Dolly Madison

3 Pages 779 Words

From humble Quaker beginnings, Dolly Madison became a famous First Lady.

Born on May 20th, 1768, Dolly Payne was one of eight children and the eldest daughter of John and Mary Payne. Dolly was born near Guilford, North Carolina but the family moved to Virginia shortly after her birth. Dolly’s father, as a Quaker, disliked the idea of war and worked as a farmer to support his large family during the Revolutionary War. At the age of seven, her family moved to Scotchtown. It was in Scotchtown where Dolly learned to read, write and manage household affairs from her mother. These skills would serve her well in the future.

When Dolly was fourteen, her family moved to Philadelphia. She grew ever more aware of her love of the latest fashions the ladies wore even though it was against her beliefs to wear them. Dolly, like other young Quaker girls, wore long, plain, gray dresses. Dolly was a sociable young lady and frequently attended many parties hosted by young Quakers. Since card playing and dancing were not allowed, the evenings were often passed playing charades and other proper parlor games. At eighteen, Dolly had many men vying for her attention, among them, a lawyer named John Todd.

The couple married after a three-year courtship with the blessings of her sick father, he died soon after. Mr. Payne was losing both his health and money. His starch-making business was not coming together as planned so Mrs. Payne rented out rooms of their house to support the family. John became a successful lawyer and Dolly bore him two sons. During her marriage, Dolly was able to live her dream of marrying well. Her happiness was short-lived, by 1793; she suffered the loss of John and her youngest son to the yellow fever epidemic.

In 1794, Dolly and her surviving son, John Payne Todd, were uncertain of their future. Dolly re-entered the Philadelphia social scene and at the advice of her friend, Aaron Burr, she met James Madi...