Dolley Madison was raised on a plantation with her family of nine in New Garden, North Carolina. She had seven siblings and her parents, John Payne, Jr. and Mary Cole Payne.1 After she reached the age of fifteen, her father sold their plantation because he did not believe in slavery. With the money he had accumulated over the years, he left the countryside to start a business in Philadelphia.2 Dolley Madison’s father slowly began to lose his business. He was not a very good business man. After losing his business in 1789, Dolley’s mother began to rent out rooms of their house to other people.3
Dolley was known for being a very beautiful woman. Many men lined up to ask her to marry. It was not until she was twenty-one years old that she met her first husband, John Todd.4 Within a year, the two were married and within three, they had two sons. Unfortunately, John Todd and Dolley’s youngest son were killed when an epidemic of yellow fever arrived. This unfortunate event left Dolley Todd alone with her oldest child.5
After losing her husband, Dolley did not stay a widow for long. A man she had met when she was nineteen years old at the Constitutional Convention began to woe her. James Madison was one of her many fans who had tried to court Dolley many years prior.6 The odd thing was that James Madison was not exactly the kind of man that women found attractive. He lacked many attributes that women usually found admirable. He could not dance or ride a horse, and he was seventeen years older than Dolley.7 These factors did not sway Dolley’s opinion of the “Father of the Constitution,” and she agreed to marry him. Later in their marriage, she converted to Episcopalian and abandoned her Quaker affiliation.8 After this discovery by her family, she was quickly disowned and left with only her son and her new husband, James Madison.
James Madison served as the Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson for his two terms. While under his presidency, Dolley Madison was asked by Jefferson to be in charge of the social affairs of the White House.9 She was given this position because she seemed to have loved everyone she met and treated everyone equally with care. When Jefferson decided not to run for a third term, he decided that there would be no better fit for president than the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison.10 Dolley Madison was seen as one of the best first ladies of all time. She was constantly recognized for the way she upheld herself and was loved by everyone. She was even sometimes called “Queen Dolley.”11
During James Madison’s first term in office, he faced a war with England in the War of 1812.12 In the year 1814, the British marched into Washington D.C. and toward the White House, where Dolley and James Madison were staying. As Dolley saw the British approaching, she ignored all the people in the White House who were telling her that she needed to leave. Instead, she began to load all the valuables from the White House, such as fine china, important documents, and the famous portrait of George Washington by the artist Gilbert Stuart.13 After loading as much as she could, she then left the White House. When Dolley Madison saved that painting and all the artifacts, she did not know she was leaving her mark on history. She changed the way the White House social affairs were held and saved one of the most valuable paintings in the United States. She was a very determined woman that left an impact on everyone and everything she came in contact with.
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Salem Press Biographical, 2016, s.v. “Dolley Madison,” by Robert P. Watson. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical, 2016, s.v. “Dolley Madison,” by Robert P. Watson. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical, 2016, s.v. “Dolley Madison,” by Robert P. Watson. ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2014, s.v. “Dolly Madison.” ↵
- Salem Press Biographical, 2016, s.v. “Dolley Madison,” by Robert P. Watson. ↵
54 comments
Zander Barrera
I’ve never heard her name ever spoken before other than she was the wife of President Jefferson, and of her deeds at the white house. it was nice to have an account of her life before she became the first lady. her life seemed to be filled with ups and downs, her family, stress, the war, yet she handled it al like a champ, and you did a great job of showing us her life. also great pictures for the article, they add that classic feel to it when you open it and read it, nice job.
Marissa Gonzalez
“Queen Dolley” is a cute name that was given to Dolley Madison since everyone liked her. I liked how you gave background information on her early life and what she and her family stood for. It is unfortunate how her son and husband died due to the Yellow fever. I also found it strange that many people claimed for her next husband, James Madison to be seventeen years older than her and was also claimed to not be an attractive man; which is why people seemed to be surprised that she married him. Besides this point, I enjoyed this article. Good job!
Tyler Sleeter
Great article. I had heard of Dolley Madison, but only as the person that saved some items from the burning White House. I did not know that she was so loved by everyone she meant and that she was such a good first wife. It is sometimes easy to forget how important the first wife is the sitting President, but the women can play a crucial role in how their husbands are remembered. In this case, Dolley Madison seemed to be fit not only the role of social planner and party host but also as brave savior of historical artifacts.
Nahim Rancharan
This was a very informative article. I did not know anything about Dolley Madison or her husband, the “Father of the Constitution”, James Madison. Regardless, it is clear that this is article is excellently organized and executed in a way that capture the true nature and elegance of Dolley Madison. From what is described of her in the article is it is easy to see how Madison might be considered one of the most influential women in American History. It was also interesting to see how Dolly was able to make her mark in history, not by doing what was expected of her, but rather what she felt was right and true to her beliefs, which is a true quality of a hero. This article does a great job at capturing the strength and bravery of this woman. Good Job!