The Long-Standing Marriage of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

The president of any country is considered as being the number one citizen in the country, which means that virtually every aspect of his or her life is subject to public scrutiny. This public scrutiny begins with the declaration to run for public office, the need for people to understand the lives and inner workings of the mind of people who offer to work in public service is an integral part of the elective process. This implies that having a scandal is one of the many ways that the career of the president can be ruined but for Jimmy Carter the 39th president of the US, his life and relationship with his wife is one that many Americans admired.

Rosalynn Carter (nee Smith) is mostly known for being a first lady of both the state of Georgia and the United States of America, as she is the wife of Jimmy Carter who held the highest political position in the aforementioned state and country. The both of them grew up in Georgia where they were also born and their families had always known each other.

The romantic relationship they shared was nurtured in 1945, after Rosalynn had seen a picture of Jimmy and developed a crush on him. Jimmy’s sister, Ruth who was friends with Rosalynn had shown the picture to her. In the picture, Jimmy who was at the United States Naval Academy at the time was wearing his uniform which appealed to her. By the time he came back to Plains, Georgia they started a relationship and on their first date they shared their first kiss, this action was something Rosalynn did not usually do but for him she was willing to make an exception.

A year after they decided to get married. By that time Carter was done with Navy school, but because of her decision to get married Rosalynn had to abandon her desires to study Interior Design at Georgia State College for women. Her decision to not pursue a degree was one that she was ashamed to tell her mother about, and because of this their marriage plans were conducted in hush tones. However, she eventually came clean to her family and the both of them got married in their hometown of Plains on the 7th of July, 1946. Jimmy was just twenty-two when they got married while Rosalynn was nineteen.

Rosalynn and Jimmy are still very much together, and as they grew older in their relationship and in their individual lives they cultivated a wholesome relationship. During Jimmy Carter’s political career it was noted that Rosalynn was a big influence on the decisions he made as she was his top adviser. They have revealed on different occasions the tight bond they share and how closely knitted their relationship is.

The Carters have four children; their first three children were born in quick succession with a difference of two to three years between their births. When Rosalynn and Jimmy got married, he was just getting out of the Navy academy and was getting stationed in different locations in the country because of this; his first children were born in different locations in the country.

John William Jack, their first child was born two years they got married in 1947. Jack is the only child who has shown an avid interest in politics and he even ran for a seat in the senate of the state of Nevada, he was not successful in his endeavours. Their second child was born in 1950, his name is James Earl and he is followed by their third child and son, Donnel Jeffery who was born in 1952. After the birth of her sons, Rosalynn wanted to have more children but it was discovered that she was unable to because of a tumour she had in her uterus. This tumour was taken out in 1965 and two years afterwards she had her first daughter and last child, Amy Lynn. Most of Amy’s early childhood was spent in the white house and the Governor’s mansion in Georgia, and she was a point of interest for the media, as very few children had actually lived in the White House.