The surprising histories of all the women who became first ladies

Abigail Adams, Jackie Kennedy, and Michelle Obama.Stock Montage/Bettmann/White House/Getty Images

• The first ladies of the United States have their own rich and interesting histories.
• Nearly every president's wife has served as first lady, though a few passed away before their husbands' inaugurations. One president never married.
• Martha Washington was married and became a widower before meeting George Washington.
• Abigail Adams helped soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

Though first ladies have been referred to as the "hostesses of the White House," their roles through history have been far more complex.

Abigail Adams watched the Battle of Bunker Hill and helped make bullets for soldiers before becoming first lady. Martha Washington was married and had children with her first husband, who passed away. She was a widow when she met George Washington.

Not all presidents had a first lady at their side in the White House. The wives of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin van Buren, and Chester Arthur all passed away before their husbands became president, and James Buchanan never married.

Take a look at the surprising history of each first lady of the United States before she entered the White House.