Edith Wilson: America's Secret President

Washington, DC. In the pages of world history, all nations have seen the rise and fall of dynasties, the evolution of ideas, and the breaking of barriers. From Margaret Thatcher in Britain, to Angela Merkel in Germany, Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, to Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, women have ascended to the highest seats of leadership. Proving that capability isn't confined to gender. But there remains one exception to the world stage, the United States of America.

TIMELINE
1872: Born in 1872, in Withville, Virginia, Edith Bolling Galt was destined to live a life intertwined with power and politics.
1908: Norman's untimely death in 1908 forced Edith to take over the jewelry business herself.
1919: The stroke he suffered in 1919 diminished his once powerful grasp over leadership, rendering him less capable of steering Senate negotiations.
1920: In March of 1920, Wilson returns to the ceremonial corridors of power.
1923: By 1923, time seems to be running out.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Washington is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 125 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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