Hello, friends. Welcome. I am so glad you're here. Today we are talking about Sarah Polk,

and she was not your typical first lady. I don't just mean she was unusual for her time.

Even by today's standard, Sarah Polk would be considered unique, which is exactly what makes

her years in the White House so fascinating. So

today I'm going to give you five reasons why Sarah Polk stands apart in the constellation

of America's First Ladies. Let's dive in. I'm Sharon McMahon, and this is the Preamble

podcast. Now back to our story. In 1839, a letter was sent from a man in Washington, D.C.

to a woman in Nashville, Tennessee. The opening line was, I miss you more here than any living person

and profit more by your information in regard to most

things. What sounds like a love note was actually a sincere note of respect from a United

States Supreme Court Justice to his friend, Sarah, the wife of Tennessee Governor James Polk.

One of Sarah's biographers describes her as a woman who managed the trick of excelling in the

male sphere of politics without seeming to threaten anyone.

Women would write that she was very impressive and made them feel at ease,

and men were willing to tell Sarah things that they wouldn't tell other men.

And so here's my reason number one.

To borrow biographer Amy Greenberg's phrase,

men were willing to tell Sarah things,

they wouldn't tell other men,

and women felt she was impressive.

To say that this is a difficult needle to thread in the modern era is an understatement.

But imagine it in 19th century America, a time and place where

...