Dolley Madison # 4 of ¨The First Ladies¨

                                              ¨Dolley Madison¨ 

Dolley Madison

When I first read about Dolley Madison´s life, I was amazed! She made me think of how I loved

Dolly Madison cakes! Ralph Leroy Nafziger established a snack cake brand called Dolly Madison in Georgia in 1937, with the name inspired by Dolley Madison, former first lady and hostess of Washington social events. The ice cream brand gained popularity in the mid-twentieth century in the United States. The brand featured the silhouette of Dolly Madison on the logo and promoted the slogan "Cakes and pastries fine enough to serve at the White House." Hostess declared plans to liquidate the company, including the Dolly Madison brand, in November 2012. Apollo Global Management purchased the Twinkies brand from Hostess Brands in January 2013, along with the rights to Dolly Madison and Hostess Brands' official corporate name, with the aim of restarting production of the products.

Ralph Leroy Nafziger

Dolley was a prominent woman in the United States for 50 years!

She is still beloved today, and was particularly popular during her time as the First Lady. Born in 1768 to John and Mary Coles Payne in a Quaker settlement in Piedmont, North Carolina, Dolley and her family moved around frequently, eventually settling in Philadelphia. Despite her strict upbringing, Dolley's cheerful demeanor and warm heart shone through. After marrying and losing her husband to yellow fever, Dolley attracted distinguished attention with her charm and laughing blue eyes. One of her suitors was "the great little Madison," who was eager to see her.

James Madison

James Madison

James Madison and Dolley, despite their age difference and religious disparity, got married on September 15, 1794. The marriage was happy, even though they did not have any children. Dolley's son, Payne, was not good at handling his own affairs, but James was patient with him and eventually even entrusted him with his own estate. After her second marriage, Dolley abandoned her somber Quaker dress and opted for the finest fashions! Margaret Bayard Smith, a chronicler of early social life in Washington, once noted that Dolley looked like a queen! It was absolutely impossible for anyone to behave more appropriately than she did!

During the war of 1812, when British troops were seen gathering from afar, Dolley made the decision to

leave behind their personal belongings and rescue a full-length portrait of former president

and national icon George Washington from being defiled by the vengeful British soldiers, who would

have been pleased to humiliate their former colonizers.

Death of Madison´s

After retiring to their Virginia plantation, Montpelier, the Madisons lived quietly until

James Madison's death in 1836. In 1837, Dolley returned to the capital where friends

provided financial assistance to supplement her income after her son's mismanagement

of the Madison estate caused financial strain. Unfortunately, Dolley remained in financial

trouble for the rest of her life and was forced to sell off her estate, furnishings, and enslaved

people to make ends meet. She remained in Washington until her death on July 12, 1849.

What is a woman´s name?

Let's start by acknowledging the perplexing profusion of monikers for Dolly Madison, ranging from Dolley to Dorothy and Dorothea. At your local library, you can find books on both Dolly Madison and Dolley Madison, bearing witness to the confusion that persists today. Some biographers even dispute her given name altogether, with some insisting it was Dorothea while others contend that it was Dorothy. However, in their book titles, they usually adhere to the convention of Dolly. Her original name was Dolley Payne, which subsequently morphed into Dolley Payne Todd and eventually became Dolley Payne Madison. She typically signed her letters "D P Madison." Arguably the definitive book on Dolly was written in 1886 by Lucia B. Cutts, who was DPM's grand-niece, and entitled The Memoirs and Letters of Dolly Madison,setting the precedent of spelling her name "Dolly." By 1896, Maud Wilder Goodwin had written a biography of Dolly Madison, but she informed the reader that DPM had actually been named "Dorothea in honor of Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge, daughter of Nathaniel West Dandridge, and grand-daughter of the long-remembered Governor Alexander Spotswood." Thus "Dolly" was relegated to a "nickname," not a Christian name. Ella Kent Barnard penned a book in 1909 chronicling DPM's Quaker roots entitled Dorothy Payne, Quakeress; a side-light upon the career of "Dolly" Madison. However, in 1914, Allen C. Clark, then president of the Columbia Historical Society, wrote Life and Letters of Dolly Madison, where he reverted to the assertion that DPM's real name was Dorothea after Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge,albeit noting that "Dorothea was quickly changed to Dolly!"

Dolley Madison's 1809 inaugural gown was added to the Smithsonian's first ladies! Margaret Brown Klapthor confirmed the correct spelling of DPM's name with the Papers of James

Madison, which revealed that Mrs. Madison spelled her name with an "e." This news was featured

on the front page of The New York Times on April 13, 1958, and in Time Magazine on April 13, 1958.

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The name holds various representations! A woman's portrait is depicted who aimed to be a fine Virginian

lady, instead of being a failed planter's daughter who emancipated his slaves and moved to Philadelphia,

where he also failed at being a starch merchant. Her descendants want her to have an illustrious and

noble past like her, while her biographers and Payne family members desire greatness for Mrs. Madison

with a "correct" genealogy adding luster to her name! Scholars are interested in the invention and

reinvention of the self, while also focusing on the importance of accurate facts!

If you would like to more about James Madison ¨slaves¨ stay tune until next week! Subscribe!

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