Dolley Madison

Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. She wore beautiful dresses, decorated her home, and threw lavish parties. Everyone talked about Dolley, and everyone loved her, too. Then war arrived at her doorstep, and Dolley had to meet challenges greater than she’d ever known. So Dolley did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. Don Brown once again deftly tells a little known story about a woman who made a significant contribution to American history.

First Lady of the United States and America's "Queen of Hearts," Dolley Madison fashioned an unofficial role for herself in the new administration of the United States, helping to answer the nation's need for ceremony and leaving footprints for centuries of presidential wives to follow. Assisting her husband, James Madison, she helped to promote national unity, modeling a political behavior that stressed civility and empathy. Together, their approach fueled bipartisanship in a country still assembling a political identity. About the Lives of American Women series: selected and edited by renowned women's historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a women's life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a 'good read', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject's perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

Known as the Father of the Constitution, James Madison served two terms as the fourth president, from 1809 until 1817. Determined that all Americans be treated fairly, he devised our three branches of government and drafted the Bill of Rights. When the British set fire to Washington D.C. in 1814, his wife Dolley saved one of our country's greatest treasures, a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart which now hangs in the Smithsonian Institution, before fleeing for her life.

Dolley Madison is the target when America declares war on Great Britain and enemy soldiers march into Washington City. How can she save the United States and herself?

Dolley Madison left behind no written account of her life, so her niece Mary Cutts' memoir is the closest we have to Madison's autobiographical voice. With this annotated transcription of both drafts of the memoir, this book offers a contextualized version of this crucial piece of Founding-era biography. An opening essay presents the memoir not only as a source for information on Madison herself, but also as a prime example of a nineteenth-century woman, Mary Cutts, making a bid for historical significance. Other essays evaluate the historical uses and misuses of the document for understanding Dolley's life and supply background information on Mary. The questions raised by Cutts's memoir are intriguing: Given that most of the story takes place before Cutts's birth, whose voice are we hearing? What are we to make of the lies and omissions along the way? What family secrets is Cutts hiding, and whose are they?

Surveys the life of First Lady Dolley Madison, wife of the fourth president, who was renowned as a hostess, a lady of fashion, and a heroine of the War of 1812.

A biography of Dolley Madison, nee' Dolley Payne (1768-1849), including her upbringing, marriages, children, personal conduct, role as president's wife, and the culture and fashions of her time. Seemingly intended for high school students and the general reading public. Lacks a subject index. c. Book News Inc.

This book introduces young readers to the life of Dolley Madison, beginning with her childhood as a Quaker and her life in early Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Readers will become familiar with her bravery as they learn about the horrible yellow fever outbreak of 1793 and her heroic rescue of George Washington's portrait during the War of 1812. Details of her marriage to James Madison, her time as First Lady, and her legacy as Washington, D.C.'s most famous hostess are also discussed. Informative sidebars and full-color photos accompany easy-to-read, engaging text. Includes timeline, fun facts, index, and glossary.