Sarah Yorke Jackson

Sarah Jackson (; July 1805 – August 23, 1887) was an American woman who was the White House hostess and acting first lady of the United States from November 26, 1834, to March 4, 1837. She served in this role as the daughter-in-law of U.S. president Andrew Jackson after marrying his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr. She had initially been named as mistress of the Jackson residence in Tennessee, the Hermitage, but she moved to the White House and became co-hostess with Emily Donelson after the Hermitage was damaged in a fire. When Donelson fell ill, Sarah Jackson took on the position of White House hostess in its entirety for the remainder of the term. After leaving the White House, she returned to the repaired Hermitage, living there for the remainder of her life.

Early life Sarah Yorke was born in July 1805, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a wealthy Quaker family. Her father Peter Yorke, a sea captain and successful merchant, died in 1815. Her mother Mary Haines Yorke died during a trip to New Orleans in 1820, leaving Sarah and her two sisters orphaned. She was raised by two aunts, Mrs. George Farquhar and Mrs. Mordecai Wetherill. The president's schedule prevented him from attending the wedding, but the couple was invited to stay at the White House over the following months. They found a home to stay in at Hunter's Hill, but the incident had a severe emotional effect on Jackson.

Sarah was not terribly active as a hostess. The death of Rachel Jackson had limited any significant social activity in the White House, and this was compounded by the death of Emily Donelson. She remained at the White House for the final ten months of President Jackson's term, She remained close to the former president and cared for him for the remainder of his life. Sarah Yorke Jackson died on August 23, 1887, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 82.

Sarah Yorke Jackson had little influence on the position of first lady, as her short tenure and the social circumstances of the Andrew Jackson presidency offered her little opportunity to stand out. By the time she reached old age, she had largely been forgotten by the American public, and she has since been the subject of very little scholarly analysis.