Both wives -Abigail and Eleanor- had direct influence in the presidential administration although in a discrete manner not to complicate their husband’s presence and public image. In her own ways, both women acted with conviction and established a presence beside her husbands.
Abigail Smith Adams showed the determination to exert influence in his husband’s administration. She managed family matters on while her husband was at the office. Abigail Adams had her own views about the role of women in society, expressing her own opinions in letters to relatives and friends and in private conversations. Sometimes she had preferences, naming some legislators or allies "our people" and signaling enemies.
Eleanor Roosevelt opened the door to people that wanted to share thoughts with the president. Many people wrote letters to her, asking intervention to speak with her husband. Eleanor traveled with his husband around the country and abroad, like no other president’s wife. She supported get along well with young people and had their own liberal ideas on civil rights. She was a very active woman and made alot of speeches. She even wrote a newspaper column called “My Day”.
