There have been many occasions when another woman, often a daughter-in-law, stepped into the role of First Lady.
When one thinks of the First Lady of the United States, one usually assumes that this is the wife of the president. And usually, this is the case. In fact, in the 20th century, every president had his wife with him in the White House.
However, First Lady is actually the term for the First Hostess of the land, and the First Hostess is anyone who acts as the hostess for the president, most particularly when he is entertaining. For the large majority of the country's history, the First Lady's duty was to handle the social schedule for the White House. This included state dinners, musicales and other entertainments for dignitaries, teas with the wives of others in Washington society, and the like. Today, the First Lady has her own agenda and large staff. They travel and act as unofficial ambassadors for the United States and unofficial representatives for the president.
There have been a number of presidents who did not have a wife to serve as First Lady. The majority of them were widowers when they entered the White House (John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson became widowers during their presidencies, had their daughters or daughters-in-law serve as First Lady until they remarried).
Thomas Jefferson had two women serve as his primary First Ladies. The first was his daughter, Martha Randolph, who came to live in the White House with her father and her family. But she also had duties in the Virginia homes that she ran, and often had to return to tend to those tasks. When Martha was not in Washington, Jefferson called on Dolley Madison, wife of his long-time friend and Secretary of State, James Madison. Even at this time, Dolley reigned regally over Jefferson's table, garnering her reputation as an extraordinary hostess, even before she became the official First Lady.
Andrew Jackson's wife died several months before he became president. He and his wife had no children of their own, but they raised a nephew, Andrew Jackson Donelson. The Donelson's wife served as First Lady. Jackson's hand-picked successor, Martin Van Buren, was also a widower when he entered the White House. His First Lady was his daughter-in-law, Angelica Van Buren, a beautiful and vibrant young woman (whose picture can be found hanging in the Blue Room at the White House). She brought a lot of gaiety to the White House after the years of spit-and-fire of Jackson's administration.
Two presidents entered the White House as bachelors. Grover Cleveland's sister served as his First Lady for a short time, until he married Frances Folsom. James Buchanan, however, remained a bachelor his entire life. His niece, Harriet Lane, originally came to live with him in his home in Pennsylvania and acted as his hostess for years before he went to Washington.
These women were First Ladies in the truest sense, as they served as their country's hostess in much the same way as any presidential wife. Women like Harriet Lane and Angelica Van Buren were the main female presence in the president's life, and it is impressive how these often very young women managed so elegantly. Their role as First Ladies has been immortalized in the Smithsonian's First Lady exhibit, as well. In the early days of the exhibit, when ever First Lady had a dress on display, Harriet Lane's wedding gown outshown the purple cape that Mrs. Lincoln wore, the two standing side by side.
