Emily Donelson

Emily Donelson, born on June first, eighteen oh seven, was a prominent figure in American history, serving as the acting First Lady of the United States from eighteen twenty-nine to eighteen thirty-four. She held this esteemed position during the presidency of her uncle, Andrew Jackson, stepping into the role following the untimely death of Jackson's wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, just weeks before his inauguration.

Raised in the close-knit Donelson and Jackson families in Tennessee, Emily married her first cousin, Andrew Jackson Donelson. As her uncle's political career flourished, the Donelsons became integral to his administration, moving into the White House where Emily took on the responsibilities of hostess. Despite lacking formal training in etiquette, she was well-received by Washington society and successfully navigated the complexities of her role.

However, her tenure was not without challenges. The Petticoat Affair created a rift between the Donelsons and President Jackson, leading Emily to retreat from the White House for much of eighteen thirty and eighteen thirty-one. She eventually returned, but her health declined, and she succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of twenty-nine.

Emily Donelson holds the distinction of being the first First Lady born after the Declaration of Independence and the first born in the nineteenth century, marking her as a significant figure in the early years of the United States.