Rachel Jackson
Encyclopedia
Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, born Rachel Donelson, (June 15, 1767 – December 22, 1828) was the wife of the 7th President of the United States
, Andrew Jackson
.
Rachel Donelson Robards is said to be among one of the first settlers of Tennessee. She was considered rather beautiful in her younger years and was quite vivacious. She had been in an unhappy marriage with Captain Lewis Robards, a man subject to irrational fits of jealous rage, and the two separated in 1790. Jackson, who had first arrived in Nashville in 1788 and lived as a boarder with Rachel Stockley Donelson, mother of Rachel Donelson Robards, married Rachel after believing that Robards had obtained a divorce. However, the divorce had never been completed, making Rachel's marriage to Jackson technically bigamous and therefore invalid. Later research shows that a friend of Lewis Robards had planted a fake article in his own newspaper, telling that the divorce had been finalized. To the best of the Jacksons' knowledge, Rachel was now single, and they went ahead and married. However, they later found out about this scandalous act of Lewis Robards. They learned that the divorce had never been finalized, which technically made Rachel a bigamist. After the divorce (the first in Kentucky history) was officially completed, Rachel and Jackson remarried in 1794. During the Election of 1828
, she was accused of being a bigamist, among other things, by supporters of John Quincy Adams
. Despite the accusations, Jackson won by a comparative landslide, probably due to his military record and offers of patronage
. Rachel Jackson dropped dead in a street after walking out of the store that she had just purchased her innaugural dress from. Unfortunately, this happened right before the electoral ball for the new President. Jackson blamed his opposition for her death, saying that they slandering they had done to her created an outrageous amount of stress on the poor woman. Jackson never forgave anyone that slandered her. In fact, he kept a list of all those that had slandered her to his knowledge, and ruined their careers at every chance he got. The 1828 election is considered by some historians to be one of the meanest in American history. Many also say that Jackson ran for president so for Rachel's sake.
Jackson and his wife enjoyed a genuine love match. In 1813, she wrote, "Do not my Beloved Husband let the love of Country, fame and honor let you forget you have me without you I would think them all empty shadows You will say this is not the Language of a Patriot but it is the language of a Faithfull wife..." When she died, he was inconsolable. He refused to believe she was actually dead and insisted that blankets be laid on her body in case she woke up and needed warmth. He built a tomb for her in her flower garden (one visitor to the Hermitage stated, "I have never seen anyone as enthusiastically fond of flowers as the General's Lady"). According to his granddaughter, Rachel Jackson Lawrence, Jackson visited Rachel's grave every night at sunset. He hung her portrait at the foot of his bed so she would be the first thing he saw in the morning and the last thing he saw at night, and he once said, "Heaven will be no heaven for me if she is not there."
Jackson wrote his wife's epitaph, which reads as follows: "Here lie the remains of Mrs. Rachel Jackson, wife of President Jackson, who died December 22nd 1828, aged 61. Her face was fair, her person pleasing, her temper amiable, and her heart kind. She delighted in relieving the wants of her fellow-creatures,and cultivated that divine pleasure by the most liberal and unpretending methods. To the poor she was a benefactress; to the rich she was an example; to the wretched a comforter; to the prosperous an ornament. Her pity went hand in hand with her benevolence; and she thanked her Creator for being able to do good. A being so gentle and so virtuous, slander might wound but could not dishonor. Even death, when he tore her from the arms of her husband, could but transplant her to the bosom of her God."
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
.
Rachel Donelson Robards is said to be among one of the first settlers of Tennessee. She was considered rather beautiful in her younger years and was quite vivacious. She had been in an unhappy marriage with Captain Lewis Robards, a man subject to irrational fits of jealous rage, and the two separated in 1790. Jackson, who had first arrived in Nashville in 1788 and lived as a boarder with Rachel Stockley Donelson, mother of Rachel Donelson Robards, married Rachel after believing that Robards had obtained a divorce. However, the divorce had never been completed, making Rachel's marriage to Jackson technically bigamous and therefore invalid. Later research shows that a friend of Lewis Robards had planted a fake article in his own newspaper, telling that the divorce had been finalized. To the best of the Jacksons' knowledge, Rachel was now single, and they went ahead and married. However, they later found out about this scandalous act of Lewis Robards. They learned that the divorce had never been finalized, which technically made Rachel a bigamist. After the divorce (the first in Kentucky history) was officially completed, Rachel and Jackson remarried in 1794. During the Election of 1828
United States presidential election, 1828
The United States presidential election of 1828 featured a rematch between John Quincy Adams, now incumbent President, and Andrew Jackson, the runner-up in the 1824 election. With no other major candidates, Jackson and his chief ally Martin Van Buren consolidated their bases in the South and New...
, she was accused of being a bigamist, among other things, by supporters of John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
. Despite the accusations, Jackson won by a comparative landslide, probably due to his military record and offers of patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
. Rachel Jackson dropped dead in a street after walking out of the store that she had just purchased her innaugural dress from. Unfortunately, this happened right before the electoral ball for the new President. Jackson blamed his opposition for her death, saying that they slandering they had done to her created an outrageous amount of stress on the poor woman. Jackson never forgave anyone that slandered her. In fact, he kept a list of all those that had slandered her to his knowledge, and ruined their careers at every chance he got. The 1828 election is considered by some historians to be one of the meanest in American history. Many also say that Jackson ran for president so for Rachel's sake.
Jackson and his wife enjoyed a genuine love match. In 1813, she wrote, "Do not my Beloved Husband let the love of Country, fame and honor let you forget you have me without you I would think them all empty shadows You will say this is not the Language of a Patriot but it is the language of a Faithfull wife..." When she died, he was inconsolable. He refused to believe she was actually dead and insisted that blankets be laid on her body in case she woke up and needed warmth. He built a tomb for her in her flower garden (one visitor to the Hermitage stated, "I have never seen anyone as enthusiastically fond of flowers as the General's Lady"). According to his granddaughter, Rachel Jackson Lawrence, Jackson visited Rachel's grave every night at sunset. He hung her portrait at the foot of his bed so she would be the first thing he saw in the morning and the last thing he saw at night, and he once said, "Heaven will be no heaven for me if she is not there."
Jackson wrote his wife's epitaph, which reads as follows: "Here lie the remains of Mrs. Rachel Jackson, wife of President Jackson, who died December 22nd 1828, aged 61. Her face was fair, her person pleasing, her temper amiable, and her heart kind. She delighted in relieving the wants of her fellow-creatures,and cultivated that divine pleasure by the most liberal and unpretending methods. To the poor she was a benefactress; to the rich she was an example; to the wretched a comforter; to the prosperous an ornament. Her pity went hand in hand with her benevolence; and she thanked her Creator for being able to do good. A being so gentle and so virtuous, slander might wound but could not dishonor. Even death, when he tore her from the arms of her husband, could but transplant her to the bosom of her God."