Such are the “facts” surrounding the marriage that were presented to the American people in 1827 when Jackson ran for the presidency. They constitute a plausible account if one wants to believe that Rachel and Jackson were innocent of any deliberate wrongdoing and is willing to overlook the fact that Jackson, a lawyer, did not bother to obtain legal proof of divorce before “marrying” Rachel, that no record of the 1791 “marriage” or who performed it exists, and that it took two years for the couple to learn that no divorce had been granted despite the fact that on February 4, 11, 18, and 25 and
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