Author Archives: Feather Schwartz Foster

About Feather Schwartz Foster

Feather Schwartz Foster is an author-historian who has made more than 500 appearances discussing presidential history. She teaches adult education at the Christopher Wren Association (affiliated with William and; Mary College), and adult Education programs at Christopher Newport University. She has been a guest on the C-SPAN "First Ladies" program. She has written five books.

The Death of George Washington

George Washington died in late 1799, two months shy of his 68th birthday. The Health of George Washington Anyone who had seen George Washington a few weeks before his death would have remarked how well the General looked. They would … Continue reading

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Understanding Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge was the quintessential New Englander: quiet, determined, and living a well ordered life. Meet Calvin Coolidge: The Man Behind the Myth In 1960, more than 25 years after Coolidge’s death, a small volume of essays about him was … Continue reading

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The Abysmal Health of Woodrow Wilson

If his health history had been known in 1912, Woodrow Wilson might never have been nominated. The White House Physician: Cary T. Grayson Shortly after President Woodrow Wilson took the oath of office in 1913, there was a luncheon for … Continue reading

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Mary Todd Lincoln and Henry Clay

In 1832, Mary Todd was thirteen years old; Henry Clay was about to challenge Andrew Jackson for the Presidency. Ellerslie and Ashland Ellerslie Plantation, about three miles from Lexington, KY, was the ancestral home of the Todd family, named for … Continue reading

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The Funeral of Dolley Madison: End of an Era

On July 19, 1849, the largest funeral procession ever held in Washington DC till that time, commemorated the life and death of its most popular resident. The Venerable Mrs. Madison Dolley Payne Madison was 81 when she died on July … Continue reading

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Martha Dandridge, Mistress Custis

Nearly ten years before she became Mrs. George Washington, Martha Dandridge became Mrs. Daniel Parke Custis. The Turbulent and Eccentric Daniel Parke  Daniel Parke (1669-1710), the grandfather-in-law to Martha Custis, long dead by the time she married into the family, … Continue reading

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Presidents and Christmas Trees

A “traditional” Christmas tree, one that is brought indoors and decorated, is a German custom. The Early Trees While a Christmas tree of sorts has been around since pagan times, beginning in the early nineteenth century, it became a popular … Continue reading

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Theodore Roosevelt: Asthmatic

Theodore Roosevelt could arguably be the poster boy for asthmatic children. Asthma In General: Today Asthma is a medical condition that affects the lungs and airways, making breathing difficult. It can vary between a mild, occasional and annoying problem, or, … Continue reading

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A Fierce Glory: A Book Review

In recent years, there has been a welcome addition to the world of history writing: narrative history, i.e. Making history “readable” without jeopardizing the factual. Author Justin Martin has chosen to write A FIERCE GLORY: Antietam – The Desperate Battle … Continue reading

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The First Ladies and the Doorman

Jerry Smith spent 35 years as a White House factotum, in a variety of positions. The Scant Basics About Jerry Jeremiah Smith was a free Negro, born in Anne Arundel County, MD in 1835. Very little is known of him, … Continue reading

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