Emily Donelson Of Tennessee
The youngest daughter of one of the founding patriarchs of middle Tennessee and the niece of Andrew Jackson, Emily Tennessee Donelson seemed destined for the life of a southern plantation mistress. At seventeen, she married her first cousin Andrew J. Donelson, the namesake and ward of General Jackson. Four years later, however, her life changed dramatically as she and her husband traveled to Washington to serve her uncle in the White House. Andrew Donelson became the president’s private secretary, and Emily assumed the role of White House hostess, filling a void left by the death of Jackson’s beloved wife, Rachel, shortly after the election.

Emily soon found herself immersed in the central controversy of the first Jackson administration, the Eaton Affair. It began as a petticoat scandal involving the social acceptance of Margaret Eaton, the new wife of Secretary of State John Eaton, who was reportedly a woman of loose character. Jackson assumed the rumors to be the work of his political rivals and was shocked when Emily and her husband spurned Mrs. Eaton. The controversy consumed the first two years of the Jackson presidency, and the Donelsons left Washington rather than betray their moral stance. Eaton eventually resigned, and the Donelsons returned to the capital. Restored to Washington, Emily reveled in the local society and took charge of her four children, the largest number to be born in the White House.

Emily Donelson of Tennessee provides a fascinating chronicle of the social and political culture of Jacksonian America. Politicians and events in both Washington and Tennessee come alive in this book—in large part because Pauline Burke's unique position as a descendant of the Donelson family enabled her to draw on a rich trove of oral history, letters, and journals.

Originally published in two volumes in 1941, this new, abridged edition of Emily Donelson of Tennessee is an engaging account of a woman who embraced traditional nineteenth-century gender roles. Additionally, the book highlights the author’s own responses to the changing position of women in society.

The Author: Pauline Wilcox Burke (1884-1952) was the great-granddaughter of Emily Donelson.

The Editor: Jonathan M. Atkins, an associate professor of history at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, is the author of numerous articles and the book Parties, Politics, and the Sectional Conflict in Tennessee, 1832-1861.


1013348302
Emily Donelson Of Tennessee
The youngest daughter of one of the founding patriarchs of middle Tennessee and the niece of Andrew Jackson, Emily Tennessee Donelson seemed destined for the life of a southern plantation mistress. At seventeen, she married her first cousin Andrew J. Donelson, the namesake and ward of General Jackson. Four years later, however, her life changed dramatically as she and her husband traveled to Washington to serve her uncle in the White House. Andrew Donelson became the president’s private secretary, and Emily assumed the role of White House hostess, filling a void left by the death of Jackson’s beloved wife, Rachel, shortly after the election.

Emily soon found herself immersed in the central controversy of the first Jackson administration, the Eaton Affair. It began as a petticoat scandal involving the social acceptance of Margaret Eaton, the new wife of Secretary of State John Eaton, who was reportedly a woman of loose character. Jackson assumed the rumors to be the work of his political rivals and was shocked when Emily and her husband spurned Mrs. Eaton. The controversy consumed the first two years of the Jackson presidency, and the Donelsons left Washington rather than betray their moral stance. Eaton eventually resigned, and the Donelsons returned to the capital. Restored to Washington, Emily reveled in the local society and took charge of her four children, the largest number to be born in the White House.

Emily Donelson of Tennessee provides a fascinating chronicle of the social and political culture of Jacksonian America. Politicians and events in both Washington and Tennessee come alive in this book—in large part because Pauline Burke's unique position as a descendant of the Donelson family enabled her to draw on a rich trove of oral history, letters, and journals.

Originally published in two volumes in 1941, this new, abridged edition of Emily Donelson of Tennessee is an engaging account of a woman who embraced traditional nineteenth-century gender roles. Additionally, the book highlights the author’s own responses to the changing position of women in society.

The Author: Pauline Wilcox Burke (1884-1952) was the great-granddaughter of Emily Donelson.

The Editor: Jonathan M. Atkins, an associate professor of history at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, is the author of numerous articles and the book Parties, Politics, and the Sectional Conflict in Tennessee, 1832-1861.


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Emily Donelson Of Tennessee

Emily Donelson Of Tennessee

Emily Donelson Of Tennessee

Emily Donelson Of Tennessee

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Overview

The youngest daughter of one of the founding patriarchs of middle Tennessee and the niece of Andrew Jackson, Emily Tennessee Donelson seemed destined for the life of a southern plantation mistress. At seventeen, she married her first cousin Andrew J. Donelson, the namesake and ward of General Jackson. Four years later, however, her life changed dramatically as she and her husband traveled to Washington to serve her uncle in the White House. Andrew Donelson became the president’s private secretary, and Emily assumed the role of White House hostess, filling a void left by the death of Jackson’s beloved wife, Rachel, shortly after the election.

Emily soon found herself immersed in the central controversy of the first Jackson administration, the Eaton Affair. It began as a petticoat scandal involving the social acceptance of Margaret Eaton, the new wife of Secretary of State John Eaton, who was reportedly a woman of loose character. Jackson assumed the rumors to be the work of his political rivals and was shocked when Emily and her husband spurned Mrs. Eaton. The controversy consumed the first two years of the Jackson presidency, and the Donelsons left Washington rather than betray their moral stance. Eaton eventually resigned, and the Donelsons returned to the capital. Restored to Washington, Emily reveled in the local society and took charge of her four children, the largest number to be born in the White House.

Emily Donelson of Tennessee provides a fascinating chronicle of the social and political culture of Jacksonian America. Politicians and events in both Washington and Tennessee come alive in this book—in large part because Pauline Burke's unique position as a descendant of the Donelson family enabled her to draw on a rich trove of oral history, letters, and journals.

Originally published in two volumes in 1941, this new, abridged edition of Emily Donelson of Tennessee is an engaging account of a woman who embraced traditional nineteenth-century gender roles. Additionally, the book highlights the author’s own responses to the changing position of women in society.

The Author: Pauline Wilcox Burke (1884-1952) was the great-granddaughter of Emily Donelson.

The Editor: Jonathan M. Atkins, an associate professor of history at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, is the author of numerous articles and the book Parties, Politics, and the Sectional Conflict in Tennessee, 1832-1861.



Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781572331372
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
Publication date: 11/04/2001
Edition description: First Edition, First Edition
Pages: 376
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

The Author: Pauline Wilcox Burke (1884–1952) was the great-granddaughter of Emily Donelson.

The Editor: Jonathan M. Atkins, an associate professor of history at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, is the author of numerous articles and the book Parties, Politics, and the Sectional Conflict in Tennessee, 1832–1861.


Table of Contents

Introductionvii
Preface5
Acknowledgments11
1.The Family in the Colonies17
2.The Widow Donelson25
3.Uncle and Aunt Jackson, Their Joys and Sorrows35
4.Down the River and Back Again43
5.The Saga Runs55
6.Governor of Florida68
7.Fear of Impending Calamity84
8.Washington Society Awakens98
9.The Floodgates Are Loosened111
10.The Jackson Era Begins123
11.A Fan and a Cologne Bottle147
12.The Battle of the Petticoats159
13.A House Divided168
14.For Uncle's Sake189
15.History on Horseback210
16.Reunion in Washington221
17.Another White House Baby232
18.A Second Term Begins246
19.Mrs. Donelson Makes a Record263
20.Vacationing274
21.Last Days in Washington284
22.Sacrifice293
23.Colonel John Donelson's Legacy304
Notes311
Bibliography339
Index347
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