next, elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams. this is about 90 minutes. ♪ elizabeth monroe was a true partner in her husband's career and it was a good sounding board for many policies and decisions that he had to evolve. >> they were a love story if one ever was and absolutely devoted to each other. >> elizabeth monroe had a very well-developed sense of style and image, and her jewelry is a reflection of that. >> this is a woman who knew how to carry herself with great elegance. she always warranted your respect. >> it was one of the most splendid white houses that ever existed. >> it was called the era of good feeling. >> this is a woman who spoke french, and my goodness, what she could talk about. >> elizabeth was a very great beauty, described in one letter as a rose petal beauty, but mrs. monroe received very seldom anything at the white house. she was a recluse, absolutely hated it. >> hospitality, decorum, dignity, civility those are the -- civility, those are the words that come to mind. >> elizabeth monroe served as fi

her grandson, henry adams, remembered louisa catherine fondly. in his works, the education of henry adams, he described louisa catherine and her role in this house and relationship with the family. he felt that she was the odd man out, because she was born in england and educated in france. she remained a foreign personality to many of the adams's. but not to henry as a world traveler himself. he recollects her sitting in her paneled room, using her silver tea pot that that she brought with her from her home in england to the old house. she would entertain both herself and many guest in this room. john quincy adams and louisa would inherit this home from john adams. john quincy thought about selling it, but then decided that it was important to the family story to hold onto the house for future generations. susan: you can visit there today. where the papers? amanda: they are at the massachusetts historical society in boston. they used to be at the old house would distill my very, but they were transferred to the historical society for safekeeping

abigail adams, elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's original series "first ladies." examining the public and private lives of the women who filled first lady and their influence on the presidency. from martha washington to michelle obama. sundays on c-span3. each week, america history cap -- the american history tv takes you to museums and historic places. the travel to the national constitution center in philadelphia to learn about 42 bronze statues in signer's hall and to learn about the constitutional convention of 1787. prof rosen: i'm thrilled to welcome you to signer's hall. let me tell you about the national constitution center. and tell you about this room. the national constitution center is a very special place. it is the only institution in america that has a charter from congress to disseminate information about the u.s. constitution on a non-partisan basis. and that means that in these polarized times we are the only place in america that brings together all sides in the constitutional debates that tran

elizabeth munro and louisa catherine adams -- sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's original series "arts ladies: influence an image," examining the public and private lives of the women who filled the position of her's lady and their influence on the presidency, for martha washington to michelle obama. sundays at 8:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span3. >> each week american history tv real america brings archival films that help to tell the story of the 20 century. ♪ >> throughout the world, throngs of people held -- held the war of the end in europe. it has been five years and more since hitler marched into poland years of suffering and death had been sacrificed. now the war against germany is one. -- won. a grateful nation gives thanks for victory. hundreds of thousands crowded to american churches to give thanks to god. ♪ >> president sherman announced the official surrender. >> this is a solemn but glorious hour. i wish that franklin d roosevelt had lived to see this day. general eisenhower and thorns be met the forces of ger

my personal favorite remains one from ladies of liberty in a letter written by louisa catherine adams who has a life of john quincy adams and it was here in washington in 1820 and he was secretary of state and she wrote these chatty letters that abigail had died and he was loudly. she had them at one point saying it was her vocation to get her has been elected president. so as the year 1820 committee or the compromise congress stayed in session much longer than usable. finally they adjourned. she goes to a meeting of the orphan asylum trustees abdali matteson after the british invasion in 1814. so she goes to meetings with trustees and one says to her day needed new building. she said what are you talking about? the woman said the session had been very long. the fathers of the nation had left or the cases to be provided for by the public and are in petition was the most likely to be called upon to maintain this illicit progeny. 40 pregnant women left behind in their worldly 200 members of congress. some of them could have been recidivists. i don't know. so she says to john adams i rec

louisa catherine adams is the only first lady to date on outside the united states. she played an important role in her husband's 1824 presidential campaign yet had difficulty winning the approval of her mother-in-law, former first lady abigail adams. sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's original series "first ladies: influence and image, examining the public and private lives of the women who filled the position of first lady and their influence on the presidency," from martha washington to michelle obama sundays at 8:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span3. >> next, a look at the role of the u.s. supreme court during reconstruction. university of maryland history professor michael rosler to is on the tensions between president andrew johnson and the republican-dominated congress on how hate groups such as the ku klux klan used the 14th amendment to promote white supremacy. the speech is one in a series of four on reconstruction hosted by the supreme court historical society. it was in the supreme court chamber, and he is introduced by supreme cou

abigail adams, elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's original series "first ladies." examining the public and private lives of the women who filled first lady and their influence on the presidency. from martha washington to michelle obama. sundays on c-span3. each week, america history cap -- the american history tv takes you to museums and historic places. the travel to the national constitution center in philadelphia to learn about 42 bronze statues in signer's hall and to learn about the

catherine adams' book, she holds two -- during the congressional session, she'll hold two formal dinner parties every week. she'll do -- every other week, she'll do public receptions in the evenings. she will hold public parties every month that would have as many as a thousand people. she opened up the white house on new year's eve -- on new year's, she opened up the white house on july 4th and she started the tradition of having the marine band do -- perform in the south lawn. they are finding ways to do that. but as dr. medford says, that -- that they might be doing it with mirrors because congress given their battles with john tyler, they don't appropriate a cent for the upkeep of that white house during his entire presidency. susan: next is a call from marvin in los angeles. hi marvin. marvin: hello. my question has to do with a constitutional question. article ii, section 1 says, "the elector shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two persons of whom one, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves." and if both of them came from th

. >> we have many other first ladies, interesting first ladies in this category including louisa catherine adams and elizabeth elizabeth munro and in the great story of item mckinley and others that i have to do that author thing and say you have to look in the book as we are running out of time. we have got to move on. first ladies have taken advantage of their position. this fabulous opportunity they have to make change by adopting causes. how recent a phenomenon is that where person with great anticipation wonders in the white house what is the cause going to be that the first lady will adopt and it's expected they will announce it. how much politics and political consideration goes into that decision in this modern-day? >> quite a bit. you know as the president is going from a candidate to president and has a transition team and is building its first ladies are also doing that and michelle obama has talked about being back in her kitchen in chicago and thinking about planting a garden at the white house and developing this idea for how she would approach this topic of healthy eating an

former first lady abigail adams, elizabeth monroe, and louisa catherine adams. sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's original series "first ladies: influence and image. examining the private lives of women who filled the position of first ladies and influence on the presidency." sundays at 8:00 p.m. eastern on american history to be on c-span3. >> on c-span's "q&a," former bloomberg news reported kate anderson blatt -- kate anderson bauer on the world of the white house through the eyes of the people who work there. from the kennedys to the obama's. >> who are the thick lens? >> an incredible family who worked at the white house. i interviewed james jeffrey, the only part-time butler who i got to interview. he might be there right now. he works every week at the white house. nine members of his family worked there. his uncles john and charles. they were the head butlers. he told me that his uncles ran the white house. they brought him in when he was 17 years old in 1959 during the eisenhower administration. he is still working there and he describes havi

elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams sunday night on c-span original series 1st ladies, influence an image examining the public and private lives of the women who fill filled the position of first lady and their influence on the presidency from what the washington to michelle obama sundays at 8:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span three. >> concluding with a 1994 event from the ronald reagan presidential library. speakers include peggy hoover brigham, susan ford bales, and maureen reagan. begins with remarks by former first lady nancy reagan and historian richard norton smith serving as the reagan library library director at the time. this is now are in 45 minutes. [applause] [applause] and now our own 1st lady ms. nancy reagan. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] thank you. thank you. good morning. i am delighted to welcome you all to a very special program. i hope you had a a chance to see at least some of the remarkable new exhibits called madam president on your way in this morning. for the next six months visitors to the library and museum will be introduced to ea

elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's original series, "first ladies." examining the public and private lives of the women who filled the position of first ladies and their influence on the presidency. sundays at 8:00 eastern on american history tv on c-span3. >> "washington journal" continues. host: and now a look at the physical health of the state -- fiscal health of the states falling the 2008 recession. cheryl hill late. she is with the u.s. census bureau. she is a state finance and tax statistics branch chief. also joining us is tracy gordon of the workings tax policy -- brookings tax policy center. thank you for both being here. tracy, let's begin with you. are the state fiscally healthy? guest: they are doing a lot better than they were five years ago. revenues have been increasing for about six quarters, give or take a couple of quarters where estimates are not come out and the because of actions by the federal government and uncertainty at the federal level. job cuts have abated. you heard of lot about job cuts today. the new re

so they brought -- they invited dolley madison, louisa catherine johnson-adams and eliza hamilton. so again, we have people of the time understanding that these women were representative of the time. susan: well, we have about 35 minutes left in our portrait of dolley madison and it's time to ask the question who was this woman that became internationally famous and what were her roots. we visited the house in philadelphia where she lived as a quaker. we're going to show you that now -- no -- now. >> this is the dolley-todd house in philadelphia. it is here that she becomes wife, mother, and because of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, a widow. this room was the kitchen of the house and here you would probably find dolley with her two sisters. when dolley married john todd, she would often have her younger sisters living here with her. they may have had day servants but as quakers they do not believe in slavery and her husband actually gave free legal advice to the abolitionist society here in this city. this is the dining room in the todd house. and this room was a multi-use room

susan swain: when john quincy goes to england, he meets his wife, louisa catherine there. what was the relationship between the two adams women? edith gelles: well, i think it was a good one. i think louisa catherine was quite shocked by the culture she encountered in new england after having had a rather gentile upbringing in england and in france and was quite shocked by the people in the surroundings and the customs, even church attendance she -- james taylor: when she went to the old house, she said it was like going on noah's ark. edith gelles: right. susan swain: well, let's actually have our closing video, "a return to peacefield" where the adams spent their final years. susan swain: abigail enjoyed 17 years of retirement here at peacefield with her husband john adams. here, the old couple could dote on their children and grandchildren and enjoy the peace and tranquility that this place offered them throughout their lives. the president's bedroom is a reflection of the warmth that this house provided them. it was inviting, sunny and bright. and abigail enjoyed many

next, elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams. this is about 90 minutes. ♪ elizabeth monroe was a true partner in her husband's career and it was a good sounding board for many policies and decisions that he had to evolve.