An American Icon“…[Jacqueline] could almost have been a movie star. Her photo appeared on countless magazine covers and the 'Jackie look' was widely imitated” (Gerston 53). She is known for being one of the most glamorous first ladies there has ever been, and women across America wanted to emulate her style, grace, and strength because of the admiration many had for her. Despite Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' elite but turbulent childhood, she became an American icon who influenced women through her ability to persevere and stay true to herself, achieving the American dream along the way. Onassis was born in the 1920s in Southampton, Long Island, New York. York to John Vernou Bouvier III, a Wall Street broker, and Janet Lee (Caroli). She had a younger sister, Caroline Lee, and both grew up with wealthy, affluent lifestyles ("Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis"). Onassis spent winters in New York City where he attended the Chapin School and summers in East Hampton, Long Island ("Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis"). During her childhood, Onassis “developed the interests she would enjoy as an adult: horseback riding, writing, and painting” (Caroli). When her parents divorced in 1942, Jacqueline's mother married Hugh Auchincloss, Jr. ("Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis"). At this time in his life, he divided his time between “the family estate in Merrywood, Virginia and Hammersmith Farm in Newport, Rhode Island” (Caroli). Onassis had an elite education, attending boarding school from age 15 and Vassar College after graduating from high school ("Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis"). During her first year of college, Onassis studied at the “Sorbonne in Paris,” where she “perfected her French and solidified her affinity with French culture and… at the center of the paper… with herself and her children. . She is truly an American icon who will be remembered as a fashion-forward first lady, a loving mother, and a strong, independent woman of her time. Works Cited Caroli, Betty B. "Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy." Biographies of Britannica (2010). MAS Ultra - School edition. EBSCO. Network. February 8, 2010.Gerston, Jill. "Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of Style." Bio January 2001: 53+. Print."Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis." American history. 2010. ABC-CLIO. Network. February 8, 2010. Kantrowitz, Barbara. "Jackie after Jack." Newsweek February 23, 1998. Opposing Viewpoints Gale Resource Center. Network. February 19, 2010.Koestenbaum, Wayne. "Jackie, icon in motion." Harper's Magazine, May 1995. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Network. February 18, 2010."New high fashion emerges in the 1960s." Discovering the History of the United States (2003). Student Resource Center - Gold. Network. February 19. 2010.