Nancy Reagan: The President's Leading Lady

Nancy Reagan moved from the sound stages of Hollywood to center stage in the political arena. First Lady to President Ronald Reagan from 1981-1989, Nancy Reagan has become a familiar symbol of America in the 1980s. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan was both revered and criticized. Her glamorous image both delighted and annoyed the America public. Her husband, President Ronald Reagan, was one of America's most popular presidents, and Nancy Reagan's contribution to the Reagan presidency was both private and public. As President Reagan battles with Alzheimer's disease, Nancy Reagan again is supporting Ronald Reagan in his most difficult battle. Nancy Reagan: The President's Leading Lady would be useful for classes on American History, Women's History, Political Science, American Culture and Civics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• adamant
• deprecating
• effervescent
• exemplify
• extrovert
• exuberant
• formative
• mesmerize
• opinionated
• perceptible
• prerequisite
• profane
• prototype
• reciprocate
• tactical
• vulnerable

1. Nancy Reagan has been both adored and criticized by the American people. Why have there been such intense feelings on both ends of the spectrum?

2. President Ronald Reagan is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. What is Alzheimer's disease? How has President Reagan's battle with this disease raised public awareness about the disease? How has this disease changed Nancy Reagan's life?

3. Nancy Reagan's mother's relationship with her stepfather had a profound influence on Nancy Reagan. How did this relationship influence the relationship between Nancy and Ronald Reagan?

4. During the late 1940s and the 1950s, when the Cold War was in full swing, there was a "red scare" in which Americans with alleged Communist ties were persecuted. How did this "red scare" contribute to the fate of Nancy and Ronald Reagan?

5. Ronald Reagan was a popular Hollywood actor before he was a politician. How did Ronald Reagan make the transition from acting to politics?

6. How did Nancy Reagan represent a generation of American women caught between traditional roles for women and the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s?

7. After the attempted assassination of President Reagan, Nancy Reagan consulted astrologers to help plan her husband's schedule. How did her belief in astrology undermine her public credibility? Why did this happen?

8. How did Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" drug campaign contribute to the war on drugs in America?

9. What was the Iran-Contra scandal and how did it affect the Reagan presidency?

10. What is Nancy Reagan's contribution to American history?

1. Create a timeline that chronicles the events in Nancy Reagan's life.

2. Create a poster for the "Just Say No" drug abuse campaign.

3. Write an essay on which First Lady in American history you most admire and why you chose this particular First Lady.

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