Rachel's First Marriage & Divorce

Her identity derived almost solely from the fact that she married Andrew Jackson without technically being free from her first marriage to Lewis Robards.
Rachel pushed the limits of acceptable society at a time when very few women were claiming their independence and their own means to happiness.

"Ought a convicted adulteress and her paramour husband be placed in the highest office of this free and Christian land?"

Perspectives and Timelines

There are different perspectives as to the events surrounding Rachel and Lewis Robards' marriage. The Robards' perspective can be found in the family's self-published book, "History and Genealogy of the Robards Family." The Jackson perspective can be found in Judge John Overton's narrative, which was written in response to accusations from Jackson's political rivals. Judge Overton's narrative was also one of the sources for the official timeline used in the 1828 campaign to show that Jackson and Rachel were innocent of charges of adultery and bigamy brought by Lewis Robards. Almost 150 years later, Robert Remini found several pieces of evidence that contradict Judge Overton's story in significant ways. Remini's timeline is based on documents, or in some cases the lack of documents, from that period.

The Marriage in Natchez

No record of Rachel and Andrew's marriage in Natchez survives, although documents do exist in regard to Rachel and Lewis Robards' divorce. The divorce laws in 1790's were vague and dissolving a marriage was extremely difficult, but the divorce was eventually granted and Rachel and Andrew then married again for the record in Nashville.

News quote:The Hermitage, accessed 21 August 2001