Legacy of Martha Jefferson | First Lady of United States

Summary

Martha Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America. Martha has been portrayed as a committed wife and mother, one of the most influential women of early America. Martha is a distorted figure compared to her husband, but her life shows an essential truth about the internal conflict in a highly publicized personality. This article looks at Martha Jefferson’s life in detail.

Facts About Martha Jefferson

Full name:	Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
Born:	30 October 1748, Charles City, Virginia, United States
Death:	6 September 1782 (age 33 years), Monticello, Virginia, United States
Parents:	John Wayles, Martha Eppes
Husband:	Thomas Jefferson (m. 1772-1782), Bathurst Skelton (m. 1766-1768)
Children:	Martha Jefferson Randolph, Mary Jefferson Eppes
Sibling:	Sally Hemings

Early Life of Martha Jefferson

Martha Jefferson was born on October 30, 1748, in Charles City County, Virginia. She was the daughter of John Wayles, a great and renowned lawyer and a great planter of that time. She had all the conveniences and a good education due to her family’s high status in the early years. She was responsible for running the house at Monticello. She provided Jefferson with companionship in his political and academic activities. 

Martha was known as Patsy during her childhood. Her early education was from Monticello and was provided by her parents. The Jeffersons lived in Monticello, even while the Brits lived in a simmering crisis that led to the war for independence. One can argue that Martha’s childhood ended on September 6, 1782, because her mother died from postpartum fever complications while giving birth to another child. She turned into her father’s “constant companion”.

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John and Patsy moved to Philadelphia in December of 1782. While attending school, Patsy lived with a family, and Jefferson focused on political matters. She stayed longer than a year in this relatively ‘worldly’ city, learning music, drawing, dancing and French from tutors.

Martha Jefferson’s Married Life

Martha Jefferson married Thomas Jefferson on the 1st of January in 1772. Their marriage was crucial in American history because Thomas Jefferson, who was married to Martha, became the third President of the United States of America. They had six children, of which only two, Martha and Mary, reached adulthood. 

Before her marriage to Jefferson, Marth married Daniel Parke Custis accord, according to history. They had four children, though only two were alive when they were young. Martha became a widow in 1757 when Custis died at the age of 25 years old and children. Marriage to Thomas Jefferson placed her right in the center of American political life, thus making her a prominent figure in American history – the First Lady. 

First lady of Virginia 

Martha served as the First Lady of Virginia from 1779 to 1781 during the American Revolution. In that capacity, and with George Washington’s wife Martha requesting Mrs. Jefferson do it, she embarked on a campaign to mobilize women across Virginia to support the Militia in the Continental Army to a level or until her health failed her.

The letter written by Martha Jefferson, which is currently known to exist, is the letter to James Madison’s mother, Eleanor Conway Madison. She advertised in the Virginia Gazette, informing the public that the collections would be taken in churches. At the national level, the Ladies Association raised $ 300,000, which was used to purchase linen shirts for Washington’s army. 

Martha Jefferson Memorial

The Martha Jefferson Memorial is a memorial dedicated to Martha, Thomas Jefferson’s wife and the mother of six of his children. It is a memorial of her achievements in U.S. history and as the first lady of the United States. Jefferson’s Memorial is in Neoclassical architecture and is located in the West Potomac Park of Washington, DC, on the banks of the Potomac River. The university was planned by John Russell Pope, an architect from New York City, and constructed by Philadelphia contractor John McShain. 

Martha Jefferson’s Death 

Martha Jefferson passed on in 1782 at 33 from unknown causes. She died at their country home, Monticello, from a long illness. Her death was an immense tragedy for Thomas Jefferson, and he mourned her, expressing his feelings about the loss in his letters and thinking about her impact on his life. 

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