© Copyright 2017 New-York Historical Society D Dolley Payne, Dolley Todd, Dolley Madison Bass Otis, Mrs.James Madison, ca.1817Oil oncanvas .New-York Historical Society, Gift ofThomas Bryan, 1867.308 Jefferson father, to convert afervent farm . When she was15,her Quaker familyona Virginia olley Payne grew upina failed, a“weakness” thatprompted his family toPhiladelphia .His business new and freed hisslaves, thenmoved the his wife’s faith,followed Quaker teaching Dolley Madison Life Story (see one ofthesocialsideeffectscoverture responsible fortheirfemalerelatives; itwas her young sister a widow caringforhersmallsonand extremely difficultsituation.She was Added tohergrief, Dolley facedan “I amnow sounwell thatIcan’t . wrote ahalf-finishedsentenceinletter: husband andthree-month-old William .She and then,onthesameOctober day, her her father-in-law, her mother-in-law, Dolley lostfourmembersofherfamily: before coldweather endedtheepidemic, that year, yellow fever hitPhiladelphia, and followed in1793.In thelatesummerof born in1791,andasecondson, William, The Todds’ firstson,called Payne, was old sister, Anna,lived withthem. she hadoncerejected .Her 11-year- married Quaker lawyer John Todd, whom after,who diedshortly Dolley, at22, meet .Perhaps pressured by herfather, his wifetookinboarders tomakeends expulsion from Quaker Meeting, and Dolley facedextreme emotional lossand funeral .LikemanyAmerican women, debts, andtheunpaidbillforher baby’s her worriedmother, only$19,many fever epidemic,shehad,according to In theimmediateaftermathofyellow withheld ituntilDolley suedhimlater will, buthisbrother, theestate’s executor, husband hadlefthersomemoneyinhis have cared forDolley were gone.Her Resource 1 1768–1849 ) .But allthemenwhomight .Men were considered ” . Saving Washington: The NewRepublic andEarlyReformers, 1790–1860 years later, shewouldfacethemagain. financial strainatthesametime.Fifty Independence National Historic Park, Philadelphia . D James Sharples Sr she called“the great littleMadison . seemed togenuinely care fortheman have seemednexttoimpossible.But she Anna, andPayne asasinglewomanwould and neededtoremarry James Madison .She almost surely wanted many men,including Virginia Congressman beautiful womanwhocaughttheeye of city capitalandmostsophisticated temporary home .Philadelphia wasthenthenation’s and Annamoved backtothefamily married daughter, andDolley, Payne, .Dolley, even inherdespair, wasa olley’s motherwent tolive witha .,Dolley Madison , ca.1796–1797Pastel onpaper

.Supporting herself, ” .

© Copyright 2017 New-York Historical Society if womenwere present .Thisgave her often cohosted events atthe White House Because Jefferson waswidowed, Dolley Washington City I as shehadbeenachild,notinspiteofit. ed toMadison becausehewasaSoutherner, family intochaos.She mayhave beenattract- and hisdecisiontofree themhadthrown the ers .Her fatherhadowned slaves, afterall, she disapproved oftheMadisons asslavehold- no evidencethat,despiteherchildhoodfaith, about herrigidQuaker upbringing.There is withJames, pal services andlatercomplained Meeting .From thenon,sheattendedEpisco- side thefaith,Dolley, too,wasexpelledfrom husband’s death.For sosoon,out- marrying September 1794,notquiteayear afterherfirst Dolley andJames Madison were marriedin and namedJames ofstate. his secretary Thomas Jefferson hadbeenelected president, unfinished new capital,unfinished new Washington City In 1801,theymoved again,tothenation’s Montpelier, theMadisons’ tobaccoplantation. in 1796,theymoved from Philadelphia to adversary, John Adams, was electedpresident powerful politicalpartnership accounts, theirswasagoodmarriage,and shemet.Butcharmed nearlyeveryone by all Rights .Dolley wasawidowed motherwho drafted theU.SConstitutionandBill of of 43,hewasfamousasthemanwho odd matchforDolley between them,James Madison wasstillan f slavery was not a point of contention wasnotapointofcontention f slavery .Ashy, wealthy bachelor . When James’s

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working togethernearlyimpossible . and bitterdisagreements made their buttheywereparties, distinctcamps, “Federalist” were notformalpolitical and manufacturing.“Republican” and other Northerners whofocusedoncities Federalists likeAlexanderHamilton and tradition .Theyconflictedsharplywith from theslave-holding South andvalued and President Jefferson tended to come brand oftyranny?Republicans likeJames How dowe avoid producing ourown How dowe getthenation’s work done? big shouldthefederalgovernment be? generated muchofthein-fighting.How questions thatplagued Washington and first-hand experiencewiththepolitical Dolley Madison Life Story togethers backto the White House, but president in1808,Dolley brought bigget- life . When James Madison waselected became thecenterof Washington’s social ofstate.TheirhomeonF secretary Street crowdsentertained whenJames was By contrast,theMadisons frequently preventing collaborationamongofficials. but healsogainedinpersonalpower by to avoid bickeringathisdinnertable, the other, never both.He mayhave wished to whichheinvitedonepoliticalsideor Jefferson preferred small,all-maledinners at thepresident’sparties home.President during theiradministrations,hadheldbig G eorge Washington andJohn Adams, 1768–1849 continued Saving Washington: The NewRepublic andEarlyReformers, 1790–1860 called “squeezes” (see and relaxed, andsocrowded theywere years .Her socialevents were fun,noisy, they were notthesedateaffairsofearlier hours before the White House wasseized and Washington, andtheMadisons escapedjust tion wasthe War of1812.The British invaded T informal butessentialpolitical culture . across theirdivisions,shehelpedcreate an where officialscouldmeetsocially, regularly, .Byparties providing anenvironment becausetheywereimportant not simply even between enemies.Her events were and keptcordial conversations going, Dolley madeintroductions where needed dressed fortheoccasion(see he crisisofJames Madison’s administra -

Resource 3 2004661947 . Division, Washington, D .C, Prints andPhotographs Watercolor down by theBritish , ca.1800 Washington before itwas burnt A viewoftheCapitol of (Left) William Russell Birch, Society, 1967 .14 on canvas . Virginia Historical (Payne) Todd Madison, 1817.Oil (Far left)Joseph Wood, Dolley Resource 5 Library of Congress ofCongress .Library ) .Elegantly ),

© Copyright 2017 New-York Historical Society Blérancourt . Baroness Anne-Marguerite-Henriette Hyde deNeuville, Montpellier, 1818, Watercolor, Musée Franco-Américain duChâteaude life story of life story dedication torebuilding thecitylater to waitforJames even ather own risk,andher government crucial papers,herdetermination ofGeorge the portrait Washington aswell as She wascelebratedforhercourageinrescuing event andwhatfollowed waswidelycovered . burned totheground .Dolley’s role inthis 7, values Americanspridedthemselves on: down- admired qualities,Dolley Madison symbolized and Resource8. James Madison ) Combined with her other ) Combinedwithherother , Resource 6, Resource Resource 6, (See the .(See the

have beeneasyyears .But financialtroubles sons returned toMontpelier forwhatshould After James’s secondtermended,theMadi Retirement America’sQueen . as anationalhero, known, oddlyenough,as beaten .For therest ofherlife,shewasseen under pressure, resilience andarefusal tobe authenticity,to-earth andtoughness bravery Dolley Madison

Life Story - and quietlylook forcommonground . emies couldhave aninformalconversation behavior from all.In thissetting,even en- with womenpresent, would require good come together, andthatsociallife,especially that warringfactionsneededasafe placeto word forit.But Dolley Madison understood eration didnotexist;there wasnoteven a nation’s coop - work .Theideaofbipartisan not clearhow actualpeoplewere todothe Constitution andBill ofRights,butitwas lences, even duels.The United States hadits physical fights,shoutingmatches,stonysi- on thescene,politicswasarough game: more consciouslypolitical. When shearrived nificant contributionwasmore subtle and during the War of1812.But hermostsig- andquick-wittedness and forherbravery time forherbeauty, style,andcharisma, D Resource 9 Dolley facedthisongoingproblem alone(see Payne’s reputation .AfterJames diedin1836, debts .Dolley andJames paidthemtoprotect resulted from Payne’s substantialgambling struggles continuedtotheendofherlife. struggles honor: firstlady Taylor referred termof toherwithanew most beloved woman.President Zachary an Americanicon,perhapsthecountry’s returned to Washington .Dolley wasstill Finally, in1844,shesoldMontpelier and their consent,inviolationofJames’s will. some ofMontpelier’s 100slaves—without gress forlessthanshehadhoped,andsold olley Madison wascelebratedinher 1768–1849 continued ) .She soldJames’s paperstoCon- .But herprivate financial

Saving Washington: The NewRepublic andEarlyReformers, 1790–1860 by M. Waters, July-September 2016). Shulman, ed.,http://rotunda .upress .virginiaedu/dmde/ (accessed July-August 2016);The Dolley Madison Digital Edition, Holly C. and Dolley Madison, www Company, 2006);James Madison’s Montpelier: Home ofJames the Creation oftheAmerican Nation (New York: HenryHolt and Sources: ies toseeeachotherashumanbeings. eration over coercion .It allowed adversar- civility over thecoldshoulder, andcoop- so well, provided amodelthatstressed she plannedsocarefully andunderstood a rough game.But hersocialevents, which alter Washington politics,whichremained Dolley Madison didnotfundamentally ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ slavery? and herworldfrom herexperienceswith What dowe learnaboutDolley Madison affect herlegalandsocialstanding? life .How didthedeathsofherhusbands Dolley Madison waswidowed twiceinher nation? have ontheeffect didherefforts young of Washington?landscape political What How didDolley Madison reshape the does thelengthofhertenure matter? lead the Washington socialscene? Why For how manyyears didDolley Madison Catherine Allgor, APerfect Union: Dolley Madison and Discussion Questions

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.org(accessedby M. Waters,