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Emily Donelson
Emily Tennessee Donelson (June 1, 1807 – December 19, 1836) was the acting first lady of the United States from 1829 to 1834 during the presidency of her uncle Andrew Jackson. She was the daughter of the brother of Jackson's wife. Jackson's wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, died weeks before her husband's presidential inauguration.
Donelson grew up among the Donelson and Jackson families in Tennessee, marrying her first cousin Andrew Jackson Donelson. The Donelsons worked for their uncle as his career in politics progressed and he attained the presidency. They moved into the White House with President Jackson, where Donelson served as the White House hostess. She was successful in the role despite her lack of formal training in etiquette, and she was well received by Washington society. The Petticoat affair caused a split between the Donelsons and the president, and Donelson returned home for much of 1830 and 1831. She eventually returned to the White House, but she grew sick, returning home and dying of tuberculosis at the age of 29. Donelson was the first First Lady born after the Declaration of Independence and the first born in the 19th century.
Emily Tennessee Donelson was born on June 1, 1807, in Donelson, Tennessee, as the 13th child of Mary Purnell (1763–1848) and John Donelson (1755–1830), the brother of Rachel Donelson Jackson, the wife of future President Andrew Jackson. As a child, she attended a log house school in Nashville. While she was a young girl, she was close to her first cousin and future husband Andrew Jackson Donelson, and he developed a romantic interest in her in 1816 while he escorted her home from school.
Donelson's early life was spent in rural Tennessee, and she had little exposure to politics or urban social life. Her childhood was instead defined by the military events of the 1810s. The men in her family fought in the War of 1812, and her uncle Andrew Jackson became a prominent general. At the age of eight when the Battle of New Orleans took place, she was aware of the danger her family was placed in by the war. Donelson began attending the Nashville Female Academy at the age of 13. Here she received an education above that of most American women at the time. She was eventually pulled out of the school because of her poor health and spent her time living at the Hermitage with her aunt.
Donelson received many suitors as she grew into adulthood, including men such as Sam Houston. She began a courtship with Andrew Donelson as he began his law practice, and they soon became engaged. They chose to marry early to avoid long periods of separation, as Jackson had enlisted the prospective groom to be his personal secretary in Washington, D.C. Planning of the wedding was complicated by a period of illness for Donelson in early 1824 and her parents' reluctance to see her marry at such a young age. The couple was wed in a Presbyterian ceremony at the Hermitage on September 16, 1824. Emily was 17 years old, and Andrew was 25. Festivities were canceled after it was learned that her brother's wife had died that morning.
Donelson was close to her aunt and uncle, Rachel and Andrew Jackson, who considered her a daughter of their own. The couple had four children: Andrew Jackson Donelson Jr. (1826–1859), Mary Emily Donelson (1829–1905), John Samuel Donelson (1832–1863), and Rachel Jackson Donelson (1834–1888). Three of their children were born while the Donelsons lived at the White House, and all four had present or future presidents as godfathers; President Jackson was the godfather of their sons, while Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk were the respective godfathers of their two daughters.
The Donelsons accompanied Jackson to Washington, D.C., two weeks after the wedding, as Jackson was a candidate in the 1824 presidential election. Donelson immersed herself in the city's fashion and culture, making connections with other women in the city. Among the closest of her new friends was the wife of Delaware Senator Louis McLane. She was well received by the community and compared favorably to her aunt, who had been the victim of a mudslinging campaign against her husband. Upon returning home to Tennessee in early 1825, the Donelsons began their married life in a home of their own. While her husband managed the crops, Donelson began a garden to grow geraniums and lagerstroemia.
Donelson traveled to Florence, Alabama, in October 1828 with her son to visit her sister. When she returned to Tennessee the following month, it was known that Jackson had won the 1828 presidential election. Jackson's wife asked Donelson to go to the White House and fulfill the social role of first lady of the United States.
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Emily Donelson
Emily Tennessee Donelson (June 1, 1807 – December 19, 1836) was the acting first lady of the United States from 1829 to 1834 during the presidency of her uncle Andrew Jackson. She was the daughter of the brother of Jackson's wife. Jackson's wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, died weeks before her husband's presidential inauguration.
Donelson grew up among the Donelson and Jackson families in Tennessee, marrying her first cousin Andrew Jackson Donelson. The Donelsons worked for their uncle as his career in politics progressed and he attained the presidency. They moved into the White House with President Jackson, where Donelson served as the White House hostess. She was successful in the role despite her lack of formal training in etiquette, and she was well received by Washington society. The Petticoat affair caused a split between the Donelsons and the president, and Donelson returned home for much of 1830 and 1831. She eventually returned to the White House, but she grew sick, returning home and dying of tuberculosis at the age of 29. Donelson was the first First Lady born after the Declaration of Independence and the first born in the 19th century.
Emily Tennessee Donelson was born on June 1, 1807, in Donelson, Tennessee, as the 13th child of Mary Purnell (1763–1848) and John Donelson (1755–1830), the brother of Rachel Donelson Jackson, the wife of future President Andrew Jackson. As a child, she attended a log house school in Nashville. While she was a young girl, she was close to her first cousin and future husband Andrew Jackson Donelson, and he developed a romantic interest in her in 1816 while he escorted her home from school.
Donelson's early life was spent in rural Tennessee, and she had little exposure to politics or urban social life. Her childhood was instead defined by the military events of the 1810s. The men in her family fought in the War of 1812, and her uncle Andrew Jackson became a prominent general. At the age of eight when the Battle of New Orleans took place, she was aware of the danger her family was placed in by the war. Donelson began attending the Nashville Female Academy at the age of 13. Here she received an education above that of most American women at the time. She was eventually pulled out of the school because of her poor health and spent her time living at the Hermitage with her aunt.
Donelson received many suitors as she grew into adulthood, including men such as Sam Houston. She began a courtship with Andrew Donelson as he began his law practice, and they soon became engaged. They chose to marry early to avoid long periods of separation, as Jackson had enlisted the prospective groom to be his personal secretary in Washington, D.C. Planning of the wedding was complicated by a period of illness for Donelson in early 1824 and her parents' reluctance to see her marry at such a young age. The couple was wed in a Presbyterian ceremony at the Hermitage on September 16, 1824. Emily was 17 years old, and Andrew was 25. Festivities were canceled after it was learned that her brother's wife had died that morning.
Donelson was close to her aunt and uncle, Rachel and Andrew Jackson, who considered her a daughter of their own. The couple had four children: Andrew Jackson Donelson Jr. (1826–1859), Mary Emily Donelson (1829–1905), John Samuel Donelson (1832–1863), and Rachel Jackson Donelson (1834–1888). Three of their children were born while the Donelsons lived at the White House, and all four had present or future presidents as godfathers; President Jackson was the godfather of their sons, while Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk were the respective godfathers of their two daughters.
The Donelsons accompanied Jackson to Washington, D.C., two weeks after the wedding, as Jackson was a candidate in the 1824 presidential election. Donelson immersed herself in the city's fashion and culture, making connections with other women in the city. Among the closest of her new friends was the wife of Delaware Senator Louis McLane. She was well received by the community and compared favorably to her aunt, who had been the victim of a mudslinging campaign against her husband. Upon returning home to Tennessee in early 1825, the Donelsons began their married life in a home of their own. While her husband managed the crops, Donelson began a garden to grow geraniums and lagerstroemia.
Donelson traveled to Florence, Alabama, in October 1828 with her son to visit her sister. When she returned to Tennessee the following month, it was known that Jackson had won the 1828 presidential election. Jackson's wife asked Donelson to go to the White House and fulfill the social role of first lady of the United States.