In 2008, Michelle Obama became the first Black First Lady after her husband, Barack Obama, was elected as the first Black President of the United States. Their presence in the White House inspired public enthusiasm and vicious attacks in equal measure. In spite of this, she carved out her own legacy while being an essential part of her husband’s history-making presidency.

Nancy Reagan is popularly known as the doting wife of President Ronald Reagan, but in reality, she had much more than a supporting role in the first ‘Hollywood’ presidency. From Ronald Reagan’s first campaign for the White House in 1980, to his Cold War ending triumph in 1987, Nancy Reagan was calling the shots behind the scenes.

After entering the White House in 1992 with former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton was almost immediately attacked for being too ambitious and too involved in her husband’s administration. The criticism did not discourage her, however, and following Bill’s scandal, Hillary chose to forge her own path and became a Senator, Secretary of State, and nearly elected as the first female President of the United States.