White House Historical Association-White House History Live!

White House History Live!: Presidentess—The Life and Legacy of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler

Join historian Christopher Leahy and Sharon Leahy of History in Two Voices for a special White House Historical Association program exploring the life, influence, and public image of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler.

Marrying President John Tyler in 1844, Julia became one of the most talked-about women in America—young, fashionable, politically engaged, and deeply skilled at shaping public attention in the age of the penny press.

The program will discuss themes from the forthcoming biography Presidentess: The Life of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler (University Press of Kansas, 2026), including celebrity culture, politics, media, and the evolving role of the First Lady in nineteenth-century America.

Watch live on YouTube or Facebook through the White House Historical Association.