Madison, Dolley Todd Payne, 1768-1849

Dolley Payne was born on May 20, 1768, in Guilford County, North Carolina, to John Payne and Mary Coles. She was educated at home and became very well-read and articulate. She was 21 when she married her first husband, John Todd, on January 7, 1790. Together they had two sons, the youngest of which died in 1793, along with his father, during the Yellow Fever Epidemic in Philadelphia. She married James Madison on September 15, 1794, at Harwood Estate in West Virginia. They moved from Philadelphia to Madison’s home, Montpelier, in 1797. When Madison became Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson, Dolley served as Jefferson’s hostess at official functions, because he was a widower. Her popularity helped her husband’s bid for President in 1808 and 1812. She held the first Inaugural Ball, which set precedent for all future inaugurations. She is legendary for her saving of a portrait of George Washington, official documents, and other valuable items when the White House was burned during the War of 1812. She was the first First Lady to support a public project: she helped to found a Washington D.C. home for orphaned girls, a home that still exists in the present era. After Madison’s Presidency, they retired to Montpelier, however, when he died, she sold all the land and the house to pay the debts of her son, John Payne Todd. She moved back to Washington D.C. where she lived as a public celebrity, advising succeeding First Ladies on how to succeed in their duties. She was made an Honorary Member of Congress and was the first woman allowed to sit in the Chamber and listen to the debates. She died at the age of 81 on July 12, 1849. She was originally buried in the Congressional Cemetery, but her remains were later returned to the Montpelier Estate and buried with the Madison Family.