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Martha Jefferson Randolph
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| In office March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1809 |
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| Preceded by | Abigail Adams |
| Succeeded by | Dolley Madison |
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| Born | September 27, 1772 Monticello, Virginia |
| Died | October 10, 1836 |
| Spouse | Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. |
| Relations | Thomas Jefferson and Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson |
| Children | 12 |
| Occupation | First Lady of the United States |
Martha Washington Jefferson Randolph (September 27, 1772 – October 10, 1836) was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. She was born in Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia and was named in honor of her mother and Martha Washington, wife of George Washington. Her nickname was Patsy.
Tall and slim with angular features and red har, she closely resembled her father, to whom she was devoted. From age 12 to 17, she lived in Paris while her father served as U.S. Minister to France. Jefferson enrolled her at Abbaye Royale de Panthemont, an exclusive convent school, after receiving assurances that Protestant students were exempt from religious instruction. Nevertheless, Patsy not only expressed a desire to convert to Catholicism, but also informed her father that she was thinking about becoming a nun. Jefferson quickly withdrew her from the school.
In 1790, Martha married Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., who served as Governor of Virginia from 1819 to 1822. The couple had twelve children:
She is now considered to have been First Lady of the United States from March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1809 because her father was a widower, making her the first First Lady not to be a wife of the president. She earned a reputation as an intellectual.
She educated her children at home. She inherited Monticello from her father in 1826. She faced increasing financial difficulties and had to sell it to James T. Barclay in 1831. She was estranged from her husband until shortly before his death in 1828. She died at her Edgehill estate in Albemarle County, Virginia. She also accepted cash gifts totaling $20,000 from the states of South Carolina and Louisiana.
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| Preceded by Abigail Adams |
First Lady of the United States 1801–1809 |
Succeeded by Dolley Madison |
[[he:מרתה ג'פרסון רנדולף]]
