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 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 descendent 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."--BOOK JACKET.