Emily Donelson 1807 – 1836

Biography

Emily Donelson was born on June 1, 1807, in Donelson, Tennessee, into a family with deep roots in American history. As the niece of President Andrew Jackson, she occupied a unique position in the nation’s social and political circles during the early nineteenth century. Her life, though brief, connected her to one of the most influential figures of her era.

Emily spent her formative years surrounded by the significance of her family’s legacy. Her relationship to President Jackson placed her within the inner circles of power during a transformative period in American politics. Despite the prominence of her family name and connections, Emily’s own story remains an important thread in the broader tapestry of the Jackson family history.

On December 19, 1836, Emily’s life was cut short by tuberculosis at just twenty-nine years of age in Nashville, Tennessee. She was laid to rest at Hermitage Churchyard Cemetery in Davidson County, a final resting place that reflected her family’s standing and significance. Emily Donelson is remembered as a woman whose life, though limited in years, was marked by her connection to an extraordinary American family and the historical period in which she lived.