Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson (June 15 1767 - December 22, 1828) was the wife of the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Previous to her marriage to Jackson, she had been married to Lewis Robards. Eventually, she and Robards decided to divorce. In 1791, she tied the knot with Jackson; however, it was discovered that they had married before the divorce had been finalized, and were thus forced to re-marry in 1794.

During the 1828 presidential campaign, the press found out about the premature marriage, and accused Donelson of adultery, attacking her mercilessly. She died of a heart attack on December 22, 1828, two weeks after her husband's victory in the election. Over 10,000 people attended her funeral. Donelson was buried on Christmas Eve in her white inauguration gown.

Rachel was the daughter of the explorer and adventurer John Donelson , co-founder of Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

See Also

• First Lady
• First Lady of the United States