Emily Donelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Donelson
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| Acting First Lady of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1829 – November 26, 1834 |
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| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Louisa Adams |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Jackson (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 1, 1807 Donelson, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | December 19, 1836 (aged 29) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Rachel Jackson (paternal aunt) Daniel Smith Donelson (paternal first cousin) |
| Education | Nashville Female Seminary |
Emily Tennessee Donelson (born June 1, 1807 – died December 19, 1836) was a special person in American history. She served as the acting First Lady of the United States from 1829 to 1834. This was during the time Andrew Jackson was president. Emily was President Jackson's niece by marriage. His wife, Rachel Jackson, had passed away just weeks before he became president. So, Emily stepped in to help.
Emily grew up in Tennessee with the Donelson and Jackson families. She married her first cousin, Andrew Jackson Donelson. Both Emily and Andrew worked for President Jackson as his political career grew. When he became president, they moved into the White House. Emily became the White House hostess. She did a great job, even though she hadn't been formally trained in social rules. People in Washington society liked her very much. Later, a social disagreement, sometimes called the Petticoat affair, caused some tension. Emily returned home for a while. She eventually came back to the White House. Sadly, she became very sick and died of tuberculosis at only 29 years old.
Contents
Growing Up in Tennessee
Early Years and Family
Emily Tennessee Donelson was born on June 1, 1807. Her hometown was Donelson, Tennessee. Her parents were Mary Purnell and John Donelson. John was the brother of Rachel Jackson, who would later be President Andrew Jackson's wife. Emily was the 13th child in her family. She first went to a school in a log house in Nashville.
As a young girl, Emily was close to her first cousin, Andrew Jackson Donelson. He would later become her husband. He started to like her in 1816 when he walked her home from school. Emily's childhood was mostly spent in the countryside of Tennessee. She didn't experience much city life or politics back then.
Education and War Times
Emily's childhood was also shaped by important military events. Her family members fought in the War of 1812. Her uncle, Andrew Jackson, became a famous general. When she was eight, the Battle of New Orleans happened. She knew her family was in danger because of the war.
At 13, Emily started attending the Nashville Female Academy. She got a better education than most American women at that time. But she had to leave school because of poor health. She then spent time living at The Hermitage with her aunt, Rachel Jackson.
Marriage and New Beginnings
Many young men wanted to marry Emily when she grew up. One of them was Sam Houston. But Emily started a relationship with Andrew Donelson. They got engaged soon after he began his law career. They decided to marry early because Andrew was going to be President Jackson's personal secretary in Washington, D.C..
Their wedding plans were tricky. Emily was sick in early 1824. Also, her parents didn't want her to marry so young. Emily and Andrew got married in a Presbyterian ceremony. It happened at The Hermitage on September 16, 1824. Emily was 17, and Andrew was 25. The wedding party was canceled because Emily's brother's wife had died that morning.
Emily was very close to her husband's parents. They thought of her as their own daughter. Emily and Andrew had four children:
- Andrew Jackson Donelson Jr. (born 1826)
- Mary Emily Donelson (born 1829)
- John Samuel Donelson (born 1832)
- Rachel Jackson Donelson (born 1834)
Three of their children were born while they lived in the White House. All four children had future presidents as godfathers. President Jackson was the godfather for their sons. Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk were godfathers for their daughters.
Two weeks after their wedding, the Donelsons went with Jackson to Washington, D.C. Jackson was running for president in the 1824 election. Emily enjoyed the city's fashion and culture. She made friends with other women, like the wife of Senator Louis McLane. People in Washington liked her. They thought she was better than her aunt, Rachel. Rachel had been unfairly criticized during Jackson's campaign.
After returning to Tennessee, the Donelsons started their married life in their own home. While Andrew managed the farm, Emily started a garden. She grew beautiful geraniums and lagerstroemia.
In October 1828, Emily visited her sister in Florence, Alabama. When she came back to Tennessee, news arrived. Jackson had won the 1828 presidential election. Jackson's wife, Rachel, asked Emily to go to the White House. She wanted Emily to take on the role of first lady.
Life as White House Hostess
Taking on the Role
President Jackson's wife, Rachel, died just before he became president. So, Emily Donelson fully took on the role of first lady. President Jackson chose Emily to be the White House hostess. Her niece, Mary Ann Eastin, helped her. Emily was 21 when she moved into the White House with her husband. Andrew served as Jackson's presidential aide.
President Jackson was very sad about his wife's death. He didn't go to his own inaugural ball. The Donelsons went instead. In their first days at the White House, Emily often found herself comforting the grieving president.
Emily found it hard to have little privacy in the White House. Visitors could walk freely through the building. Her bedroom could even be seen from the main hallway. The president had walls put up to make the private living area more secluded.
Popularity and Social Skills
Emily became very popular in Washington society. She wasn't as well-traveled or formally educated as some expected a White House hostess to be. But her young age was seen as a good reason for this. Sometimes, people noticed her lack of experience in social customs. However, she was praised for her kindness as a hostess. She was also very good at dancing.
Emily was skilled at managing a large household, which she had done at home. People also liked the food and drinks she served during her time as hostess. Even with her limited experience, the president trusted her judgment. He let her make decisions about social rules at the White House.
The Petticoat Affair
Emily Donelson's relationship with the president was greatly affected by a social disagreement. This happened during his first term. It was called the Petticoat affair. A Washington socialite named Peggy Eaton was at the center of it. There were rumors about her past. Emily was one of many important people who thought the president should distance himself from the Eatons.
Emily was polite to Peggy Eaton at White House events. But she refused to visit her at home. This was a big social snub back then. Who Emily chose to spend time with was very important. This was because of her role in social events.
The Eatons wrote to Emily to ask what she knew and to ignore the rumors. But Emily stood firm against them. Her husband supported her decision. The disagreement became more personal in July 1829. Emily was suffering from pregnancy sickness on a boat trip. She chose to fall rather than be helped by Peggy Eaton.
The disagreement grew bigger. The president asked Emily to visit Peggy Eaton and invite her to her child's christening. Martin Van Buren, a close friend of the president, tried to help. He met with Emily to solve the problem. But his efforts didn't help much. Emily explained that she didn't have a moral issue with Eaton. She just found Eaton to be an unpleasant person.
Leaving and Returning to the White House
President Jackson and his family went back to The Hermitage in 1830. This was after Congress finished its session. Emily reunited with her mother, who had recently lost her husband. Emily's family supported her in the social disagreement. This caused more tension with the president. He thought they were plotting against him.
The disagreement between the president and Emily was so strong. She refused to stay at The Hermitage. Instead, she stayed at her mother's house. When Jackson went back to Washington, Emily's husband went with him. But Emily did not. It's not clear if the president asked her to leave or if she left on her own. Mary Ann Lewis, who supported Peggy Eaton, served as White House hostess in Emily's place.
Emily spent the next few months raising her children. Both Emily and Jackson wanted her to return to the White House. But Emily refused to agree to Jackson's demand that she accept Peggy Eaton socially. Jackson finally gave in during early 1831. He allowed Emily to return without conditions. Emily's husband came home in March. Plans to return to Washington began in April. But they were stopped when Jackson changed his mind. Neither of the Donelsons could return unless they gave in to the Eatons. Emily's husband went back alone. He found that Peggy Eaton and most other cabinet members had resigned.
Emily returned to the White House. She arrived in Washington on September 5. In November, Jackson's son married Sarah Yorke. People wondered if Sarah would take over Emily's role. But the president decided Sarah would be hostess at The Hermitage. Emily would keep her job at the White House. This was because Jackson needed Emily's husband to stay in Washington.
Declining Health
Emily's health started to get worse after her son John was born in May 1832. She chose to stay in Washington instead of traveling to Tennessee with the president in July. She also stayed at the White House while her husband and the president traveled through the Northeastern United States the next summer. However, she and her children did go with the president to the Rip Raps that August.
Emily had her fourth child on April 9, 1834. Her health grew even worse after this. Because of her sickness, Emily mostly stopped serving as White House hostess in 1834. Sarah Yorke Jackson then took over her duties at the White House.
Illness and Passing
Emily Donelson's health got much worse in the spring of 1836. It was decided she should leave Washington and go back to Tennessee. She arrived in Tennessee in June 1836. She went to get better at Poplar Grove, her plantation next to The Hermitage. The plantation had just been fixed up. After arriving, she helped arrange the furniture. She worked too hard and suffered a pulmonary hemorrhage. This showed she had tuberculosis. Plans for her to return to Washington were canceled.
That fall, it seemed like she was getting better. Her husband left to go back to the White House in October. He needed to work for two months. Relatives took care of Emily. Many important people in the country often asked about her health. These included Senator James Buchanan and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.
Emily's recovery stopped in December. She became very sick again. On December 16, she accepted that she was going to die soon. She said goodbye to her children. She asked to be propped up so she could watch for her husband from the window. She hoped he would return from Washington. Emily Donelson died on December 19, at the age of 29. Her husband arrived home two days later.
Emily Donelson's Legacy
Emily Donelson was one of the first young women to serve as an acting first lady in the mid-1800s. She didn't completely change the role of White House hostess. A long book about her life, Emily Donelson of Tennessee, was published in 1941. Emily's daughter, Mary, later said she was the first baby born in the White House. However, a grandson of Thomas Jefferson actually held that title earlier.
Emily played a big part in the social disagreement known as the Petticoat affair. Socially, she was one of the most powerful women in the country. Her decision to stand against Peggy Eaton was very important. This social event might have even affected politics in the 1800s in the United States.
