Pictures In History

Sarah Polk, a prominent figure in Tennessee society even before her marriage to American president James Knox Polk. She had received a higher education, a rare achievement for a woman, from the Moravians' 'female academy' at Salem. (Photo by MPI/Getty Ima

The United States has had its share of memorable First Ladies, from Abigail Adams and Dolley Madison to Eleanor Roosevelt and Hilary Clinton, but in the mix is Sarah Childress Polk, the wife of the 11th president of the United States, James K. Polk. A remarkable woman, Sarah Polk preferred to stay out of the limelight. In this article, we intended to bring her out from the shadows and show you why she was a great First Lady and an asset to her husband’s presidency. Here are seven facts you didn’t know about this forgotten First Lady.

Wealthy and Well-Educated

Sarah Childress, born in 1803, was the daughter of a prominent merchant, farmer, and land spectator in Tennessee. In 1817, her father sent Sarah and her sister to attend the exclusive Moravians’ Salem Academy in Winston-Salem North Carolina. This was one of the first places of higher education available to women at that time. In the early 19th century, it was rare for girls to be educated at all, so it was quite unusual for Sarah to have the opportunity for higher learning.

James K. Polk. Painting by Max Westfield after G.P.A. Healy. (Getty Images)

She Met Her Future Husband When She Was 12

Sarah Childress was just 12 years old when she first met 19-year-old James K. Polk. They were both being tutored by Samuel P. Black of Murfreesboro. Don’t worry… their romance did not start at this time. Several years later, in the early 1820s, they were more formally introduced. Polk was working in the State Legislature and Sarah attended a party where they reconnected.

Andrew Jackson Was the Matchmaker

As the story went, James K. Polk saw Sarah Childress at this get-together and remembered her from their past meetings. Politician and future president Andrew Jackson reportedly gave Polk a nudge and told him that Sarah was “wealthy, pretty, ambitious, and intelligent.” He encouraged Polk to marry her. Polk took that advice. After a brief courtship, the couple married on January 1, 1824. Sarah was 20 years old, and her new husband was 28.

James and Sarah Polk Never Had Children

In their 25 years of marriage, James and Sarah Polk never had children, making them the only presidential couple to never have children while together, either biologically, adopted, or from previous marriages. It was likely that James Polk was the reason for this. He had had surgery as a young man to remove a bladder stone and it is believed that this rendered him sterile.

Sarah Polk wore only black during her 42 years of widowhood. (Getty Images)

Sarah Supported and Critiqued Her Husband

As James Polk’s political career took off, Sarah was at his side. She drafted his speeches, maintained his correspondences, and stayed abreast of current events. Although she perfected her social skills, she avoided speaking publicly about political issues. She preferred to stay in the background. Polk, however, often spoke of Sarah’s insight and guidance in various matters. He called her his “most active supporter and biggest critique.”

She Had High Moral Standards

Sarah Polk was a religious woman and had high moral standards. She refused to dance, would not attend horse races, wouldn’t play cards, and did not drink. She wouldn’t even attend the theater. Sarah was not the type of person to push her beliefs off on others so she still served a variety of alcoholic drinks and wines at state dinners, she just refrained from drinking herself. The presidential parties that she hosted, however, were not the boisterous events of earlier First Ladies, like Julia Tyler’s lively waltzes. Under Sarah Polk, these events were more subdued.

The Longest First Lady Widowhood

James K. Polk died in 1849, just a few months after leaving office, making him the former president with the shortest retirement. Sarah Polk never remarried and lived out the rest of her life in their Nashville home, Polk Place. In the fashion of a true Victorian Era widow, Sarah Polk dressed only in black for the remainder of her days. Sarah Polk died in 1891, 42 years after her husband’s death. That makes Sarah Polk the First Lady with the longest widowhood in U.S. history.