This is a book of biographies of 23 European women who were among the earliest arrivals in Colonial America. They came to found their homes in a wilderness or to carry out the work of their religious denomination. Most never got to return to visit their childhood homes or relatives, performing hard work daily the rest of their lives. Eliza Lucas Pinckney and others came looking for financial gain; some such as Ann Lee came to escape religious persecution; a few such as Margaret Brent came looking for adventure. Also profiled in this book are Priscilla Mullins Alden, Alice Carpenter S. Bradford, Margaret Tyndal Winthrop, Anne Marbury Hutchinson, Mary Barrett Dyer, Lady Deborah Dunch Moody, Penelope Van Princis Stout, Lady Frances Culpeper Berkeley, Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse, Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh, Henrietta Deering Johnston, Susanna Wright, Sister Marie Madeleine Hachard, Elizabeth Timothy, Elizabeth Murray Smith, Margarethe Bechtel Jungmann, Mary Barnard Williams, Mary White Rowlandson, Jane Randolph Jefferson, and Anne Dudley Bradstreet.

John Nance Garner once colourfully described the office of vice president of the United States as not worth ""a pitcher of warm piss,"" and no doubt many of the 45 men elected to it would agree. Though it is the second highest elective office in the United States, there is but one constitutional duty: to preside over the Senate. Historically, vice presidents have often been relegated to attending state funerals and heading mostly ceremonial committees. Unless, of course, the president dies or resigns; they are then thrust into the presidency, often with little or no preparation. From John Adams to Albert Gore, Jr., this reference work provides biographies of the 45 vice presidents of the United States. Despite the fact that many think of the office as a stepping stone to the White House, only 14 have actually served as president. Outside the public spotlight, many vice presidents led fascinating lives and served their country with distinction, though little has been written about them. The biographies herein focus on their work as vice president, their relationship with the president under whom they served, and their role in the White house. Their lives after the end of their terms are also examined fully. A bibliography follows each biography.

Deborah Franklin was the wife of patriot Benjamin Franklin. She kept his business enterprise going and the home fires burning while Benjamin lived the good life in France and other European countries as a representative of the new United States government. Historians have described Lydia Mather as mad for almost 300 years, a claim based entirely on her husbands diary entries. Lydias second husband was Cotton Mather and when anyone dared argue with him, he believed that the person must be deranged.

These two women and 23 others, as with the 1999 volume, are profiled in this new book of biographies. Each contributed to the development of her country in her own way. Most of the men they lived and worked alongside have been honored over and over while their own names, almost without exception, are unknown.

Their personalities often set the tone for Washington society, from Julia Tyler's open hospitality to Sarah Polk's somber religious devotion. Some, like Abigail Adams, had little formal schooling. Others, such as Pat Nixon and Hillary Clinton, earned college degrees. There were those who outlived their spouses as well as women who died before seeing their husbands realize their presidential dreams. In spite of differing circumstances, these presidential wives influenced-sometimes overtly and often inadvertently-everything from domestic political agendas to foreign policy through their relationships with their husbands. From Martha Washington to Laura Bush, this book discusses the lives and circumstances of the 47 women who have been married to an American president. It emphasizes the relationship each wife had with her husband and the ways in which this contributed to the success or failure of his presidency. Details include birthplace, upbringing, political viewpoints and final resting place. Chapters are also included on women such as Hannah Van Buren and Jane Wyman, who although married to men who eventually became president, never became first lady.