She Was Born Into a Wealthy Family in New York
While you may have assumed that Jackie Kennedy rose up through the social ladder, that’s not the case. Instead, she was born into a wealthy family with a New York socialite mother and a Wall Street stockbroker father. But while her parents had a lot of money to their name, that’s not to say that their lives weren’t without struggle. It’s been noted that her father was a bad gambler and regularly lost portions of their fortune.
As a result, her parents often had to live by the ‘fake it until you make it’ rule, pretending that they still had money and ties to other wealthy families even when they didn’t.
Her Father Made Sure That She Had Everything She Wanted
Although his gambling habits often made it hard to do so, Jackie’s father wanted to make sure that his beloved daughter had everything she could ever want or need. He spoiled her and attended to her every need, making sure that she would grow up in America’s elite. Because of this, Jackie had a very privileged childhood. She grew up riding prize-winning horses and even took part in horseback riding competitions herself.
She was also sent to Manhattan’s Chapin School, an elite private school where she rubbed shoulders with other socialites and even royalty. During this time, she was one of the most popular girls in school – but she also rebelled.
First, Jackie Fell in Love With the Son of an Author
When it was time for Jackie to go to college, she didn’t want to follow the traditional route. Although her family wanted her to attend the female-only Vassar College in order to stay away from the big city and focus on her attention, Jackie dreamed of attending Sarah Lawrence and expanding her horizons. Her parents ultimately won the fight, but Jackie got her own back by traveling back home to Manhattan every weekend.
In her junior year, Jackie jumped at the chance to study abroad and moved to Paris. Here, she met and fell in love with John P. Marquand Jr, the son of a famous American author. She wanted to marry him, but her mother disapproved.