- In full:
- Harriet Rebecca Lane
- Also called:
- Harriet Lane Johnston
- Born:
- May 9, 1830, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died:
- July 3, 1903, Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island (aged 73)
- Title / Office:
- first lady (1857-1861)
Harriet Lane
-
Who was Harriet Lane?
Harriet Lane (1830–1903) served as the acting American first lady (1857–61). As the niece of the 15th U.S. president, James Buchanan, she gained recognition for her widespread popularity and advocacy, leading to her being called the first of the modern first ladies. During Buchanan’s presidency, Lane was a celebrated hostess known as the "Democratic Queen." She championed social causes, improved conditions for Native Americans, and promoted the arts. Later in life, Lane dedicated herself to children's welfare and the arts, leaving her art collection to the Smithsonian Institution and endowing the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Harriet Lane considered a First Lady, even though she was not married to the President?
Harriet Lane served as the acting First Lady during the presidency of her uncle, James Buchanan, who was a bachelor. As Buchanan never married, Lane stepped into the role of hostess and became a popular figure in Washington, D.C., even earning the nickname "Democratic Queen".
Lane was more than just a social figure; she used her position to promote various social causes, such as advocating for improved living conditions for Native Americans and inviting artists and musicians to White House events. Her popularity and advocacy work have led many to consider her the first of the modern first ladies.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What president did Harriet Lane serve as First Lady for?
Harriet Lane served as the acting First Lady during the presidency of her uncle, James Buchanan, who was the 15th President of the United States, from 1857 to 1861. Because Buchanan was a bachelor, Lane took on the responsibilities of First Lady, and she became known as the "Democratic Queen". During her time in the White House, she was a popular hostess and promoted various social causes, including improving the living conditions of Native Americans and supporting the arts.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What were some of Harriet Lane's contributions or activities as First Lady?
Harriet Lane, niece of the bachelor President James Buchanan, served as the acting First Lady from 1857 to 1861 and is often called the first of the modern first ladies.
During Buchanan's presidency, Lane was a popular hostess, and women widely copied her style. As First Lady, she championed social causes, particularly improving the living conditions of Native Americans on reservations, and she invited artists and musicians to White House events. Later in life, Lane dedicated herself to caring for needy children and promoting the fine arts, bequeathing her art collection to the Smithsonian Institution to help found the National Collection of Fine Arts. She also left a large sum to establish the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Harriet Lane influence American society and culture during her time as First Lady?
Harriet Lane, acting First Lady (1857–61) and niece of President James Buchanan, was known as the "Democratic Queen" and the first of the modern first ladies.
During Buchanan's presidency, Lane was a popular hostess. Women mirrored her fashion and hairstyles, and she used her position to advocate for social issues, such as improving living conditions for Native Americans and inviting artists and musicians to White House events.
Later in life, Lane bequeathed her art collection to help establish the National Collection of Fine Arts (part of the Smithsonian Institution) and also provided a large sum to establish a children's facility, now known as the Harriet Lane Clinic, at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What did Harriet Lane do after her time in the White House, and how is she remembered today?
After leaving the White House, Harriet Lane faced personal tragedies, including the deaths of her two children and husband. She dedicated her later life to social causes, moving back to Washington, D.C., to focus on aiding needy children and promoting the arts.
Lane's contributions live on through her philanthropic efforts. She bequeathed her art collection to help establish the National Collection of Fine Arts, now part of the Smithsonian Institution. Additionally, she left a significant endowment to create the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, a facility dedicated to children's healthcare. For her popularity and advocacy, Lane is remembered as one of the first modern first ladies.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Harriet Lane (born May 9, 1830, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died July 3, 1903, Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island) was the acting American first lady (1857–61) and the niece of bachelor James Buchanan, 15th president of the United States. For both her popularity and her advocacy work, she has been described as the first of the modern first ladies.
Harriet Lane was the youngest child of Elliott Tole Lane, a merchant, and Jane Buchanan Lane. An orphan after the death of her father when she was 11 years old (her mother had died two years earlier), she requested that her favorite uncle, James Buchanan, be appointed her legal guardian. Buchanan, an unmarried Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, indulged his niece and her sister, enrolling them in boarding schools in Charleston, Virginia (later West Virginia), and then at the Academy of the Visitation Convent in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. When he was appointed minister to Great Britain in 1853, she accompanied him to London and received considerable attention for her beauty and vivaciousness—Queen Victoria even gave her the rank of ambassador’s wife. Although there were reports of several proposals, she returned to the United States unmarried in 1855.
Hailed by the press as the “Democratic Queen,” Harriet was a popular hostess during the four years of the Buchanan presidency. Women copied her hair and clothing styles, parents named their daughters for her, and a popular song (“Listen to the Mockingbird”) was dedicated to her. While in the White House, she used her position to promote social causes, such as improving the living conditions of Native Americans in reservations. She also made a point of inviting artists and musicians to White House functions.
By the end of Buchanan’s term, the sectional crisis had worsened—seven states had seceded by the time Buchanan left office in 1861—and Harriet happily retired from public life to return to Pennsylvania. With her uncle’s approval, she married banker Henry Elliott Johnston on January 11, 1866. Her personal life, however, was marred by the deaths of her two children while they were still in their teens and by her husband’s death a short time later. She left Wheatland, the Pennsylvania estate she had inherited from her uncle, and moved back to Washington, where she became involved in projects to care for needy children and to increase appreciation for the fine arts. She bequeathed her art collection to help found the National Collection of Fine Arts (part of the Fine Arts and Portrait Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution), and her example encouraged others to donate as well. She also willed a large sum to endow a facility for children, now known as the Harriet Lane Clinic, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
She died of cancer in 1903 and was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery in Baltimore.