Editing Martha Washington (section)

=== Public image ===
[[File:Lady Washington MET DT2081.jpg|thumb|upright|''Lady Washington'' by [[Charles Willson Peale]] (date unknown)]]
As the wife of both the [[head of government]] and the [[head of state]], Washington was immediately faced with the pressure of representing the United States. She had to present the United States as a dignified nation to establish credibility among the countries of Europe, but she also had to respect the spirit of democracy by refusing to present herself as a queen.<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=7}} She was also aware that the precedent she set would be inherited by future presidential wives.<ref name="feinberg"/>{{Rp|page=19}} Washington balanced these responsibilities by playing the role of a social hostess at presidential events, a role that would become the primary function of the first lady. In turn, this made the position of first lady an important point of contact between the president and the people.<ref name="beasley"/>{{Rp|pages=27–29}}

Washington presented an image of herself as an amiable wife, but privately she complained about the restrictions placed on her life.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Firkus |first=Angela |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1239322450 |title=America's Early Women Celebrities: The Famous and Scorned from Martha Washington to Silent Film Star Mary Fuller. |date=2021 |publisher=McFarland Publishers |isbn=978-1-4766-4184-3 |location=Jefferson, NC |pages=18–22 |oclc=1239322450}}</ref> She found the pageantry of the presidency to be boring and artificial.<ref name="watson"/>{{Rp|page=12}} Washington was not exempt from the political attacks often levied at her husband's administration by opposition-owned newspapers. While her social role was celebrated by her husband's supporters, the [[Anti-Federalism|anti-Federalists]] criticized her as emulating royalty and encouraging aristocracy.<ref name="beasley"/>{{Rp|pages=29–30}} At the same time, other critics accused her social activities of being too informal.<ref name="feinberg"/>{{Rp|page=19}} To her displeasure, she found that she was constantly the subject of public attention, and she was forced to pay increased attention to her hair and clothes each day.<ref name="gould"/>{{Rp|page=|pages=9–10}} Despite this, she still opted to dress simply in homespun clothes, feeling that it was more appropriate in a republic.<ref name="feinberg"/>{{Rp|page=37}}