In the presidential campaign of 2012, Democrats attacked Ann Romney, saying that she had never "worked." I listened in astonishment that anyone could accuse a mother of five boys of never having worked.
Even in 1828, however, attacking a candidate's wife or family was not off limits. Jackson and his wife were accused
of adultery. Rachel, a divorcee, and Jackson believed her divorce was
finalized before their marriage.
The papers were incomplete, however, and she
was publicly branded an adulteress by Jackson's political opponents. Mrs.
Jackson was humiliated, became ill, and died before the inauguration. Jackson
believed these attacks caused his wife's death and said, "May God Almighty
forgive her murderers as I know she has. I never will."
I remember the first time I saw a picture of Andrew Jackson. My reaction was, "They let a crazy guy be president?". He had all the frizzy hair of an Einstein without the kind eyes. But incidents like the one you describe may explain some of that hardness.
ReplyDelete