Eliza Johnson, First Lady

by Science Source

Title

Eliza Johnson, First Lady

Artist

Science Source

Medium

Painting - Photograph

Description

Eliza McCardle Johnson (October 4, 1810 - January 15, 1876) was the First Lady of the United States and the wife of Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States. In1826, Eliza was chatting with classmates when she spotted Andrew Johnson and his family pull into town with all their belongings. They instantly took a liking to each other. Andrew Johnson, aged 18, married Eliza McCardle, aged 16, on May 17, 1827. She was rather tall and had hazel eyes, brown hair and a good figure. She was better educated than Johnson. He credited his wife for teaching him to do arithmetic and to write, as he had never attended school. She supported her husband in his political career, but had tried to avoid public appearances. A few months later after her husband became president, she joined him in the White House, but she was not able to serve as First Lady due to her poor health. She remained confined to a room on the second floor, leaving the social chores to her daughter, Martha. After episodes of consumption (tuberculosis), she died in 1876, at the of age 65. She survived her husband by five and a half months. Painting by Byrd Venable Farioletti, after a photograph.

Uploaded

October 21st, 2016

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags