"Brooks has done so much to renew the acquaintance of American women with their foremothers . interesting and instructive." -The American Monthly Review The widespread popularity of Miss Geraldine Brooks' book, "Dames and Daughters of Colonial Days" (1900), led to the request that the author prepare a companion volume dealing with the period immediately following the Revolutionary War. This she did in 1901 with "Dames and Daughters of the Young Republic" which included a series of eight delightful sketches of celebrated women, like Dolly Madison, Martha Jefferson, Elizabeth Patterson (Madame Bonaparte) and Dorothy Hancock. The sketch of Martha Jefferson has been excerpted here for the convenience of the reader, due to the present great interest in Thomas Jefferson's famous daughter. Brooks' account provides a pleasing sketches of Martha who had not a little to do with the early management of this country's affairs-though, perhaps, in a quiet way-and the portrait also affords a vivid glimpses of a chivalrous time. It throws entertaining side-lights upon Martha and the well-known people with whom she came in contact. It is a narrative sketch and is designed to show the character and conditions of society that governed life in America over two centuries ago.

Martha Jefferson Randolph ( 1772 -1836) was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. Born at Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia. Her nickname was Patsy. She married Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., who served as a politician at the federal and state levels and was elected a governor of Virginia (1819-1822). They had twelve children together. Martha was very close to her father in his old age. Martha Jefferson Randolph is also the subject of the novel America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, published in March 2016.

The novel draws heavily upon Jefferson's letters.