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Sarah Jackson
Acting First Lady of the United States
In role November 26, 1834 – March 4, 1837
President	Andrew Jackson
Preceded by	Emily Donelson (acting)
Succeeded by	Angelica Van Buren (acting)
Personal details
Born	Sarah Yorke July 1805 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 23, 1887 (aged 82) The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Spouse	Andrew Jackson Jr. ​ ​(m. 1831; died 1865)​
Children	5
Relatives	Andrew Jackson (father-in-law)

Sarah Jackson (née Yorke; July 1805 – August 23, 1887) was the daughter-in-law of U.S. President Andrew Jackson. She served as White House hostess and first lady of the United States from November 26, 1834, to March 4, 1837.

Biography

Early life

Sarah Yorke was born in July 1805, into a wealthy family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father Peter Yorke, a sea captain and successful merchant, died in 1815. Her mother Mary Haines Yorke died during a trip to New Orleans in 1820, leaving Sarah and her two sisters orphaned. She was raised by two aunts, Mrs. George Farquhar and Mrs. Mordecai Wetherill.

Adult life

Sarah Yorke married Andrew Jackson, Jr., the adopted son of President Andrew Jackson, in Philadelphia on November 24, 1831. After the wedding, they stayed at the White House over the following months. They had an extended honeymoon here, and several parties were held in their honor. Upon leaving the White House, the new couple went to The Hermitage, Jackson's plantation in Tennessee. Wishing to clearly distinguish Sarah Jackson's role from that of White House hostess Emily Donelson and avoid any potential animosity between them, the president had appointed Jackson as the "mistress of the Hermitage". Jackson had all five of her children at the Hermitage, beginning with Rachel in 1832. The family remained at the Hermitage managing the plantation until a fire destroyed much of the main house in 1834.

After the fire at the Hermitage, the couple and their two young children went to Washington to live with President Jackson at the White House. They arrived on November 26, 1834. She immediately began to take on the role as co-hostess of the White House along with Donelson. The arrangement was somewhat awkward but appeared to work relatively smoothly. It was the only time in history when there were two women simultaneously acting as White House hostess. She took over all duties as White House hostess after Emily Donelson fell ill with tuberculosis and died in 1836.

Jackson was not terribly active as a hostess. The death of Rachel Jackson had limited any significant social activity in the White House, and this was compounded by the death of Emily Donelson. She remained at the White House for the final ten months of President Jackson's term, though she made several lengthy trips, including one to the Hermitage to oversee its reconstruction.

Jackson continued to oversee the Hermitage after leaving the White House. After the death of 78-year-old former president Jackson on June 8, 1845, debt accumulated during his time in office spiraled out of control under the continued poor management of the Hermitage by Andrew Jackson Jr. The Jacksons sold the Hermitage to the state of Tennessee in 1856, but Sarah Jackson was allowed to continue living there for the remainder of her life. Sarah Yorke Jackson died on August 23, 1887 in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 82.

Legacy

Jackson had little influence on the position of first lady, as the social circumstances of the Andrew Jackson presidency offered her little opportunity to stand out. She has been the subject of very little scholarly analysis.

References

1. ^ National Library: First Ladies
2. ^ Mune, Christina (2016). "Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson: A Reluctant First Lady". In Sibley, Katherine A. S. (ed.). A Companion to First Ladies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-118-73218-2.
3. ^ Emily Donelson, Sarah Jackson, Miller Center of Public Affairs
4. ^ Sage of the Hermitage Archived 2014-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ Watson, Robert P. (2001). First Ladies of the United States: A Biographical Dictionary. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 51. doi:10.1515/9781626373532. ISBN 978-1-62637-353-2. S2CID 249333854.
6. Schneider, Dorothy; Schneider, Carl J. (2010). First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Facts on File. p. 388. ISBN 978-1-4381-0815-5.

• 1803 births
• 1887 deaths
• 19th-century American women
• First ladies of the United States
• People from Nashville, Tennessee
• People from Philadelphia
• Andrew Jackson family