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First Ladies For Dummies. Marcus A. Stadelmann, PhDЧитать онлайн книгу.

First Ladies For Dummies - Marcus A. Stadelmann, PhD


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were devout Quakers, had moved to North Carolina from Virginia to live in a Quaker settlement. They soon returned to Virginia, and Dolley grew up on the family’s plantation. In 1783, her father John Payne freed his enslaved people and sold his planation and Dolley, who was 15 years old, and the family moved to Philadelphia to start a starch business.

      Dolley was well educated. She had attended various Quaker schools and had received private tutoring. Her grandmother taught her about the finer things in life, such as fine food and fancy clothing. After her parents’ business failed, the family started to run a boarding house, and Dolley became the cook. In 1790, she abided by her father’s dying wish and married a Quaker lawyer from Philadelphia, John Todd. She was happily married and had two children. However, in 1793, a yellow fever pandemic struck Philadelphia and killed her husband and one of her children. Dolley was now a widow with one young boy. As a widow, however, she inherited her husband’s property and was well off.

Photo depicts the portrait of Dolley Payne Todd Madison.

      Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Reproduction number LC-USZ62-68175 (b&w film copy neg.)

      FIGURE 4-4: Dolley Payne Todd Madison.

      The two married on September 15, 1794. After James retired from Congress in 1797, the couple moved to Virginia where James owned a large plantation known as Montpelier.

      Moving forward with charm and popularity

      James Madison’s retirement didn’t last long. In 1801, the new President Thomas Jefferson called him back to the capital to serve as his Secretary of State. Dolley was delighted to return to the national scene, and with Thomas Jefferson being a widower, she would occasionally serve as his hostess for social functions at the White House.

Dolley started her own fashion trend. She enjoyed wrapping scarves around her head, and the admiring public soon called it the “Dolley Turban” (see Figure 4-5).

Photo depicts the portrait of Dolley Madison wearing her signature turban.

      Source: Unknown Source / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

      FIGURE 4-5: Dolley Madison wearing her signature turban.

      By 1808, Dolley had become one of the most popular women in the United States, well known and beloved by the American people. Her popularity helped get her husband elected in the 1808 presidential election, and by 1809, Dolley Madison was the new First Lady of the United States.

      Dolley proved to be a major asset in James Madison’s campaign for the presidency. After he won the presidency, his opponent Federalist Charles C. Pickney stated, “I might have had a better chance had I faced Mr. Madison alone.”

      

As First Lady, Dolley preferred to serve American food at White House dinners. She, therefore, looked for recipes all over the United States to serve authentic American cuisine at state dinners instead of foreign food, such as French food.

Members of Congress liked Dolley Madison so much that they had a reserved seat for her in the House of Representatives. She could come and go as she pleased.

      Blazing the trail for future First Ladies

      After Dolley Madison became First Lady, she changed some traditions associated with the presidency. She organized the first inaugural ball for her husband, a tradition that lives on to this day. Second, she was able to secure more money from Congress for the presidential mansion. Therefore, she was able to hire a chef, increasing the number of guests invited to the White House for parties and expanding the guest list. Suddenly, not only members of Congress or foreign diplomats could attend but also well-known artists, writers, and even newsmakers were invited.

      Because presidents brought their own furniture and took it back with them, the White House was basically empty every time a president left office. Therefore, Dolley spent a quarter of Congress’s money to create and furnish the East Room in the White House to host more social events. In addition, Dolley went out and visited all of the Congressmen’s families who had moved to Washington and invited them to the White House.

      

Dolley went to debates in Congress and watched Supreme Court arguments. This allowed for other women to accompany her, and Dolley even organized little groups of women going to Capitol Hill to watch policy making,

      

Dolley Madison entertained in drawing rooms. Drawing rooms were rooms specifically designed to entertain guests. Today, we call them living rooms.

      Dolley’s get-togethers were informal and nonpartisan; everybody had access to her and the president and could freely talk and discuss the issues of the day. Dolley treated everybody the same, be they political enemies or friends. Through her use of the drawing rooms, Dolley created networks with politicians, foreign dignitaries, and high society in Washington, D.C. Her use of social settings allowed for opposing sides to come together, which in turn helped her husband’s political agenda. As an added benefit, Dolley was able to lower tensions in Congress, because members of Congress could meet in her drawing rooms, discuss issues outside the halls of Congress, and, after good food and wine, settle issues amicably.

      Saving a painting

Photo depicts the portrait of the famous George Washington painting, saved by Dolley Madison.

      Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Reproduction number LC-DIG-pga-03226 (digital file from original print)LC-USZ62-7585 (b&w film copy neg.)

      FIGURE


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