About this item
Highlights
- Rachel Jackson, wife of President Andrew Jackson, never wanted to be First Lady and tried to dissuade her husband from his political ambitions.
- About the Author: Betty Boles Ellison, a former journalist and noted historian, is a nationally recognized historical researcher as well as an established author.
- 293 Pages
- History, United States
Description
About the Book
"This biography of Rachel Jackson, wife of President Andrew Jackson, delves into how the relatively forgotten figure rebelled against the 18th-century restraints on women and overcame many personal tragedies to become an inspirational figure of persistence and strength. Though her father did not allow Rachel a traditional education, her savvy and insightful decisions made the Jackson's Tennessee plantation and businesses profitable during her husband's continual absences. Rachel's input in the Jacksons' marriage has been overlooked in historical narratives about him but research indicates that Rachel was privy to Jackson's political decisions and that, in some instances, he regretted not taking her advice. Rachel and Jackson's decision to present themselves as a married couple before her first husband divorced her took its toll decades later when Rachel became the object of the vilest presidential campaign in history. Rachel never desired to be a first lady and tried to dissuade Jackson from his political and military ambitions. Despite this, Rachel publicly supported, defended and celebrated her husband's political advances, became the first presidential candidate's wife to go on a campaign trip with her husband, and was a successful businessman and entrepreneur."--Book Synopsis
Rachel Jackson, wife of President Andrew Jackson, never wanted to be First Lady and tried to dissuade her husband from his political ambitions. Yet she publicly supported his political advancement and was the first wife of a presidential candidate to take to the campaign trail. Privy to his political decisions, she offered valued counsel, and Jackson sometimes regretted not taking her advice. Denied a traditional education by her father, Rachel's innate business savvy made the Jacksons' Tennessee plantation and businesses profitable during her husband's continual absences.
This biography chronicles the life of a First Lady who rebelled against 19th-century constraints on women, overcame personal tragedies to become an inspirational figure of persistence and strength, and found herself at the center of one of the vilest presidential smear campaigns in history.
About the Author
Betty Boles Ellison, a former journalist and noted historian, is a nationally recognized historical researcher as well as an established author. She prepared the script for the prize-winning documentary, Dreamers and Doers: Voices of Kentucky Woman. An avid and longtime historic preservationist, she is a board member of Friends of Kentucky Libraries, which provides support for the commonwealth's public libraries.