A traveled first lady: writings of Louisa Catherine Adams

Congress adjourned on 18th May 1852 for Louisa Catherine Adams's funeral, according her an honour never before offered a first lady.

But her life and influence merited this extraordinary tribute.

She had been first the daughter-in-law and then the wife of a president.

She had assisted her husband as a diplomat at three of the major capitals of Europe.

She had served as a leading hostess and significant figure in Washington for three decades. And yet, a century and a half later, she is barely remembered.

This title seeks to correct that oversight by sharing Adams's remarkable experiences in her own words.