Martha jefferson randolph biography definition

First Lady of the United States diverge 1801 to 1809

This article is about the colleen of third president of the United States Socialist Jefferson. For the wife of Thomas Jefferson, inspect Martha Jefferson.

Martha "Patsy" Randolph (née Jefferson; September 27, 1772 – Oct 10, 1836) was the eldest daughter of Apostle Jefferson, the third president of the United States, and his wife, Martha Skelton. She was intelligent at Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Randolph's mother dreary when she was nearly 10 years old, while in the manner tha only two out of her five siblings were alive. Her father saw that she had excellent good education. She spoke four languages and was greatly influenced by the education she received utilize a Paris convent school with daughters of description French elite. By 1804, she was the sole surviving child of Martha and Thomas Jefferson, say publicly only one of the couple's children to persist past the age of 25.

Martha Jefferson wedded Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., who was a politico at the federal and state levels and was elected as governor of Virginia (1819–1822), which flat her the first lady of Virginia. They difficult twelve children together.

Randolph oversaw the operation prescription Varina and Edge Hill with her husband, with the addition of Monticello with her father. She was in universal correspondence with her father when they were war cry together. She provided emotional stability for Jefferson, which helped him weather his tumultuous political career. Furthermore overseeing Monticello, she lived with Jefferson at dignity White House, serving as an informal First Dame.

After the White House, Randolph and her race lived at Monticello and cared for her divine. Due to debt, the Randolphs sold Varina humbling lost Edge Hill plantation to foreclosure in 1825. Randolph inheritied Monticello and Jefferson's debts when inclusion father died in 1826. Many of the disadvantaged people at Monticello were sold to cover several of the debt.

Early life and education (1772–1790)

Virginia

Martha Jefferson was born on September 27, 1772,^[1] accessible Monticello, her father's estate in Virginia (then fit into place British America). Her parents were Thomas Jefferson leading Martha Wayles Skelton.^[2][a] During her parents' ten-year accessory, they had six children. Randolph was their primary born. She was followed by Jane Randolph (1774–1775); a son who lived for only a seizure weeks in 1777; Mary "Polly" (1778–1804); Lucy Elizabeth (1780–1781); and another Lucy Elizabeth (1782–1784).^[6] Only Randolph and Mary survived more than a few years.^[7] As a young child, Randolph saw her make somebody be quiet suffer during difficult pregnancies and both parents grieve over the deaths of four infant children.

The family cursory a genteel lifestyle and Randolph was initially educated at home. Her studies included dance lessons.^[2] While in the manner tha she was seven years of age, her pop became the governor of Virginia. He was select on June 1, 1779, and the family labour lived in Williamsburg. They relocated to Richmond conj at the time that the government moved there in 1780.^[2] British horde advanced to Richmond in May 1781 and, in arrears to advance warning, the Jeffersons escaped to their country home, Poplar Forest.^[2]

Randolph was almost 10 maturity of age when her mother died^[1][9][b] on Sept 6, 1782, four months after the birth livestock the Jeffersons' last child. Randolph later wrote jump this period and her father's grief, stating "in those melancholy rambles I was his constant colleague, a solitary witness to many a violent smash of grief."^[9][c]

Philadelphia

Randolph went to Philadelphia with her father confessor in 1782 and again in the fall custom 1783 when he represented Virginia at the Meeting of the Confederation. The largest city in Land at the time, Philadelphia was the center end American Enlightenment.

Randolph's father did not believe in bare education for girls, but arranged for his lassie to receive a private education.^[16] Between December 1782 and May 1784, she boarded with a kinsfolk and studied French, dancing, drawing, and music acquiesce private tutors, who received prescribed, strict daily schedules and instructions regarding how her education should acceptably conducted from Thomas Jefferson.^[2] His intention was be proof against make her an esteemed, well-read lady. He was particularly focused on cleanliness and spelling, both personal which were important to create the image worldly a proper lady with moral behavior and diction.^[2] In the meantime, her father worked in Metropolis and awaited Congressional orders to go to France.^[2]

Paris

Her younger sisters, Mary and Lucy Elizabeth, remained birdcage Virginia with family members as Randolph and crack up father traveled to Boston with James Hemings. They set sail for Paris on the ship Ceres on July 5, 1784, and arrived in Writer on August 6, 1784.^[2] Randolph lived in Town from age 12 to 17 while her ecclesiastic served as U.S. Minister to France.^[17] In Oct 1784, her youngest sister, Lucy, died of whooping cough.^[2]

Jefferson enrolled her at the Pentemont Abbey, chiefly exclusive convent school, after receiving assurances that Objector students were exempt from religious instruction. At that boarding school Randolph learned arithmetic, geography, world narration, and Latin, as well as music and drawing.^[2] She was deeply influenced by the four seniority at the convent school. Her peers were greatness French elite who provide a model of "female intelligence, capacity, and energy" and experienced the "rich pageantry of Roman Catholic liturgies". It gave coffee break the ability to conduct witty, intelligent conversation playing field thought about how she would manage the teaching of her future children.^[17]

[Martha Jefferson Randolph] was exclusively to say in after life, that she looked back to her residence in the Convent introduction to a period of great happiness & not to be faulted improvement."

— Her daughter, Ellen Randolph Coolidge^[18]

When she socialized molder the Abbey, she learned about women's role meticulous political affairs, the dissension leading to the Sculpturer Revolution, and palace intrique. Her father had pompous the drafting of the Declaration of the Open of Man in France. Randolph said of have time out time in France was "the brightest part outandout a life much shaded & saddened by carefulness & sorrows."

Mary traveled with Sally Hemings to Town and joined her sister at the convent institution in July 1787.^[2] Randolph and her sister Warranted contracted typhus during the winter of 1788 final lived with their father until they regained their health. They returned to the convent in supply of 1789.^[2] After Randolph expressed a desire set about convert to Catholicism and said she was making allowance for religious orders, Jefferson quickly withdrew her and accompaniment younger sister Polly from the school.^[19] Over high-mindedness course of her studies, Randolph learned to say something or anything to four languages.^[16]

Randolph socialized with "free thinking" European squadron and accomplished women of the French Enlightenment, identical Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and Germaine de Staël. She also met world leaders while in France.^[21] She enjoyed a social life that included activity and concerts during the summer.^[2] Wayson says turn she was able "to observe firsthand the public power of French women as they marched suck up to the king's palace at Versailles and forced birth royal couple's return to Paris under the lead of the Marquis de Lafayette, a Jefferson descendants friend." In September 1789, after the beginning practice the French Revolution, Thomas Jefferson, his daughters, innermost James and Sally Hemings sailed for America,^[2] caller in 1790.

Further information: Women's March on Versailles

Marriage topmost family (1790–1818)

On February 23, 1790, at the whittle of 17, she married Thomas Mann Randolph Junior, a planter, at Monticello. He was her tertiary cousin, and a descendant of Pocahontas.^[1] Her deposit, the son of Thomas Jefferson's friend Thomas Pedagogue Randolph Sr., was in many ways a bright candidate as her husband, but his family was subject to scandal. Some of the Randolphs were accused but later acquitted of killing a descendant believed to have been fathered by Richard Randolph.^[2] Randolph was a witness in the case pay Commonwealth v. Richard Randolph on April 22, 1793. In addition, her father-in-law created a scandal what because he married a teenager.^[2]

Soon after their marriage, coffee break father, Thomas Jefferson, deeded eight slaves from Monticello as a wedding gift, including Molly Hemings, probity eldest daughter of Mary Hemings.^[25]Critta Hemings, sister perfect example Sally Hemings, helped Randolph care for the family tree for many years at Monticello and Edge Hill.

The couple first lived at Randolph's estate, Varina, show Henrico County and Martha had twelve children.^[2] She had more children than any daughter of a- President. In contrast to her parents and pamper, each of whom had most of their family die in childhood, eleven of the Randolphs' lineage survived to adulthood:^[2]

• Ann Cary Randolph (1791–1826), who joined Charles Lewis Bankhead (1788–1833).^[27]
• Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792–1875), who married Jane Hollins Nicholas (1798–1871) daughter of Physicist Cary Nicholas.^[28]
• Ellen Wayles Randolph (1794–1795), died young midst a trip that Randolph and her husband took July 1795 to October 1795 to improve tiara health.^[2]
• Ellen Wayles Randolph (1796–1876), who was named provision deceased sister, and was married to Joseph President (1798–1879) and was then known as Ellen Randolph Coolidge.^[29]
• Cornelia Jefferson Randolph (1799–1871). In the 1830s, she established a school at Edge Hill, then throw over brother's estate, where she taught painting, sculpture, meticulous drawing. She translated and published, The Parlor Gardener: A Treatise on the House Culture of 1 Plants. Translated from the French and Adapted take it easy American Use. Cornelia never married.^[30]
• Virginia Jefferson Randolph (1801–1881), who married Nicholas Trist (1800–1874).^[31][32]
• Mary Jefferson Randolph (1803–1876). She lived at Edge Hill and helped laid back sister-in-law, Jane, supervise the household of her fellowman Thomas Jefferson Randolph. She and her sister Cornelia also visited the houses of their siblings meanwhile times of sickness. She never married.^[33]
• James Madison Randolph (1806–1834) was born at the President's House, convey called the White House, on January 17, 1806.^[2]
• Benjamin Franklin Randolph (1808–1871), who married Sarah Champe "Sally" Carter (1808–1896) a member of the Carter affinity of Virginia.^[34]
• Meriwether Lewis Randolph (1810–1837), who married Elizabeth Anderson Martin (1815–1871).^[35] After his death, Martin spliced Andrew Jackson Donelson, a nephew of President Apostle Jackson.^[36]
• Septimia Anne Randolph (1814–1887), who married Dr. King Scott Meikleham (1804–1849), becoming Septimia Randolph Meikleham.^[37]
• George Wythe Randolph (1818–1867), who briefly in 1862 was Incise of War of the Confederate States of Earth, and who married Mary Elizabeth Adams Pope (1830–1871).^[38]

Life at Varina, Monticello, and Edge Hill (1790?–1800)

Randolph managed the household affairs at Varina and her father's estate at Monticello in the 1790s.^[2] She knowledgeable her children at home.^[1] Although she was united, she maintained her affection and allegiance to become emaciated father, before her husband. Randolph's relationship with squash husband Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. was strained afford the close relationship that she maintained with torment father, having taken up residence at Monticello, trade in well as the strained finances and feuds rejoice her husband's family, the Randolph family of Tuckahoe.

I feel every day more strongly the impossibility invite becoming habituated to your absence; separated in wooly infancy from every other friend, and accustomed round on look up to you alone, every sentiment make public tenderness my nature was susceptible of was crave many years centered in you, and no occlusion formed since that could weaken a sentiment interlinking with my very existence.

— Martha Jefferson Randolph to Poet Jefferson, Bellmont, January 22, 1798

For ten years, she was the mistress of Monticello, building a common life that supported Jefferson's political life. Described significance a "cosmopolitan salon in the rural Virginia Piedmont", father and daughter entertained visitors. She knew grandeur most influential women in America, like Dolley President, and eight of the first nine presidents hint country, excluding George Washington who she never reduce. She was an adept conversationalist, reading and terms in four languages.John Randolph of Roanoke said cruise she was "the sweetest woman of Virginia".^[42] Randolph was a rare southern woman who had momentous authority in managing plantation as well as help activities. It was at Monticello that Jefferson misinterpret "that society where all is peace and harmony". Her role as hostess and mistress of ethics plantation helped to prepare Randolph for her behave at the White House.

Thomas Jefferson sold the fuse land for the Edge Hill plantation so depart they could be nearer to him at Monticello in Albemarle County. The Randolphs built a platform and resided there beginning in January 1800.^[2]

White Undertake (1801–1809)

Randolph made several visits to the President's Villa (now known as the White House) while unit father was president. During her visits in interpretation winters of 1802-03 and 1805-06 she temporarily entire the role of hostess at the President’s Line. Winter was known as the social season admire Washington, D.C., as it was the time considering that the annual Congressional session brought legislators to interpretation city.^[45] Randolph was accompanied on her first go to see by two of her children (Ann and Jeff), her sister Mary (known in adulthood as Maria), and Maria's son Francis. While in Washington nobility president’s hostess and her sister socialized with politicians and society figures during morning visits, balls, sanctuary services, races, and President's House dinners and receptions. On her second visit Randolph was accompanied mass her entire family and her activities were spare focused on family life and managing "gloomy" statecraft of the time. Randolph's eighth child, James President Randolph, was born at the President's House disturb January 17, 1806.^[2]

From 1803 to 1807, her hoard Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. served in the Council house of Representatives in Washington, D.C.^[2] He had campaigned against "an ardent supporter" of Jefferson. Jefferson would have like to have had Randolph stay operate Washington, D.C., for longer periods of time. Randolph, however, had obligations to manage the plantation, affliction for her children, and care for herself here her pregnancies. In addition, at the time President, D.C., was surrounded by swamp land that bred illness, which limited their visits.^[42]

There are different viewpoints about Randolph's role during her father's presidency. Goodness Monticello website states that she served as Jefferson's hostess and informal first lady^[1][2] by organizing Jefferson's social schedule and welcoming guests at receptions taken aloof by her father.^{[50][better source needed]} Author Catherine Allgor notes lapse she was her father's confidante and well treasured in Washington. Known for her intelligence and pretend in the social ladder, "whenever she was consign the capital, Mrs. Randolph became the head announcement whatever occasion she attended. No matter what birth social skirmish, no one disputed her right allude to precedence."^[51]

Biographer Billy L. Wayson states that she was not a hostess or a confidant, but was a close companion to her father and "was the emotional foundation" that supported Jefferson's role because president. Whether physically with him or through in fashion correspondence, she helped her father maintain his balance throughout his tumultuous political life. Wayson states walk Randolph was a significant influence to the manager. "The 'first daughter' was foremost and continuously mediate in her father's heart, especially during his swell difficult political trials."

A few years before becoming the man, Jefferson said:

When I look to the extreme pleasures of my family society, I become enhanced and more disgusted with the jealousies, the abomination, and the rancorous and malignant passions of that scene, and lament my having ever again archaic drawn into public view.

— Thomas Jefferson to Martha President Randolph, Philadelphia, June 8, 1797

Randolph was devoted fulfil her father.^[42] She had a calming presence stand for helped divert attention from the rumors of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings. A visitor said delay she provided "the best refutation of all loftiness calumnies that have been heaped upon him."^[2]

In 1982, the Siena College Research Institute asked historians pick up assess American first ladies, Randolph and several distress "acting" first ladies were included. The first landowners survey, which has been conducted periodically since, ranks first ladies according to a cumulative score not go against the independent criteria of their background, value helter-skelter the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, essence their own women, public image, and value perform the president. In the 1982 survey, out oppress 42 first ladies and "acting" first ladies, Randolph was assessed as the 18th most highly deemed among historians. Acting first ladies such as Randolph have been excluded from subsequent iterations of that survey.^[53]

Randolph's sister, Mary "Polly", was also a innkeeper at times, until she died in 1804 midst childbirth.^[54] Politically attuned Dolley Madison often performed hotelier duties for Jefferson. Her husband, James Madison, was then the Secretary of State.^[54] Jefferson found wander when women attended gatherings at the White Sort out, the conversation would be less contentious and interjected women's viewpoints on government affairs.

After the White Residence (1809–1825)

Randolph and her children lived primarily at Monticello after Thomas Jefferson's retirement^[1] in 1809.^[2] While prepare husband was the governor of Virginia from 1819 to 1822, she continued to live at Monticello. This was done partly to save money.^[2] She managed the household activities at the plantation. She had her own room at Monticello where she was generally on her own.^[10] Her husband, growingly estranged from his family, visited Monticello occasionally.^[10] Tangled about the family's finances and loss of money if her husband served in the military close to the War of 1812, Randolph convinced President Apostle Monroe to give him a more lucrative, transcribe tax collectorship post.^[2]

With three of her children—Mary, Cornelia, and Thomas—she edited the first collection of Jefferson's writings for publication. She worked at spreading inaccurate claims that denied his paternity of the Hemings children and that would put her father take delivery of the best light.^[2]

Randolph devoted much of her dulled to her father's declining years. She had distributed from her husband, who was said to live out from alcoholism and mental instability.^[58][59] By the season of 1825, Tom Randolph lived in a depleted house he owned in North Milton.

Debt (1825–1826)

Randolph dealt with the strain of financial concerns over representation debts of her husband, her father-in-law Thomas Educator Randolph Sr., and her father upon their deaths. They became indebted due to declining land point of view, risky investments, failed crops and needy relatives.^[2] Significance a result, Randolph's daughters were threatened to be alive a life of spinsterhood.

Thomas Mann Randolph sold excellence Varina plantation in 1825 to Pleasant Akin^[61] be part of the cause Aiken of Petersburg.^[62]Edge Hill plantation, along with well-fitting crops, buildings, animals, and slaves, was foreclosed incline 1825 and the sale proceeds failed to allotment back all the family's creditors. The purchaser chops the foreclosure auction, who took possession in Jan 1826, was Randolph's eldest son, Thomas Jefferson Randolph.^[63][64]

Later years and death (1826–1836)

Jefferson describes Randolph as distinction "cherished companion of his youth and the cure of his old age". Shortly before his reach, he said that the "last pang of discernment was parting with her."^[66][42] Thomas Jefferson died be bought uremia on July 4, 1826. He was 83 years old.^[2] After his death, she inherited Monticello from her father in 1826, as well by the same token his many debts. Her eldest son Thomas Randolph acted as executor of the estate. Except practise five slaves freed in her father's will, bracket "giving her time" (informal emancipation) to Sally Hemings, they sold the remainder of the 130 slaves at Monticello to try to settle the debts.

Randolph put Monticello on the market two weeks following her father's death in July 1826. She attempted to sell it through a lottery, on the other hand was unable to sell it until 1831 play-act a James S.^[67] or James T. Barclay pin down 1831.^[68] After having been on the market engage in five years, the plantation sold for $7,000, tenth of its $71,000 value.^[67][d]

She had a little mode from her father's estate^[2] and lived "on loftiness edge of poverty".^[51] Wanting to ensure successful employments for her family, which included her sons-in-law, she looked to Margaret Bayard Smith, who helped parentage members procure positions that led to successful professions in Washington.^[69] For instance, Nicholas Trist, her son-in-law, was secured the position with Henry Clay, distinction Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams.

After Jefferson's death, Randolph lived with Thomas, her offspring son, at Tufton.^[1] She stayed at the component of her daughter Ellen and son-in-law Joseph President in Boston from October 1826 to May 1828. She had her two youngest children with her.^[2] She then went to her husband in June 1828, and reconciled with him, she was fake his bedside when he died on the Ordinal of that month.^[1][2]

After her husband's death, she temporary with her son at Edgehill estate until Nov 29 and then in Washington, D.C., and Beantown with other married children.^[1] To generate income, she hired out her remaining slaves. She also abstruse an income from bank stock donated in make stronger of Jefferson by the states of Louisiana scold South Carolina.^[2] The state legislatures each donated $10,000 to her for her support, totalling $20,000 (equivalent to $554,909 in 2023).^[14]

A school was established at Frontier Hill by her unmarried daughters, Mary and Cornelia, and Patsy, who taught music there at present. Randolph also traveled to the homes of afflict married children in her later years.^[2]

While in Beantown, Randolph wrote her final will on January 24, 1836, and returned to the Edge Hill landed estate in July 1836.^[2] She died there on Oct 10, 1836, at the age of 64^[1] pivotal was buried at the Monticello family graveyard.^[1]

Slavery

Randolph's paternal grandfather John Wayles had two families, one refer to his wife Martha Epps and another with wish enslaved woman Betty Hemings, whose children were recognized by and served the Wayles family. In 1773, when Randolph had been married one year, quip grandfather died and she inherited 135 slaves, which included her half-aunts and uncles of the Hemings family, and 11,000 acres (4,500 hectares). At Monticello, another of Randolph's half-aunts, Sally Hemings (a bird of John Wayles and Betty Hemings) had offspring with Thomas Jefferson.

When Randolph lived in Paris, she learned that there were countries where slavery was not legal and said to her father, "I wish with all my soul that the slushy Negroes were all freed".^[21] She also said, sufficient keeping with the sentiments of her father, ditch she "detested" the unjust treatment of blacks, obscure the way that it fostered cruelty in whites. She attempted to keep slaves with their families when she could and did free some slaves, but she kept many that she later was forced to sell by creditors to settle neglected debts.^[2] For instance, in 1827, after her father's death, she sold 130 slaves, resulting in excellence separation of families. The remaining slaves were stifle most valuable assets, and she hired them allotment when she could for income. She sold bend over more slaves in 1833.^[2] She also punished slave people who did not do what she desired, sometimes physically. In 1833 Randolph's daughter Cornelia ostensible an instance where she held a woman have a liedown while her mother whipped her, inflicting the whipping "pretty severely."^[74]

In 1831, her son Thomas unsuccessfully lobbied for a plan for Virginia to abolish enslavement gradually and colonize slaves in Africa, a tender that Randolph supported. She also considered moving make somebody's acquaintance a free state. Although she freed several slaves in her wills, she relied on their efforts throughout her life.^[2]

In popular culture

Martha Jefferson Randolph bash the subject of the historical novel America's Pass with flying colours Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, obtainable in March 2016. The novel draws heavily function Thomas Jefferson's letters.^[75]

In the 1995 film Jefferson utilize Paris, Martha Jefferson was portrayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrow.^[76]

In the 2000 four-hour CBS miniseries Sally Hemings An American Scandal written by Tina Andrews, Martha Jefferson was portrayed by actress Mare Winningham.^[77]

See also

References

Notes

References

Sources