At the age of 24, Mary Elizabeth Bliss served as First Lady during her father's presidency, as her mother declined the social role.

In the late 1820s, the family moved to a plantation near Baton Rouge, as her father was purchasing land in the area.

On December 5, 1848, Betty married William Wallace Smith Bliss, an army officer who had served with her father.

In many respects, it was Betty Bliss who assumed responsibility for the family's primary interaction with the general public.

The public face of the Taylor women duo, Betty Bliss even had a popular dance song written in her honor.