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Emily Tennessee Donelson (June 1, 1807 – December 19, 1836) was the acting first lady of the United States from 1829 to 1834 during the presidency of her uncle Andrew Jackson. She was the daughter of the brother of Jackson’s wife.
Emily Donelson was the niece of President Andrew Jackson and his White House hostess. She faced a scandal involving cabinet wife Margaret Eaton and died of tuberculosis in 1836.
Emily Donelson, Sarah Jackson. When Andrew Jackson entered the White House in 1829, he entered as a widower. His wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson, died shortly before he took office, and his niece, Emily Donelson, handled the hostessing duties during the first few years of his presidency.
Born: 1807. Pretty and petite but frequently ill, Emily Donelson was doted on by her family. She married her first cousin, Andrew Jackson Donelson, when she was seventeen. Emily served as White House Hostess in her deceased aunt Rachel Jackson’s place.
Emily Donelson was the niece of Rachel Jackson and the first woman to serve as the official hostess of the White House. She faced the challenge of the Peggy Eaton affair, a social conflict that divided the Jackson administration and society.
Following the precedent set by the widowed President Jefferson, Jackson asked a relative to serve as hostess in the White House––his wife’s favorite niece, Emily Donelson. Emily was 21 years old when her uncle was inaugurated as president and she became White House hostess.
May 31, 2023 · Simply by making an entirely social decision and sticking to it, Andrew Jackson’s First Lady Emily Donelson, niece of his late wife, managed to impact the political climate of his presidency and come into open conflict with him.
