Marta and Thomas Jefferson: a love story

Spouses Martha and Thomas Jefferson lived together only 10 years, but these were the happiest years. The history of their relationship is beautiful and sad at the same time. So who was the lover of one of the presidents of the United States?

March: Early years and education

She was born in Virginia near Williamsburg in October 1748 in the family of plantation owners John and Martha Wales. Her mother died 6 days later due to complications after childbirth. The father, stepmother and pilgrim teachers were engaged in the education of the girl. Although there is no documentary evidence of the early years of her life, but judging by the state of the family, Martha should have been sufficiently educated for both the young girl of that time.

It is known that she knew French, loved poetry, could play piano and harpsichord, and also sang well. In addition, she acquired good management skills in the plantation, as she helped her father. All this will come in handy later in the estate of Monticello.

First marriage

At the age of 18, Marta married Bathurst Skelton, a young lawyer from Virginia, who gave birth to John's son. Unfortunately, she was not married for long, as her husband suddenly fell ill and died in 1768, when she was only 20 years old. Martha Skelton returned to her father's house. True, she inherited a decent fortune.

Thomas and Martha Jefferson: a story of acquaintance

When enough time had passed after the death of her husband, many admirers began to look after the widow. And this is not surprising, because she was young, intelligent, rich and very attractive (according to the testimony of her contemporaries). One of them was Thomas Jefferson (President of the United States in the future, but for now only a young successful lawyer). They met, most likely, at the end of 1770 in the city of Williamsburg, where Thomas had previously studied at the College of William and Mary. By the way, they were classmates with Martha's first husband. There is also information that Thomas was a distant relative of his future wife (perhaps that is why four of their six children died at a young age).

Love story

Jefferson immediately began to persistently take care of the young beautiful woman. But not so the appearance captivated him, as her versatility, education and passion for music. For Thomas, it was love at first sight. But Martha at first did not reciprocate a shy young man. Also, her father was against their relationship because it was not clear whether Jefferson would be able to provide her with a secure future, since he was below her in social status. Despite this, Thomas makes a beloved marriage proposal in early 1771, but receives a refusal.

But the young man in love does not despair and tries again, after only six months. Now Martha agrees. They were united with Thomas by a common passion for literature and music. Approximately in June 1771 an engagement was held, shortly after which the wedding was planned. But the grief happened - Martha's son dies from his first marriage because of an unexpected illness. Therefore, the wedding had to wait.

Unlike the long tradition of settlement marriages, in which the social or financial situation of the chosen one was the key, Romantic love played the main role in this family. Interestingly, as early as December 1771, Thomas wrote the text of the marriage vow, in which he called Martha "an unmarried woman" (but this word was later corrected by the "widow"). Apparently, Thomas did not want to admit that his wife could have belonged to someone before him. As a wedding gift, Thomas presented his beloved pianoforte. He also decided to refine his family estate Monticello, so that it was like a cozy nest, not a bachelor's house, because it was there that the young family should live.

Wedding

In the end, Martha and Thomas Jefferson became husband and wife on January 1, 1772. The ceremony took place on the estate of the father of the bride. After living there for two weeks, they harnessed the carriage and set off on a journey of 100 miles to Monticello. On the way they were caught by a snowstorm, one of the strongest that ever fell upon Virginia. The carriage rolled over, and they had to get on horseback. When Martha and Thomas Jefferson arrived at the estate, all the servants were already asleep, and the newlyweds decided to spend the night in a small cozy building, which is still called "Honeymoon Cottage."

Children

Nine months later, in the same year, 1772, their first daughter, Marta, who was called Patsy, was born. Only she and her sister Mary did not die in childhood, like the four other children of the Jefferson couple. The pain of loss and a large number of pregnancies knocked down Martha's health. Thomas always tried to be with his wife, especially in difficult postpartum periods. Because of this, he often sacrificed a career. For example, one day he refused an important diplomatic trip to Paris, and in September 1776 was forced to leave the Congress, although he was the only representative of the state of Virginia. He was constantly worried about her health, and his fears were not unfounded: Martha, like her own mother, was at great risk of dying during childbirth.

But aside from health problems, Martha and Thomas Jefferson were absolutely happy. They were very fond of spending time together: they read to each other, played music, sang for themselves and the guests. Mrs. Jefferson was an excellent housewife and mother. She also coped well with the management of the estate. Everyone who watched the pair was amazed at how faithful they were to each other.

Death of Martha

In May 1782, a sixth daughter was born in the family. Unfortunately, after these births, Marta could not recover. When she was on her deathbed and realized that their love story would soon be over, they both copied the lines from their favorite novel "Tristam Shandy". Martha wrote: "Time flies too fast, like clouds on a windy day." And Thomas continued: "Every time I kiss your hand to say goodbye, this is the prelude to eternal separation, which we will soon feel." He wore this scrap of paper and a curl of his beloved's hair for the rest of his life. In addition, he promised Martha that he would not marry after her death, and kept his promise. That's the way Thomas Jefferson turned out to be. The biography of a few politicians has such a beautiful and at the same time sad history of love.