Canden Schwantes - Wild Women of Washington, D.C.: A History of Disorderly Conduct from the Ladies of the District

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by Canden Schwantes

All rights reserved

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62584.859.8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Schwantes, Canden.

Wild women of Washington, D.C. : a history of disorderly conduct from the ladies of the District / Canden Schwantes.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

print edition ISBN 978-1-62619-367-3

1. Women--Washington (D.C.)--Biography. 2. Women--Washington (D.C.)--Social life and customs. 3. Washington (D.C.)--Social life and customs. 4. Washington (D.C.)--Biography. I. Title.

F193.S39 2014

920.72--dc23

[B]

2014004790

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

While trying to write this book, the government shut down, I broke my foot and my hard drive crashed. If it was not for the support of my fianc, my family and my coworkers, this book would not have happened and I might have had a mental breakdown. To everyone at DC by Foot who covered my tours so I could write; to my parents, who read the book in its first draft; to my mom in particular, who helped keep in mind that not everyone reads the way I think; to all at The History Press for their flexibility and encouragement; and to Manny forwell, everything; thank you!

PREFACE

My dad always taught me that history is lies agreed upon. Everything I write in this book could be a lie; I dont knowI wasnt there! And to be honest, a lot of it is based on hearsay, gossip and diary entries of women scorned. Wherever possible, I try to be as unbiased for or against someones actions. Ive reported what Ive found, but when it comes to what is written down, its not always what actually happened.

The idea for this book was to be part of The History Presss Wicked series, but then we decided that wicked was not the right word. It has a negative connotation, and many of these women were anything but negative. Sure, there were some affairs, some thievery and prostitution, but for the most part, what makes these women wild is that they went against the social norms and common perceptions of what was appropriate for a lady of the times. By todays standards, it is commonplace for a woman to dowell, anything! But this book isnt about today.

Consider this a summary. The remarkable women included in this book deserve and often have lengthy tomes written about them, in-depth looks into their lives, thoughts and actions. This is not one of those books. It is a highlight of their unconventionaland sometimes scandalousways. It does not include everything, nor does it give a full picture of each woman. Listed in the bibliography are biographies of many of these ladies for a more comprehensive view.

INTRODUCTION

We luckily live in a time when anything you can do, I can do better. Women of the twenty-first century can wear the pants and bring home the bacon, both figuratively and literally. There was, though, a time in which a woman in pants caused a stir and the only bacon brought home came from the butcher. Throughout the years, however, women proved they were not the weaker sex.

Sally Halterman, the first female to get a motorcycle license in Washington, D.C. (1936). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection.

Women in shorts being stared at by men outside Stainton and Evis Furniture store. City of Toronto Archives Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 4765.

Women of American history, specifically in Washington, D.C., were both held to higher standards and expected to be progressive. It was a conundrum unique to the women of the men who led the country. Access to the political machine in a city literally built by revolutionaries encouraged and inspired some feminine rebellions. And yet if you were an elite woman in the city, all eyes were on you to set the example of etiquette, fashion and culture.

No womanly position was held more aloft in the eyes of social climbers than that of first lady. It was a stressful position where, then and now, your personal life was never actually personal. Few were able to keep their secrets, and some of these women proved to be unconventional.

While the brothers went off to the battles, their sisters stayed at home and used their womanly ways to aid the cause. When these flirtations were not enough, the women just did the fighting themselves. From soldiers to lawyers, women in the nineteenth century led the way into professions normally reserved for men. And they often did it in skirts and heels with all eyes on them.

Women in Washington had affairs, held jobs, spied on neighbors and stood up to say that they were equal. What brings these wild women together is that they didnt do what they were toldin fact, they did just the opposite.

CHAPTER 1

FLIRTATIOUS FIRST LADIES

There are two ways to look at the fact that scandal and the White House seem to go hand in hand. On the one hand, presidents and would-be presidents have their every step followed and every mistake aired and recorded for posterity. Or perhaps the American voting population has a penchant for electing philanderers.

Of our past presidents, it is often said that only one is believed not to have had an affair before, during or after his presidency. That was Ronald Reagan, the first divorced man ever elected to the office. Of course, we dont actually know if this is true, since these types of misdeeds happen behind closed doors.

And while White House gossip most often brings to mind the president, there is another side to the story: that of his wife.

RACHEL JACKSON HAD TWO HUSBANDS

Rachel Jackson from all accounts seems like a lovely lady who made a mistakeor rather, two. The first was marrying her husband, and the second was not making sure the divorce was final before marrying her next.

If it werent for the political ambitions of her second husband, this would have likely never come to light. It would have had little consequence to the grand scheme of the couples life together. But she happened to fall in love with Andrew Jackson.

This was before he was anything more than a small-town lawyer in Tennessee. When he arrived in Nashville, Jackson took up residence as a boarder with the widow Donelson. It was here that he met Rachel Donelson Robards, the widows lovely but married daughter.

At the age of eighteen, Rachel had married twenty-seven-year-old Lewis Robards in Kentucky. From here, whether Rachel was a battered woman or adulterer depends on whose story you believe.

According to Lew Robards, after living in his mothers home with Rachel for three years, Robards could take no more of her shameless flirting with other men. Claiming she was unfit as a wife, Robards asked his brother-in-law to take Rachel back home. After some time apart, seeking reconciliation, Robards came to his wifes Nashville home only to find her in close comfort with Andrew Jackson. Before anything could be done, Rachel and Jackson left for Natchez, Mississippi, where they were wed. Heartbroken, Robards filed for divorce on the grounds of abandonment and adultery in the courts of Tennessee in 1794, three years after her marriage to Jackson.