Кэролайн Харрисон: АҚШ-тың бірінші ханымы және қайырымдылық жұмысының белсендісі

First Lady of the United States from 1889 to 1892

Caroline Lavinia Harrison (née Scott; October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892) was an American music teacher and the first lady of the United States from 1889 until her death. She was married to President Benjamin Harrison, and she was the second first lady to die while serving in that role. The daughter of a college professor, Harrison was well educated, and she expressed interest in art, music, and literature throughout her life. She married Benjamin Harrison in 1853 and taught music while he engaged in a legal and political career. She was heavily involved in the community, working at her church, participating in charity work, and managing local institutions such as an orphanage and a women's club. During the Civil War, she contributed to the war effort through women's volunteer groups. When her husband was nominated for the presidency, she was a hostess as her home became the center of a front porch campaign. As first lady, Harrison took little interest in her duties as hostess and dedicated much of her time to charity work. She was in favor of women's rights, and she co founded the Daughters of the American Revolution, serving as its first President General. Harrison engaged in a major undertaking to renovate the White House, having much of its interior and utilities entirely redone. These renovations included the addition of electricity, though the family declined to use it for fear of electrocution. Her plans for the White House would later influence the construction of the East Wing and the West Wing. She also took inventory of furnishings and other possessions kept in the White House, beginning the practice of White House historical preservation.

Caroline Lavinia Scott was born on October 1, 1832, Caroline's parents were abolitionists, and were active in the Underground Railroad. Her great grandfather was the founder of the first Presbyterian church in the United States, and of the College of New Jersey, which was later renamed Princeton University. She had two sisters and two brothers. Among her family, she was known as "Carrie". While in Cincinnati, Caroline attended a girls' school that her father founded. Caroline's father also took a job teaching science and mathematics at Farmer's College in Cincinnati. Caroline began a courtship with Benjamin Harrison, one of her father's students at Farmer's College. and the two would often meet for buggy and sleigh rides together. They would also secretly attend dancing parties, which were seen as sinful at her father's institute. When Caroline's father was appointed the first president of the Oxford Female Institute, the Scotts returned to Oxford, and Benjamin transferred to Miami University so he could be close to Caroline. Caroline was severely overworked while in Kentucky, which negatively affected her health: as a result she and Benjamin wed sooner than originally planned. While she was pregnant with her first child in 1854, Caroline stayed at her family home in Ohio. The Harrisons' lives were further complicated by a fire that destroyed their home in Indianapolis the same year.

Harrison experienced periods of loneliness and depression as her husband began his political career, for he was often away and their marriage was neglected. This was exacerbated by the onset of the Civil War, at which time both Caroline and Benjamin sought to help in the war effort. Benjamin continued to pursue politics after the war. He ran an unsuccessful campaign to be the Governor of Indiana in 1876, and he was elected to the United States Senate in 1880. She served as an advisor in his political career and assisted him in his political campaigns. To appeal to the public, Harrison would arrange publicity photos of her infant grandson, popularly known as "Baby McKee". She also continued her charitable work as first lady, giving her little time to organize grand receptions. She did implement some reforms for presidential receptions; Harrison abolished the practice of handshaking in receiving lines, and she restored dancing as a common practice. This was the first medical school in the United States to accept women, and it would lead to similar policies in other medical schools. Harrison made large changes with the allocated funds. The rooms were repainted, and the drapes, carpets, and upholstery were replaced. She also authorized other utilities, including the installation of a heating system and modernized plumbing. To address the rat problem, she released ferrets, Coverage of Harrison in historical analysis has been limited. Harrison was celebrated in her day as a model of domestic life for proficiently managing the White House. In her role as White House hostess, she is described as unsuccessful, being unable to maintain good relations with Washington society and lacking the grandeur associated with past first ladies. Her desire for privacy often superseded her duties as the public face of the White House. In particular, she was often compared to and sometimes overshadowed by her immediate predecessor Frances Cleveland, who was much younger and widely beloved. Contemporary historians recognize Harrison for her renovation work in the White House, and her renovation projects had a major effect on future presidencies. Her rejected proposal to remodel the White House would be adapted into a future renovation plan, resulting in the construction of the building's East Wing and West Wing. Frances Cleveland, who managed the White House both before and after Harrison, expressed her approval of the renovations. Harrison's work remains one of the most comprehensive projects to affect the White House. Her measures to preserve White House china and furnishings have established long standing collections.