Dolley Madison: Presidentress and National Heroine

The remainder of Richard N. Côté's biography of Dolley Madison was generally what I expected it to be. Dolley becomes First Lady, or since that term was not yet popular, "Presidentress," and wins over the political and social society of Washington, D.C., with her exemplary hostess skills. Even after the British burned the White House in 1814 – and Dolley bravely stayed as long as she could, saving important state documents and the portrait of Washington – Dolley worked quickly to transform their new temporary residence into a space appropriate for entertaining. After her husband's presidential terms had ended and they moved back to Montpelier, Dolley missed the entertaining but learned to appreciate the peace and quiet, while filling the residence with frequent, often long-term, guests. Dolley Madison remained a well-loved figure in the national conscious her entire life and beyond. In 1849, at the ripe old age of eighty, she was an honored guest at a "fashionable levee" of President James K. Polk and was a special guest at many of Washington's biggest events throughout her final years. 

Dolley Madison (second from right) with President James K. Polk and others in 1846 or 1847.  Photo taken from: http://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/369826.html

Unfortunately, Dolley's return to Washington after her husband's death was because of sad circumstances surrounding her son Payne and the family finances. Payne was Dolley Payne Madison's only surviving child (from her first marriage) and her blind love for him contributed to his living a less-than-productive adult life that left the Madison family to pick up the pieces behind him. Bailing out of those debts left Dolley in severe financial straits after Madison's death. She necessarily sold Montpelier and moved back to Washington where she spent much of her final years trying to convince publishers to purchase her husband's papers, thereby protecting his legacy. She failed to see their publication in her lifetime and the money that did come with their eventual sale was not nearly enough to cover her debts. She ended up selling personal possessions of value and unfortunately saw little help from people who otherwise revered her: "In her last years, few of those who had the money or positions that provided them with the greatest ability to ease her life did anything to help her. These were people who had flocked to her drawing rooms and partaken of her hospitality and generosity. Now they turned their backs" (354).   

Briefly, I have to say that Côté's biography of Madison is one of the best I've read so far. It presented a relatively swift moving story that provided both context and personal details without reading like merely a narration of Madison's letters (which is how the biography of Abigail Adams read like at times). With such a massive collection of sources to work with, that is no easy feat. While I might have wanted more about the intimate relationship of Dolley and James and how Dolley might have influenced James Madison in a political sense, I would not hesitate to recommend the book.