Attacks on First Ladies not new: Rachel Jackson hounded to death

[Undercurrent]

Sadly this crap has a long history, and I think we can look forward to 8 years of attacks on our First Lady. :(




Rachel Jackson

At 18, she married Colonel Lewis Robards of a prominent Mercer County, Kentucky family. His jealousy of a young boarder named Peyton Short, though, made him impossible for her to live with and they separated in 1790. Despite her pleas of innocence, he ordered her to return to her family (now in Tennessee) until he called for her. Soon after she had rejoined her mother, now a widow, near Nashville, Andrew Jackson arrived as a boarder at the Donelson's. Eventually they fell in love. Nevertheless, when Robards came to Nashville to reclaim his wife, Rachael dutifully returned with him to Kentucky. She soon learned, however, that he had not curbed his rages of jealousy. Told of her unhappiness, Jackson raced to Kentucky and rescued her.

In December 1790, Robards told her that he had filed for divorce with the state legislature and the divorce was final (Robards had actually asked the legislature to pass an enabling act permitting him to sue for a divorce). Andrew Jackson married Rachael Donelson-Robards in August 1791 at Natchez, Mississippi. They were both aged 24.

This marriage was later deemed invalid, because Rachael's divorce had not yet become final. They remarried, this time legally, on January 17, 1794. Unfortunately their remarriage did not end the matter. The charge of adultery was to haunt the couple thereafter.

Andrew Jackson was devoted to his wife Rachael. He fought 13 duels to protect her honor, and even killed one opponent, Charles Dickinson. On October 1, 1803 he challenged John "Nolichucky Jack" Sevier (the first governor of Tennessee) to a duel after Sevier had dishonored Rachel by saying "I know of no services you have rendered to this country other than taking a trip to Natchez with another man's wife!".

In 1809 Andrew and Rachael Jackson legally adopted one of her nephews (one of the twin boys recently born to Mr. and Mrs. Severn Donelson). They named him Andrew Jackson, Jr.

During the 1828 presidential campaign, the press found out about the premature marriage, and accused Rachel of adultery, attacking her mercilessly. Although Jackson tried to keep such reports from his wife, who had a history of heart trouble, she heard enough to realize that her past was being raked up in the national press. At least in part as a result of her anguish, she grew ill and died suddenly of a heart attack on December 22, 1828, two weeks after her husband's victory in the election, but prior to his inauguration. Over 10,000 people attended her funeral. Rachel Jackson was buried on Christmas Eve in her white inauguration gown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Donelson_Jackson


From the transcript of a panel discussion about the attacks on Hillary on The News Hour.
PBS January 15, 1996.

Doris Kearns Goodwin speaking:

There were rumors constantly about Eleanor Roosevelt. It was said that every time she went into the South she had organized black women into creating something called "Eleanor Tuesdays," whereby they would go out on the street and knock a white woman down as bounty for Eleanor Roosevelt. Poor Eleanor, of course, had never created such a thing, but she had to somehow get rid of the notion that she had done these terrible things. There were rumors that she would give people jobs and give them a little note, and then they'd go to a factory and say, Eleanor told me, I'm supposed to get a job from you just because of this note, but I think you look way back even past Eleanor. I mean, think about poor Rachel Jackson. I mean, that's even worse than Eleanor, even worse than Hillary Clinton. Jim LehrerThere was a-- ...

...Think about it. First of all, they said that she didn't fit the feminine model that she was supposed to be to be the head of the female society because she smoked a pipe, she preferred riding horses, rather than sitting gloriously in the carriage, and worse among worse, she had actually been married first, gotten a divorce, but the divorce wasn't quite final when she married Andrew Jackson, so she's a bigamist. I mean, she was so upset by that criticism it said that it hastened her heart attack and her death before he even became actually inaugurated as President...

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/first_lady_1-15.html

[billyoc]

1. This will affect me as much as it affects Michelle Obama.

Which is to say, not at all.

[genna]

4. HARSH

[ensho]

2. thanks for the history - interesting to learn of the lives of First Ladys

and First Ladies from other countries.

[rvablue]

3. Thanks for posting this. Very interesting and sweet.....it seems

from reading this that President Jackson truly adored his wife.

[genna]

5. I'd hate and I do mean hate to think the President has to duel people

so his First Lady can retain her honor.

Obama looks up to the job. Did you see that twinkle in his eye when he said people could attack him but to leave Michelle alone? I thought this man may ask some of these Republicans to step outside.


I wonder when the time comes whether or not Michelle might ultimately be the one to ask someone to take a step outside. I think she might be adapt in taking someone on verbally to defend herself, but I am not sure how smoothly she would do that.

[Cha]

6. Poor thing..thanks for this

history on Rachel Jackson..I had no clue..she was quite the beautiful lady.

They have nothing on Michelle so they go after her arms.

"I covered my arms"..MIchelle on Good Morning America~Video
"On Friday's "Good Morning America," First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to Robin Roberts about her work with military families, her daughters ("They're doing great because I'm able to strike a balance...they keep us going"), her mother ("she's the funniest person I know"), and how she relaxes ("sometimes I just click on some non-important TV"). All that and she still found time to talk about her arms.

Also included: the First Lady had a rather cute encounter with a toddler yesterday. Before reading "The Cat In The Hat" to children in North Carolina, she explained that she has two little girls, which prompted one youngster to declare "I know Sasha! And Malia!"

WATCH:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/13/michelle-obama...

[FrenchieCat]

8. Your link didn't work for me,

But I was able to find the video you were speaking of.
Great Interview.
and what a Real First Lady, she is.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7074721

[Cha]

9. Sorry, ..thanks, FC.

I should have checked.

I saw it again on your link just now(another hit).. Robin Roberts is the best interviewer..I'll never forget how spectacular she was at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/13/michelle-obama-jokes-on-g_n_174640.html

[burning rain]

7. There was particularly animosity toward Eleanor Roosevelt...

on the Right, especially among those Southern whites who faulted her for trying to push FDR to do more about civil rights than he was inclined.

[Number23]

10. !! "Eleanor Tuesdays!!" lol

That sounds... interesting. :)

Eleanor Roosevelt has the honor of being the first white honorary member of my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, which is a historically black sorority. http://www.aka1908.com/present/membership/#honorary. One of the reasons Roosevelt was chosen was because of her commitment to civil rights, one of the things that made her so hated among many in the white community at that time.

She shares this honor with the current First Lady Michelle Obama, who was named an honorary member in 2008. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/07/to_melodyakaaolcom_from_melody.html

[ensho]

11. interesting, thanks

nt

[DesertRat]

12. Do they attack Republican First Ladies too?

Or only Democrats?

The Rachel Jackson story was sad. She never lived to become First Lady and was buried in her inaugural gown. :(

[AzDar]

13. While I knew of the Rachel Jackson matter, I was completely unaware of

'Eleanor Tuesdays'. Fucking hilarious. Those right-wing idiots haven't changed a bit, have they?

:rofl: