42 Facts About Emily Donelson

Emily Tennessee Donelson was the acting first lady of the United States from 1829 to 1834 during the presidency of her uncle Andrew Jackson.

Emily Donelson was the daughter of the brother of Jackson's wife.

Jackson's wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, died weeks before her husband's presidential inauguration.

Emily Donelson was successful in the role despite her lack of formal training in etiquette, and she was well received by Washington society.

Emily Donelson eventually returned to the White House, but she grew sick, returning home and dying of tuberculosis at the age of 29.

Emily 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 and John Donelson, the brother of Rachel Donelson Jackson, the wife of future President Andrew Jackson.

Emily Donelson's childhood was instead defined by the military events of the 1810s.

Emily Donelson began attending the Nashville Female Academy at the age of 13.

Emily Donelson was eventually pulled out of the school because of her poor health and spent her time living at the Hermitage with her aunt.

Emily Donelson received many suitors as she grew into adulthood, including men such as Sam Houston.

Emily Donelson began a courtship with Andrew Donelson as he began his law practice, and they soon became engaged.

Emily Donelson was close to her aunt and uncle, Rachel and Andrew Jackson, who considered her a daughter of their own.

Emily Donelson immersed herself in the city's fashion and culture, making connections with other women in the city.

Emily Donelson was well received by the community and compared favorably to her aunt, who had been the victim of a mudslinging campaign against her husband.

Emily Donelson traveled to Florence, Alabama, in October 1828 with her son to visit her sister.

Jackson's wife asked Emily Donelson to go to the White House and fulfill the social role of first lady of the United States.

Jackson's wife died shortly before his inauguration, and Emily Donelson was made responsible for hosting social events after Jackson became president.

Emily Donelson moved to the White House at the age of 21 with her husband, who served as Jackson's presidential aide.

Emily Donelson was bothered by the lack of privacy afforded by the White House, as visitors were able to travel freely through the building, and her bedroom was visible from the central corridor.

Emily Donelson was well equipped to manage a large household, as she had done so regularly at home.

Emily Donelson was praised for the food and alcohol she had served during her tenure.

Emily Donelson was one of the many prominent individuals in the president's confidence that wished for him to distance himself from the Eatons.

Whom Emily Donelson chose to associate with was especially important, given the role that she played in social affairs.

The feud became more personal during a boat ride in July 1829, when Emily Donelson, suffering from pregnancy sickness, chose to fall rather than be assisted by Eaton.

Secretary of State Martin van Buren, a close confidant of the president, sought a personal meeting with Emily Donelson to resolve the issue, but his intervention did little to alleviate the conflict.

Emily Donelson explained to him that she did not have a moral dispute with Eaton, but that she found Eaton to be an unpleasant character.

Emily Donelson reunited with her recently widowed mother to grieve for her father.

Emily Donelson's family sided with her in the Petticoat affair, prompting a further rift with the president, who believed that they were plotting against him politically.

When Jackson returned to Washington, Emily Donelson's husband accompanied him, but Emily Donelson did not.

Emily Donelson spent the following months raising her children while her husband was away.

Emily Donelson's husband returned on his own, discovering that Eaton and most of the other cabinet members had resigned.

Emily Donelson's health began to decline after the birth of her son John in May 1832, and she chose to stay in Washington rather than risk a journey to Tennessee with the president in July.

Emily Donelson had her fourth child on April 9,1834, and her health grew worse.

Emily Donelson's health declined further in spring of 1836, and it was decided that she would leave Washington and return to Tennessee.

Emily Donelson arrived in Tennessee in June 1836, where she went to recuperate at Poplar Grove, her plantation adjacent to the Hermitage.

Emily Donelson overexerted herself and suffered from a pulmonary hemorrhage, revealing that she was suffering from tuberculosis.

Emily Donelson said her farewell to her children, and she asked to be propped up so she could watch for her husband out the window, hoping for his return from Washington.

Emily Donelson died on December 19,1836, at the age of 29.

Emily Donelson became the first in a long line of young acting first ladies in the mid-19th century.

Emily Donelson did not meaningfully change the position of White House hostess.

Emily Donelson's daughter Mary would claim that she was the first baby to be born in the White House, though a grandson of Thomas Jefferson already held the title.