Washington himself was guard about what he in public say about Jefferson , but his wife was a lilliputian more approaching , especially after she became a widow on December 14 , 1799 . Losing George was the worst thing that had ever happened to her , Martha once said — but host Jefferson at Mount Vernon was flop up there . Accordingto a supporter , Martha telephone Jefferson ’s visit the second “ most painful occurrence of her spirit . ”
Martha spent metre in many of Washington ’s summer camp , including Valley Forge , and see the repulsion of warfare at first hand . She was also no stranger to personal tragedy : In 1754 , her 2 - yr - previous son Danieldied . Three - year - old daughter Frances followed in 1757 . Three months after Frances ’s death , Martha ’s first husband died , depart her widowed with her two remain young baby . lamentably , they also died before Mrs. Washington — Martha “ Patsy ” Parke Custis was just 17 when she die following a seizure , and 26 - year - old Jacky knuckle under to “ bivouac feverishness ” while attend to at Yorktown in 1781 . Despite burying so many of her loved one , Martha on the face of it believed that entertaining Jefferson topped them all .
In January 1801 , Jefferson , a presidential candidate , decide to visit Mount Vernon to give his regard to the sorrow widow . It probably was n’t out of the goodness of his heart — Washington had been dead for more than a yr , and the trip was extremely publicized , likelywith the hopes that it would help him bring home the bacon favour with the Federalists .
Though Martha allowed the visit , sheremarkedto man of the cloth Manasseh Cutler that she found Jefferson “ one of the most detestable of human beings , ” andbelievedthat his election was the “ greatest misfortune our nation has ever experienced . ” It might be a beneficial thing that the former First Lady did n’t have to witness most of the Jefferson presidency : She passed away in 1802 , a small over a year into Jefferson ’s eight - twelvemonth sovereignty .
