Name/Title
Doll of Martha Wayles Skelton JeffersonScope and Content
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
The wife of the 3rd President of the United States of America
Born 1748 Died 1782
At age 22 Martha already a widow, heiress, and mother was to become the wife of Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States 1801 -1809. They married New Year's Day 1772.
The Jeffersons' were blessed with six children during their marriage. The only two to reach adulthood were Martha, called Patsy, and Mary, called Maria or Polly.
The physical strains of frequent pregnancies weakened Martha so gravely that her husband curtailed his political activities to stay near her.
Martha Jefferson died in 1782, from what was called the physical strain of frequent pregnancies' weakness. Thomas Jefferson noted in his account book dated Sept 6, "My dear wife died this day at 11:45 A.M."
The doll in this collection is that of Martha Jefferson Randolph, their daughter.
President Jefferson was a 19-year widower when he became president, he had become capable of handling social affairs and political matters, he often called on First Lady Dolly Madison for assistance. His daughter Martha, often called Patsy, Mrs. Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. helped her father, as the Lady of the Presidents house, in the years 1802-1803 and again in 1805-1806. Patsy gave birth to the first child born in the white house. A son named James Madison.Acquisition
Accession
2008.0007Source or Donor
Amacher, Dorothy
