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.
[1]: 123 While she was a young girl, she was close to her first cousin and future husband Andrew Jackson Donelson, and he developed a romantic interest in her in 1816 while he escorted her home from school.
[3]: 27 They chose to marry early to avoid long periods of separation, as Jackson had enlisted the prospective groom to be his personal secretary in Washington, D.C.[2]: 90 Planning of the wedding was complicated by a period of illness for Donelson in early 1824 and her parents' reluctance to see her marry at such a young age.
[3]: 33 Jackson's wife asked Donelson to go to the White House and fulfill the social role of first lady of the United States.
[3]: 36 During their first days in the White House, the president was grief-stricken by the loss of his wife, and Donelson found herself caring for him.
[2]: 7 Donelson was bothered by the lack of privacy afforded by the White House, as visitors were able to travel freely through the building, and her bedroom was visible from the central corridor.
[7] Though she was not as well traveled or well educated as would have been expected of a White House hostess, her age was considered a valid excuse.
[1]: 124 Despite her lack of experience, the president trusted her judgement regarding etiquette at the White House, allowing her to make decisions in such matters.
Donelson tolerated Eaton at White House events, but she refused to call upon her at her home—a considerable snub at the time.
[3]: 40 The feud became more personal during a boat ride in July 1829, when Donelson, suffering from pregnancy sickness, chose to fall rather than be assisted by Eaton.
[3]: 41–42 It was also made worse when the president asked Donelson to visit Eaton and invite her to her child's christening.
[4] Secretary of State Martin van Buren, a close confidant of the president, sought a personal meeting with Donelson to resolve the issue, but his intervention did little to alleviate the conflict.
Donelson's family sided with her in the Petticoat affair, prompting a further rift with the president, who believed that they were plotting against him politically.
[1]: 125 Mary Ann Lewis, one of Eaton's defenders, served as White House hostess in Donelson's stead.
[3]: 61 Donelson's health began to decline after the birth of her son John in May 1832, and she chose to stay in Washington rather than risk a journey to Tennessee with the president in July.
Her husband left to return to the White House in October to resume his duties for two months while relatives cared for her.
Many of the nation's most prominent figures regularly asked about her health, including Senator James Buchanan, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, Secretary of State John Forsyth, Secretary of the Navy Levi Woodbury, and Postmaster General Amos Kendall.
She said her farewell to her children, and she asked to be propped up so she could watch for her husband out the window, hoping for his return from Washington.
[10] A multivolume biography of her life was written by Pamela Wilcox Burke and published as Emily Donelson of Tennessee in 1941.
[1]: 123–124 Donelson's daughter Mary would claim that she was the first baby to be born in the White House, though a grandson of Thomas Jefferson already held the title.