Rachel, Emily, and Sarah - Jackson

6/4/2025

Rachel and Jackson Jumbles

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First Ladies - 1800 to 1850

First Lady Rachel and President Andrew Jackson

Rachel Jackson*

President Andrew Jackson*

First Lady - 1828
Quote from Rachel - "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than live in that palace in Washington." (an eerily prophetic quote)
Factoid - Rachel smoked a pipe!

Bio - Rachel divorced her first husband due to his abuse. The next year, in 1792, she married Andrew Johnson. In 1794, they discovered Rachel's divorce wasn't valid! They remarried to make their union legal, but the incident became a scandal in 1828, during Andrew's campaign for President, over a decade later. Poor Rachel was even called a bigamist. Sadly, despite her brave stance, Rachel died of a heart attack while leaving for the inauguration in Washington.

Emily Jackson Donelson*

Acting First Lady Emily Donelson - President Jackson's niece
First Lady from - 1829 - 1834
Factoid - Andrew Jackson's inauguration was a wild party! It even had a nickname, "The Crush". It's still believed to be the wildest party ever in the White House.
Bio - Emily Donelson was Andrew Jackson's niece. When Rachel died, Emily assumed First Lady duties of hostess and White House manager. Her husband, Andrew Donelson, was the President's private secretary. Emily was dismissed as First Lady when she snubbed a wife of the President's cabinet member. However, she may have been unable to remain First Lady after she became ill with tuberculosis in 1834. She eventually died from the the disease in 1836.

Sarah Yorke Jackson*

Acting First Lady Sarah - President Jackson's Daughter-In-Law
Acting First Lady from - 1834 - 1837
Factoid - Sarah married Andrew Jackson, Jr., the adopted son of Rachel and Andrew. They honeymooned at the White House!

Bio -

Sarah, her husband, and their two children came to live at the White House in 1834, after their home in Tennessee burned. At that time, Emily Donelson was acting First Lady, but was also ill. This was the only case of TWO First Ladies! Sarah stepped in to also be First Lady and continued in that role after Emily died and until the end of President Jackson's presidency.

Sarah and her husband moved to Tennessee with Andrew after his Presidency. When the Civil War began, they moved to Mississippi, where she remained until their homes were destroyed in hurricanes. Andrew Jr. died, along with their son. Poverty stricken, Sarah moved back to Tennessee, where she was allowed to live in their old estate until her death.

About Andrew - Andrew Jackson, a war hero from the Battle of New Orleans, expanded the power of the executive branch. He opposed the national bank and enacted the Indian Removal Act, which led to the Trail of Tears. Jackson's Presidency marked the rise of the Democratic Party and reshaped American political life.
Read about Andrew's 1400 pound block of cheese and his shenanigans to get rid of it: The Snack That Took Over the White House

Jackson Jumbles

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Jumble cookies were very popular during the 1820s-30s. Jumbles were a bit like the sugar cookies of modern times. Baking soda was responsible for bakers everywhere experimenting with new textures (crispy or cake-like). With the addition of baking soda, the crispy cookies became more like a tea cake. Baking technology!! Jackson Jumble cookies appeared during the 1832 Presidential election campaign with Andrew Jackson against Henry Clay.

Ingredients
1 cup butter (room temperature)
3 & 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
3 cups sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup heavy cream or sour cream

Steps

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease or line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, stir or whisk together the flours and wheat germ. Set aside.
In a separate large, bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in the cream and slightly beaten eggs
Stir in the cream and slightly beaten eggs alternately with the flour, until the dough is stiff. If it's too thick, you can add a spoon of milk or water.
In a little water or milk, dissolve the baking soda, then stir into the cookie batter.
Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, separating cookies a bit.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges.

Recipe Card

Portrait Credits*
Emily Donelson - Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Jackson - Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rachel Jackson - The Heritage Collection, Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Andrew Jackson - Ralph E. W. Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Miniatures of Rachel and Andrew Jackson - Ralph E. W. Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons