Portrait of Jefferson’s granddaughter, Ellen Randolph Coolidge

            Ellen was one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite grandchildren. She called him "her earliest best friend." She often rode with him on his lands.

            Ellen was taught at home by her mother, Martha Jefferson. Like her grandfather, she studied hard. But like most girls of that time, she didn’t go to college.

            When Ellen was older, she traveled to Richmond, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. She visited family friends and young gentlemen.

            In 1825, Ellen married Joseph Coolidge. They lived in Boston, Massachusetts. She gave birth to six children, including twin boys. Ellen and Joseph had a long and happy marriage. She died in 1876.