23. Julia Tyler Became The First Lady To Receive A Widow’s Pension
After the death of her husband in 1862 and the Civil War, Julia lost everything but her children. Temporarily living with her mother, she started to put her life back together. The first step Julia took was to reach financial freedom again.
Not only did Julia get her two sons into federal jobs, but she managed to get Congress to agree to her widow’s pension from her husband’s presidency. Julia became the first former first lady to receive a widow’s pension and left the door open for future first ladies.
