 16, years first as jeffersons see and in first lady, then as first lady on her own. But she continued to have great influence, and so i think thats how it started that she was the first in stature, and that knee carried on, it wasnt picked up until after the civil war. I was going to say mrs. Hayes. Yes, but i think a hurry lean had that under some of her photographs in harpers, and so anyway, it just means the first among everyone. Linda, wilmington, minnesota, youre on. Good evening. I have a question that relates to my own family. I had a grandmother whose name was kate harrison, and then she married, and her name was thomas. She grew up, i believe in missouri. There was a story that her mother had been married in the white house. I dont know if theres any truth to this, but i thought perhaps you might know if there was a wedding in the white house during benjamin in her since term there. It would not be surprising, but i dont know that by name. The local newspapers would probably carry, it both in washington and wherever they were from. Thats where i would look for, it if i were looking for. It i know in lincolns time there were marriages in the white house, john adams and some others but i dont know of any in the harrison tenor. One more question and then will learn more about the first ladies artistic, artistic endeavors. Hi i just wanted to mention that i had a fortune of going through the indianapolis home and i got to visit the harrison home. Its beautiful. The people that are very friendly, if anyone happens to be going through indianapolis please stop its a wonderful home. I think they will appreciate the endorsement, they were very helpful to us in allowing us to record so much video for you to see tonight. By the way, when we talk about the white house diaries, every week on our first ladys website, all the video from the programs we are doing so far is contained there and also some special video you havent seen during the program. If you really want to dig into her observations and what her days were like, you can read it all there at suspended or such first ladies. Well ellen wilson has a comment on facebook about her artistic endeavors. Mrs. Harrison she writes was an avid china painter and moved her china painting teacher when she went to washington. Were learning about how to keep her love of art alive here in indiana. Lets go to the white house for our next video. Youll learn more from the white house curator bill almond about the white house china collection for. When she came to the white house she was very interested in how the place worked. She came down here and this was still the ground floor but it was considered to be the basement because the kitchen was down here, laundry facilities, storage for food and tableware she found that it was and. Dirty. It was ominous. She tried to spruce it up by going through the cabinet and funding or pieces of china. She asked servants if they remembered how all the pieces were. She started the process of cataloguing and finding out with the chinese were. She put it out in the china room. She is credited as being a collector in the white house. She was interested in designing a, china she wanted it to be american. They discovered there wasnt a strong porcelain Manufacturing Industry in america, she said she would provide the design. It wasnt a full service. She tried to order 15 to 20 places for a place setting. It was designed with the lincoln era shape. This is a breakfast and soup plate. It represents the great still of the United States. What she specifically designed was the border which was a combination of years of corn and gordon, golden rod which she believed represented the United States. There were breakfast plates and soup plates made in the blue, there were also breakfast plates and tea plates made with the white border. Also a series of deadly cups and saucers. There werent many different shapes that went with it. We credit her today with establishing this very pop