© Copyright 2017 New-York Historical Society I women were thoughttobeimmoral, ideas aboutwomen .In the colonialperiod, American attitudeshadshifted, including At thetimeofthisdinner, important Public vs.Private Washington Mrs .Smith Comesto the capitalcityinnation’s earlyyears . much ofwhatisknown aboutpoliticsand shewrote haveand articles given historians of part Washington’s innercircle .Theletters in thelimelightasDolley was,butshewas their lives .Margaret Bayard Smith wasnever .Theirfriendshipwouldlastall political news ley were tradingbooks,exchanging giftsand immediately and .Margaret likedthem Among thegueststhatnightwere Dolley .refined . found himtobe“dignified .gentlemanly coarse .But uponmeetinghim,Margaret Federalists whocalledJefferson vulgarand up inafamilyofprominent Republican newspaper by President Thomas a Jefferson tostart husband wasajournalist,brought totown buildingwithlittlefurniturenew .Her President’s Palace, aloftynameforleaky House, whichwasthencalledthe were invitedtodinneratthe White her husband,Samuel Harrison Smith, n 1801,Margaret Bayard Smith and ” Theybecamelifelongfriends. .Before long,Margaret andDol- .Margaret hadgrown rational .They were inapositiontomake women were seenasmorallystrong, and Enlightenment ideasthatpropelled it, guidance .AftertheRevolution, andthe emotional creatures whoneededaman’s Margaret Bayard Smith Redwood Library andAthenaeum,Redwood Newport, Library RhodeIsland, Gift . oftheartist Charles Bird King,Margaret Bayard Smith, ca.1829Oil oncanvas . Life Story because the survival of the country was was ofthecountry because thesurvival Virtue andgoodcitizenship mattered raise theirchildren tobegoodcitizens . men more andpatriotic, to virtuous 1778–1844

Saving Washington: The NewRepublic andEarlyReformers, 1790–1860 followed even inherearlywriting . therules, expected topublish oneday, becauseshe writers ofhertime.But shemay have became oneofthebest-known women published anyofherwork, andthenshe Margaret wrote fortwodecadesbefore she faced thegovernment andthenation. engage publiclyinthecriticalissuesthat improper way mencould,butitwasconsidered she wantedtowriteaboutpoliticsthe of letters,poetry, fiction,andnonfiction, role mayhave seemedtoosmall.Awriter proud role .For Margaret Bayard Smith, that provided senseofpurposeanda anew For manywomen,republican womanhood between theRevolution andaround 1820. womanhood anddateittotheperiod Historians now callthisidearepublican would needaspatrioticwives and mothers. well-off familieswiththeknowledge they statetoprovidegrew upinevery girlsfrom girls’ education. Young ladies’ academies Independence, joinedtheminpromoting Rush, asigneroftheDeclaration of and country more usefultotheirhusbands,children, as theirrightandtomakethembetter Sargent Murray demandededucationboth Writers likeSusanna Rowson andJudith as thekeytoAmerica’s future andstability Women couldprevent this.They were seen the nation’s foundingwouldbeforgotten. time went on,thevalues thathadinspired not guaranteed.People worriedthatas . Women were notsupposedto The influential Benjamin .Theinfluential Benjamin

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© Copyright 2017 New-York Historical Society terms ended.She wasreassuring them. officials wouldsurrender power whentheir Constitution wouldholdorthatelected Americans were notyet sure thatthe nation. speaking totheanxietyofanew informal, “unassuming . unceremonious . was “plain, friendly, communicative, & power grandfather withnointerest inregaining left office,shedescribedhimasadoting I story andpersonalitiestellapolitical parties, Margaret letdetailsaboutpoliticians’ homes, and focusedonacceptablyfemaletopics. She avoided dealingdirectly withpolitics, society, whichwas“barren ofenjoyment . that sheloved society, butnotWashington were expectedtoplay candid, especiallyabouttheroles women conventions, herprivate journalswere more unlimited, shewrote .“But Iamawoman. daring enterprises oflife. write .She wantedto“plunge into.the She wantedtimetothinkandread and prepared &theclothingmadeormended. the househastobeputinorder, thefood day dayalike,every of afamily—every But shefeltconstrainedby the“business her beloved husbandrefused to own slaves . and wealthy womanwithservants—she I cared nothingabout. her exhausted“by theentranceofpersons The ritualofvisitsandcallingcards left f Margaret’s publicwritingobeyed .In 1809,justafterThomas Jefferson The new president, .Thenew James Madison, ” Dolley waswelcoming, .Here sheconfessed ” Margaret wasa ” Margaret was ” Aman’s sphere was

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replacing thepatriotic role ofrepublican “true woman” idealwaswell-established, profile waspublished.By the1830s, influence, andeven more whenthe true Dolley wasatthepeakofher Washington reputations mattered when .Thiswastrue women neededtotread carefully, that their about Washington politics,butshealsoknew of ’s unvarnished opinions M letter thatproved it.(See the War of1812.She gave Margaret the of ’s during portrait to herhusband,andespeciallyastherescuer remembered asagoodwifeandhelpmate them toMrs.Smith .Dolley wantedtobe herniecesnottogive and sheinstructed sisters showed her“unvarnished opinions,” did .She thatherlettersto alsoknew seem egotistical—nowomanofhertime .She privately nervous didnotwantto Dolley offered tocooperate,butshewas Gallery ofDistinguishedAmericans . Dolley Madison fortheNational Portrait published writer By 1834,Margaret wasa well-known Profiling Dolley Madison . have notofcoursetoldthewholetruth “all Isay[aboutDolley] I istrue—but was pleased.Margaret wrote tohersister, the profile waspublishedin1836, Dolley given meamindsoactive andenquiring?” [shall] thoucome’—Why thenhasnature And societysays,‘Thusfarandnofurther Margaret Bayard Smith argaret no doubt knew at least some argaret atleastsome nodoubtknew .She wasaskedtoprofile Resource 6 ) When .)When ” Life Story She wasnota“true woman. partner, clever inthewaysof Washington . was James Madison’s intelligent political remained incharge on home,family, andreligion whilemen womanhood . Women were expectedtofocus ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ women likeMargaret Bayard Smith? What were theculturalexpectationsfor in shapingDolley Madison’s legacy? What role didMargaret Bayard Smith play she work around them? about thelimitationsshefaced?How did How didMargaret Bayard Smith feel Smith faceasafemalewriter? What limitationsdidMargaret Bayard Discussion Questions 1778–1844 continued .(See Resource14.) ” AsDolley’s Dolley

Saving Washington: The NewRepublic andEarlyReformers, 1790–1860 was, somethingswere betterleftunsaid. Dolley thatwhatever bothknew thereality offending current sensibilities.She and admiringly abouthersubjectwithout and the dilemmaofwritingtruthfully biographer, Margaret Bayard Smith faced Waters, 9-20-2016) . pt?id=mdp Antiquarian .org/cgi/ Society,1996,https://babel.hathitrust of Early Washington Society,” The Proceedings ofthe American Evening’: Margaret Bayard Smith’s View inBlack and White M . Waters, 9-15-2016);Fredrika J. Teute, “In ‘The Gloom of pt?id=mdp Charles Scribner’s Sons, .org/cgi/ 1906),https://babel.hathitrust Years of Washington Society,Gaillard Hunt, ed.(New York: Waters, 9-23-2016);Margaret Bayard Smith, The First Forty (accessedbyid=yale .39002007779425;view=1up;seq=44 M. Americans, Vol .org/cgi/pt? .III,1836,https://babelhathitrust “Mrs .Madison,” The National Portrait ofDistinguished Gallery , Fall/WinterHistory 2005,67-82;Margaret Bayard Smith, Unpublished Diaries ofMargaret Bayard Smith,” Washington 2012), 30-68;CassandraGood, “‘A Transcript ofMy Heart’: The Early Republic,” Early American Studies, Vol .10,No to Monticello andMontpelier: The Politics of inthe Performance Sources: Catherine Allgor, “Margaret Bayard Smith’s 1809Journey (accessedby .39015027775694;view=1up;seq=11 M. (accessedby .39015027775694;view=1up;seq=11

2002695146 . Washington, D.C, and Photographs Division, ofCongress Prints Library Federal City , 1801.Aquatint . Beck, T Cartwright and George andGeorge .Cartwright George Town and 1 (Winter .1(Winter