Dolley Madison

Before Dolley Madison became famous for her marriage to President James Madison, the spectacular parties and the political rallies, she lived with her family in a Quaker settlement in New Garden, North Carolina. Dolley Madison was born May 20, 1768 to John Payne Jr. and Mary Coles Payne. Dolley had four brothers and three sisters. It was a full house but Dolley liked having siblings. While Dolley was still in her teens and after the Revolutionary war in 1783 the family freed their slaves and sold their plantation based on religious beliefs, and moved to Philadelphia. There Dolley's father started his own business. Dolley was not as happy without servants and a large plantation. Also, because of unpaid debt for her father's new business, the family was shunned by the Quaker community and leaders. This was the first time the beautiful Dolley began to question her place in the Quaker society. She was very attractive and charismatic, and women in this kind of community were not supposed to draw attention to themselves. Dolley's father was very happy when he was able to arrange the marriage of his daughter to Mr. John Todd, a Lawyer in Philadelphia. Dolley was not thrilled with the arrangement but knew that Mr. Todd was a good man. Even more important was her desire to be obedient to her father. Not long after the marriage Dolley had her first of two sons, Payne and William. The marriage did not last long before tragedy struck. A yellow fever plague struck Philadelphia, and all though Dolley took her children and moved to the outskirts of town, the whole family got sick. After Dolley had recovered she found herself grieving from the death of her husband and her youngest son, William. Now that she was single and raising her young son many men in the community were drawn to her beauty. She began to dress in a more popular fashion and this drew the eye of a well known politician, James Madison. James ask Senator Aaron Burr, who had stayed with the Payne's, to arrange a meeting with the widowed Mrs. Todd. Although James was seventeen years older than Dolley the courtship moved forward and the couple was married on Sept. 15, 1794. On their wedding day James Madison was 43 and Dolley Payne Todd was 26. After their marriage Dolley's fashion was very progressive, and talked about in social gatherings. She was known for her long straight gowns, flashy hats and pearls. Diamonds were very popular among the wealthy, but Dolley wanted to make a point with her pearls. She felt that diamonds were the stone of royalty and she wanted to be approachable and friendly, and pearls were the way she felt she could portray her message. Dolley used her ability to draw people's attention when it came time for her husband to run for president. In fact, she became so involved in her husband's affairs that many unflattering rumors about how she was securing votes were spread throughout the city. She did not let it show how this affected her, she held her head high and continued to campaign for her husband. She knew that James had a vision for the United States and she believed in his plans. Once Madison was elected to the Presidency, Dolley put her flair for fashion and design to work decorating the White House. For Dolley opening up her home and being part of the community was very important. She hosted tea parties, dinners and dances. The annual Inaugural Ball is a legacy that has continued since the Madison's were in the White House. She also made it so the general population could attend the ball with the purchase of a ticket for $5.00. Dolley was given the name of, First Lady, because of all her involvement with people and families. During Madison's second term in office, Brittish troops invaded Washington. Dolley was forced to leave her home, but before she would go, she collected many vital documents and a famous painting of George Washington. This same picture hangs in the White House today.
After the Madison's left Washington, they moved onto the family plantation, Montpelier. It was a very quiet lifestyle but James and Dolley loved each other and were very rarely apart. She took this time to try and help her son who struggled both academically and morally. After James passed away Dolley's son caused major financial problems and she was forced to sell Montpelier and the Continental Papers that her husband authored. Eventually, Dolley moved back to Washington where she was warmly welcomed. She spent the rest of her life doing what she loved best, hosting events and being with the people. Dolley Madison was an amazing person and one of my heroes because of her ability to share her time and understanding of other people. She loved her family as well has our country. She was heroic and selfless when she risk her life to save documents and records important to our history. Because of her, many generations have been able to see the famous painting of George Washington that hung over her fireplace. I love that she opened the White House to the public in appreciation for the lifestyle she was living. Most importantly she is my hero because she had integrity and lived what she believed.