What does it mean to be the wife of the President of the United States? In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy (Bouvier) became one of the youngest first ladies to have such a life experience. Despite the fact that she was the mistress of the White House for only 3 years, millions of women considered her an ideal example of female wisdom and beauty. Jacqueline was competent in politics, spoke several languages and became a legislator of fashion and beauty in America. She went through a thorny path to success, which she often talked about in many interviews. Read more on newyorkski.
Young years of Jacqueline Kennedy: interests and study abroad
The childhood of the future first lady was spent in the suburbs of New York. She was born on July 28, 1929 in a family of emigrants. Her mother was Irish and her father was of English and French descent. She also had a sister, Caroline Lee. Family life did not work out. When Jacqueline was 11 years old, her parents divorced. A few years later, the mother married another man, Hugh Auchincloss, a millionaire and heir to the Standard Oil company.
Despite this, Jacqueline did not despair. She continued to study hard and spend her free time interestingly. Her favorite childhood hobby was horseback riding, which she practiced until the end of her life. She also enjoyed drawing, reading and lacrosse.
Her parents were intelligent people, so they tried to give their daughter a prestigious education. Jacqueline studied at a private school. Then, she entered one of the best universities in France, the Sorbonne. Soon, she returned to the Motherland and entered the Faculty of French Literature at George Washington University.
Studying these subjects was her passion. She loved spending time in libraries, traveling and reading her favorite books in French. Having obtained a diploma, Jacqueline decided to write a book. Together with her sister, she went to France again. There, she wrote her only autobiographical book called One Special Summer. The illustrations on her pages were her own. In this book, Jacqueline shared her impressions and memories of life in Paris.
First dream job and romance with John Kennedy
Thinking about her future profession, she wanted to connect her life with literature. Therefore, when she returned home again, she began to look for the right job. A new page in her biography was a professional activity in the publishing house of the newspaper Washington Times-Herald.
In 1951, she started working as a reporter-photographer. Jacqueline asked passers-by funny questions and took pictures. Later, she began conducting interviews and writing articles about the events taking place in New York.
Then, she had her first romantic relationship. Before meeting Kennedy, Jacqueline was dating another man, John Husted. They loved each other, but they were not an ideal couple according to the opinions of others. All of Jacqueline’s friends said she deserved better. Fellow journalist Charles Bartlett decided to take the initiative and hinted that John Kennedy, who worked as a congressman, would be a suitable match for her.
The young politician and the journalist met at a dinner organized by their friends. There was an instant sympathy between them. Jacqueline impressed him with her intelligence and beauty. She distinguished herself from the rest of the women. John Kennedy gave her the impression of a model of male strength, intelligence and courage. He talked about his political activities, ambitious plans and business trips. Since that time, Jacqueline dreamed of him becoming her partner.
To win the heart of her lover and become his wife, Jacqueline decided to use feminine tricks. She realized that she needed to share the interests of the man of her dreams. The election campaign was a great opportunity for this. John F. Kennedy wanted to become president, and Jacqueline decided to help him. She attended Senate meetings, listened to politicians’ speeches and prepared the text of Kennedy’s first public speech.
Such dedication and interest in politics were evaluated by John Kennedy’s father. He had a very pleasant impression of Jacqueline. He saw that she was an intelligent, educated, beautiful, decent woman and an ideal match for his son.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline was dating John Kennedy. She became his support during the election campaign. After a year of relationship, John realized that he was ready for family life. Besides, he was bored alone and he could always talk about something with Jacqueline.
In 1953, John proposed to her. The same year they were married at St. Mary’s Church in Newport. The engagement ring, given by John, became the first piece of jewelry in her life. It was decorated with diamonds and emeralds.
700 guests came to the wedding in the church and 1,500 attended the wedding celebration. The groom’s father insisted on organizing such a big celebration so that as many people as possible learned about his son and the future First Lady of America. He was sure that his son would definitely become the president.
After the wedding, Jacqueline Kennedy stopped working in publishing. Soon, she realized that her competitors for the attention of her husband would not be women, but men. Her husband was often among his friends, who were also politicians. She devoted all her free time to herself, her children and public speaking.
Family dramas and raising children
Married life turned out to be a test of the sincerity of Jacqueline and John Kennedy’s feelings. After the wedding, they were not always able to see each other and spend time together. John’s constant employment and recreation outside the home had a negative impact on maintaining family relationships.
Then, he resumed his affair with his mistress. After learning about this, Jacqueline seriously thought about divorce. However, this could have a bad effect on the political reputation, so they reconciled again when John’s father intervened.
John wanted to have children. When the couple had a daughter and a son, the relationship in the family finally improved. His wife accompanied him to meetings, participated in political negotiations, charity events and tried to maintain harmony in the family. A governess helped her take care of the children. However, Jacqueline hid from the public.
As the 35th president of the United States, John remained a successful politician and a good father. He raised the children and loved spending time with them. Sometimes, he continued to cheat on Jacqueline. In the end, fate separated their life paths. John F. Kennedy was fatally shot while riding with Jacqueline in the presidential limousine down Elm Street.
Activities of Jacqueline Kennedy as the First Lady
New York beauty Jacqueline was one of the youngest first ladies in the history of the United States. She was only 32 years old when John F. Kennedy became the American president. During the short time of her reign, she had a great influence on the politics of the country and its inhabitants. She gained authority and recognition. On her initiative, many reforms were created for the development of talented people in America.
Jacqueline invited many of them to the White House, which she restored. She also created the White House Historical Association to spread information in the community and raise funds for the preservation of valuable historical objects.
The First Lady of the USA often went on business trips with her husband. They were in Europe, Africa and Asia and performed at various events together. Jacqueline often received many positive comments about her appearance, sense of style and ability to speak different languages. Women copied her hairstyles and manner of dressing, such as sleeveless dresses, gloves, skirts and low-heeled shoes. Many American women wanted to be like her. Thus, Jacqueline became a popular businesswoman and fashion icon of the 20th century.