Be careful, she’s judging you with those eyes of hers
Unfortunately this was the highest resolution of the photo I could find
Great guitar playing here! He captures the flamenco style perfectly
Because most of her correspondence has been lost over time and being married to one of most infamously unmemorable Presidents, Abigail has gotten little scholarly analysis or acknowledgment. Upon reading her story however, I thought she was one of the more notable First Ladies before the 20th century.
To start, Abigail loved books. Her father passed down a while library to her when he died, and with Abigail’s mother being a schoolteacher, her whole youth was defined by learning and reading. She was more well versed in education than most women at the time and this led to her becoming a schoolteacher in numerous academies around New York. She even knew French and could play multiple instruments, including the piano.
Of course she taught Millard and the two became engaged. Since Millard was very poor however, it took years for them to be actually married. In the meantime, she helped found a local school and a library.
During Millard’s office in the House, she was well regarded in the social groups and met Henry Clay and Charles Dickens. She actually did not care for elaborate social gatherings, calling many of the people there “cave dwellers” but she met several authors, including women authors, which she much enjoyed.
Her greatest legacy as First Lady is creating the first White House library. She insisted on it and Congress authorized money for a library in the oval room. It was used as an unofficial literary salon, where famous writers and performance artists visited. She ordered plenty of books and organized the library by herself.
Otherwise, she counseled Millard on much of the political issues of the time. Millard reportedly always asked for her advice before any political decision. It is said that Abigail told Millard not to sign the Fugitive Slave Act and to get rid of flogging in the Navy.
Unfortunately she had a major ankle injury which kept her in poor health through her role as First Lady and after. This is likely one of the reasons she isn’t well known, as it limited her abilities. Her daughter Mary Fillmore took more of the social organizer.
She only died 26 days after Millard’s presidency due to poor health and their son burned family correspondence later. It’s understandable why Abigail Fillmore is looked over but I think her love for literature is very admirable.
Of course we all want our kids to be a scary wolf or a weird imp lady
My recent playthrough was through a randomizer, which is why Wolf Link can talk to the villagers in the prologue state