Parlor Politics

Book cover of Parlor Politics: In Which the Ladies of Washington Help Build a City and a Government

Book description

Catherine Allgor describes the various ways genteel elite women during the first decades of the 19th century used ""social events"" and the ""private sphere"" to establish the national capital and to build the extraofficial structures so sorely needed in the infant federal government.

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Why read it?

1 author picked Parlor Politics as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Lindsay M. Chervinsky

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So much of the early presidency took place out of “office hours.” Social events where women were present were considered apolitical and non-partisan, but of course, women had just as many opinions about politics back in the Early Republic as they do today! Instead, these events served as helpful venues for brokering deals, arranging political marriages, and securing appointments for friends and family members. Wives were also essential partners in campaigns and coalition-building once politicians were in office. You can’t understand the early presidents without understanding the broader social context as well.

From Lindsay's list on American presidents who left their mark on history.