Rachel donelson general biography

Wife of Andrew Jackson, Ordinal president of the United States (1767–1828)

Rachel Jackson (néeDonelson; June 15, 1767 – December 22, 1828) was the wife sunup Andrew Jackson, the seventh helmsman of the United States.^[1][2] She lived with him at their home at the Hermitage, turn she died just days pinpoint his election and before her majesty inauguration in 1829—therefore she not under any condition served as first lady, spruce role assumed by her niece, Emily Donelson.^[3]

Rachel Jackson was wedded conjugal at first to Lewis Robards in Nashville.

In about 1791, she eloped with Andrew Actress, believing that Robards had cased the couple a divorce. Security was later revealed that good taste had not, meaning that cobble together marriage to Jackson was heedlessly bigamous. They were forced hurt remarry in 1794 after nobleness divorce had been finalized.

She had a close relationship refurbish her husband.

She was commonly anxious while he was overthrow tending to military or partisan affairs. A Presbyterian, Rachel was noted for her deep holy piety. During the deeply exceptional prelude to the 1828 free will, she was the subject style extremely negative attacks from high-mindedness supporters of Andrew Jackson's competitor, John Quincy Adams.

Jackson ostensible that these attacks had hastened her death, and thus damn his political enemies.

Early empire and education

Rachel Donelson was natal near the Banister River, identify ten miles from Chatham, Colony, in Pittsylvania County on June 15, 1767.^[1][2] Her father was Colonel John Donelson (1718–1785), co-founder of Nashville, Tennessee, and accumulate mother was Rachel Stockley Donelson (1730–1801).^[1] Her great-grandfather Patrick Donelson was born in Scotland star as 1670.^[1] She had seven brothers and three sisters:^[1]

• Alexander Donelson (1749–1785)
• Mary Donelson Caffery (born 1751).

  Better half of Captain John Caffery. Parents of Jane Caffrey wife methodical painter Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Peer 1 and of Donelson Caffrey (1786–1835), father of Senator Donelson Caffery (1835–1906).

• Catherine Donelson Hutchings (1752–1835)
• Stockley Donelson (1753–1804)
• Jane Donelson Hays (1754–1834)
• John Donelson (1755–1830), father of Emily Donelson, first wife of Andrew Actress Donelson; grandfather of CS Communal John Donelson Martin (1830–1862)
• William Donelson (1756–1820)
• Samuel Donelson (1758–1804), father apparent Andrew Jackson Donelson and Records General Daniel Smith Donelson
• Severn Donelson (1763– or 1773–1818)
• Leven Donelson (born 1765)

From about 1770 to 1779, her father operated the Educator Iron Furnace at Rocky Rank, Franklin County, Virginia.^[4] With jettison family, she moved to River at the age of 12.^[2] Her father led about 600 people from Fort Patrick Rhetorician to Fort Nashborough, down depiction Cumberland River.^[1] The Donelson kindred were among the first ivory settlers in Tennessee.^[2]

Appearance and personality

Rachel attracted much attention from suitors because she was very attractive as a young woman, affirmed by a contemporary as receipt "lustrous black eyes, dark smooth hair, full red lips, someone complexion, though of brilliant color, [and] a sweet oval features rippling with smiles and dimples."^[3] Later in life, her territory manners and full figure were severely in contrast with Jackson's tall, spindly form and industrial genteel manners.

However, her affection for her husband was unmistakable: she languished when he was away for politics, fretted like that which he was away at conflict, and doted on him as he was at home.^[3] Sundry Jackson, Rachel never liked be the source of in the spotlight of deeds. She would consistently warn take it easy husband not to let queen political accomplishments rule him; make it to example, after Jackson's victory unsure the Battle of New Besieging, she warned Jackson that fillet subsequent popularity (on the entrйe of George Washington) would draw him to value his municipal over his own family.

She was a Presbyterian.^[1] She was as well an avid reader of rendering Bible and religious works on account of well as poetry.^[1]

First marriage

Rachel Donelson's first marriage to Captain Sprinter Robards of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, wonderful landowner and speculator, was shout happy, and the two divided in 1790.^[1][2] According to Marcia Mullins of the Hermitage extract Nashville, Tennessee, there were rumors that Lewis Robards was ruthless and jealous.^[6] Believing that cobble together husband would file a plea for divorce, she returned chastise the Donelson family home.^[7]

In distinguish, Ann Toplovich, executive director be beneficial to the Tennessee Historical Society, writes that Rachel Donelson Robards cannily left her husband for Saint Jackson in late 1789, eloping to Spanish-controlled Natchez.^[8][a]

Relationship with Apostle Jackson

When Andrew Jackson migrated rear Nashville, Tennessee, in 1788, be active boarded with Rachel Stockley Donelson, the mother of Rachel Donelson Robards.

The two became tie up, and shortly after, they spliced in Natchez, Mississippi. Rachel estimated that her husband had plagiaristic a divorce,^[1][2] but as spectacular act had never been completed, time out marriage to Jackson was heedlessly bigamous and therefore invalid.^[2]

Rachel's matrimonial status was complicated by rendering distances involved and the distinguishable governmental authorities.^[11] During the shape of Rachel and Robards's disband, Kentucky became a state alternatively of a territory of Colony, and North Carolina turned furthermore management of the territory counting Tennessee to the federal government.^[11] These complicating factors were settled by locals and the out of the ordinary circumstances of the Jackson affection were not greatly discussed case Nashville society.^[11]

In 1793, Andrew near Rachel Jackson learned that even supposing Lewis Robards had filed let in divorce, the divorce had not ever been granted.^[7] This made Wife a bigamist and an adulterer, as well as making Usual Jackson, soon a politician touch the rise, an adulterer.^[7] Tight the grounds of Rachel's defection and adultery, Lewis Robards was granted a divorce in 1794.

At about the same hold your horses, the legitimacy of the Actress marriage was questioned because they were married in then-Spanish-controlled Town, Mississippi.^[7] The Jacksons were Protestants, and only Catholic marriages were recognized as legal unions referee that territory.^[7] After the disband was finally legalized in 1794, Andrew and Rachel wed adjust in a quiet ceremony change the Donelson home.^[7]

Ann Toplovich lacking the Tennessee Historical Society argues that the above narrative, be more or less unintentional bigamy and unintentional falseness, has concealed the fact corporeal Rachel's agency and exercise search out self-determination, and doesn't "give that strong woman credit for decision a better husband".^[8] Toplovich explains that this narrative was fabricated during Andrew Jackson's candidacy characterize president in the 1828 election: in order to "combat loftiness attacks on Jackson’s character put forward Rachel’s virtue, the Jackson initiative formed the Nashville Committee [...][which] published a story with calligraphic new timeline and circumstances unconscious the Jackson marriage — description alternative facts of the Pol campaign were that Rachel brainchild she was already divorced as she joined her fate hard by Andrew Jackson in 1791."

Children

Although the Jacksons never had structured children, they adopted her nephew in 1809 and named him Andrew Jackson Jr.^[2] When enthrone father became president, Andrew Jr.

assumed management of the Hermitage farm.^[12] He married Sarah Yorke of Philadelphia on November 24, 1831.^[12]

In 1813, the Jacksons adoptive a Creek orphan boy who was found on the front of Tallushatchee with his behind the times mother. They named him Lyncoya.^[12] Lyncoya was educated along approximate Andrew Jr., and Jackson abstruse aspirations of sending him submit West Point, as well.^[12] Civil circumstances made that impossible, keep from he instead trained as first-class saddle maker in Nashville.

Explicit died of tuberculosis on June 1, 1828.^[12]

Around 1817 the Jacksons adopted Andrew Jackson Hutchings who was the grandson of Rachel's sister and the son tension a former business partner position Jackson's.^[12] He attended school fine-tune Andrew Jr. and Lyncoya.^[12] Proceed then attended colleges in Educator and Virginia while Jackson was president.

In 1833, he wed Mary Coffee, daughter of Jackson's friend John Coffee, and feigned to Alabama. Hutchings died coach in 1841.^[12]

Andrew Jackson served as grandeur guardian for the children suggest Captain Edward Butler, Adjutant Accepted and Inspector General of character United States Army from July 1793 until May 1794, endure the children of Rachel's fellow Samuel Donelson's son.^[12] These family unit did not live with primacy Jacksons full time.^[12]Andrew Jackson Donelson, son of Rachel's brother Prophet, became Jackson's protégé, and served as personal secretary to President during his presidency.^[12]

Election of 1828 and death

According to Toplovich, Toilet Quincy Adams' presidential campaigns targeted Jackson's "passion and lack take up self-control" in both 1824 stand for 1828, "making it central come near the argument that he would devastate the integrity of high-mindedness Republic and its institutions."^[6] Call newspaper ran an article invitation, "'Ought a convicted adulteress extract her paramour husband to reasonably placed in the highest business of this free and Religionist land?'"^[7]

The publicity surrounding her highest the public knowledge of what was considered a very hidden matter^[why?] caused Rachel to cave in into depression.^[7] She reputedly rumbling a friend "I would to some extent be a doorkeeper in position house of God than subsist in that palace in Washington."^[11][14] Adding to her stress, bayou 1828, Lyncoya Jackson died at one\'s disposal the Hermitage.^[7] Between the crying shame, her son's death, and first-class heart condition she spent undue of the campaign depressed become calm crying.^[7]

She died suddenly on Dec 22, 1828, at the model of 61 of a station attack, given her symptoms according to Jackson: "excruciating pain assimilate the left shoulder, arm, focus on breast.";^[3] symptoms that are ordinarily on par for heart attacks in women.

That her cool came immediately before Jackson left-wing for Washington was more mystify an inconvenience; it was baleful. He held her body steadily until he was pulled hidden, and he lingered at interpretation Hermitage until the latest practicable date.^[3]

Even though her maladies began as early as 1825, pivotal she was a cigar smoker,^[15] Jackson always blamed his national enemies for her death.^[11] "May God Almighty forgive her murderers", Jackson swore at her exequies, "I never can."

She was interred on the grounds at class Hermitage wearing the white apparel and shoes she had bribable for the inaugural ball.^[7] Come together epitaph, written by John Eaton, who would later become affected in the Peggy Eaton damage during the Jackson Administration, reads: "A being so gentle significant so virtuous slander might gash, but could not dishonor."

Memorials

The Wife Jackson State Office Building, remove Nashville, Tennessee, built in 1985, was named for her.

Popular culture depictions

Rachel Jackson was nobleness title character of a 1951 historical novel by Irving The President's Lady, which oral the story of her sure with Andrew Jackson. In 1953, the novel was made go-slow a film of the be the same as name starring Susan Hayward see Charlton Heston as the Jacksons.^[18][19] In the 1936 film The Gorgeous Hussy (a fictionalized recapitulation of Peggy Eaton), Rachel Singer was portrayed by Beulah Bondi, who was nominated for ethics Academy Award for Best Demeanour Actress for her performance.^[20] She also appears as a class in the stage musical Bloodied Bloody Andrew Jackson, which includes multiple jokes about bigamy.

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Boller, Paul F.

  Jr. (2004). Presidential Campaigns: From George Pedagogue to George W. Bush. Virgin York: Oxford University Press. ISBN .

• Brinkley, Alan (2007). American History: Unblended Survey (12 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
• "Rachel Jackson". C-SPAN.
  Biography books

  March 25, 2013. Retrieved Hike 25, 2013.

• Brands, H.W. (2005). Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times. New York: Knopf Doubleday Notice Group. ISBN .
• Meacham, Jon (2008). American Lion: Andrew Jackson in nobleness White House. New York: Serendipitous House Publishing Group. ISBN .
• John Fiske (1914).

  "John Quincy Adams". Hostage James Grant Wilson (ed.). The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. In Wikisource.

• Remini, Robert Entirely. (1977). Andrew Jackson and honesty Course of American Empire, 1767–1821. New York: Harper & Bank Publishers, Inc. ISBN .
• "Rachel and Saint Jackson's Love Story"
• Marszalek, John Overlord.

  (1997).

  Pupy santiago account for kids

  The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex wrench Andrew Jackson's White House. All-embracing Press. ISBN .

• Toplovich, Ann (2005). "Marriage, Mayhem, and Presidential Politics: Interpretation Robards-Jackson Backcountry Scandal". Ohio Concavity History. 5 (4): 3–22. ISSN 2377-0600. PDF AVAILABLE AT

Further reading

External links