Famous Americans

A scandal haunted her adult life.

Rachel Donelson, later Rachel Jackson, was a quiet woman who preferred the calm and quaint country life. But little did she know that she’d be thrust into the public eye that spanned the nation.

The Early Life of Rachel Jackson

Rachel was born around 1767 in Virginia to her parents, John Donelson and Rachel Stockley Donelson. The family moved to Tennessee when she was about 12 years old and became one of the first settlers in Nashville. Frontier life wasn’t easy, and because there weren’t many settlers there at the time, education options were very limited. Rachel didn’t receive formal education, but she did learn to read and write.

Rachel enjoyed reading sermons, dancing, and horse-riding, and she is remembered as being an outgoing young woman. In 1785, her family temporarily relocated to Kentucky where she met and married Lewis Robards, who was also originally from Virginia. She stayed in Kentucky with her husband when her family returned to Nashville.

Unfortunately, their marriage was a troubled one. Lewis was a jealous man who wasn’t faithful to her. Rachel’s parents, concerned for their daughter, convinced the couple to move to Nashville and live on the Donelsons’ property. It was there that Rachel met the love of her life and the future seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson. At the time, Mr. Jackson was an aspiring lawyer who was a boarder at the property.

Lewis became jealous of Andrew, which caused a lot of problems. He moved back to Kentucky, leaving Rachel behind.

The Unexpected Life of Politics

Not long after Lewis left, Rachel and Andrew eloped. There was a problem, though: She was still technically married to Lewis at the time! This resulted in accusations and gossip that would follow the couple throughout their life together. Lewis did petition for a divorce from her first husband, but it took several years to be approved. When it finally came through, Rachel and Andrew married again on January 18, 1794.

The Jacksons didn’t have children of their own, but they adopted two kids: Lyncoya, a child who was found on a Creek (Native American) War battlefield, and Andrew Jackson Jr., who was actually Rachel’s brother’s son.

Sometimes, Rachel would travel with Andrew when he had to go somewhere for his military campaigns or to further his political career, but more often she preferred to remain in Tennessee to run their plantation. She didn’t enjoy big city life or politics and was very uncomfortable with the attention she and her husband received. The scandal of her prior marriage and eloping with Andrew wouldn’t leave them alone and kept being talked about when Mr. Jackson ran for president.

In 1824, during Andrew’s presidential campaign, Rachel told a friend she would “rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to live in that palace at Washington.” Andrew’s first campaign attempt didn’t go well, and he lost the presidential election to John Quincy Adams. However, in 1828, Andrew again ran against Adams, and this time he won.

“For Mr. Jackson’s sake, I am glad,” Rachel confided to a friend. “for my part, I never wished it.”

Rachel never made it to the White House, though. On December 22, 1828, she passed away from a sudden illness just a few weeks before she and Andrew were to go to Washington. She was 61 years old. Andrew blamed her death on his political opponents, likely because of the gossip and speculation about her marital status when they were married the first time. He buried her at The Hermitage, their plantation, on Christmas Eve.

1. Rachel Donelson escaped an abusive marriage and eloped with Andrew Jackson.
2. Rachel Jackson never wanted to be involved in politics.
3. Rachel died just weeks before she and Andrew were to move to the White House.