Dolley Madison
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, Dolley Madison got her start as a White House hostess. When his daughter was unable to do that duty on multiple occasions, the widowed President requested her to step into that position. Dolley is credited for making the Executive Mansion and the President's table the social hubs of early Washington, positions they still hold today, more than 200 years later. However, it's safe to say that it wasn't her only contribution to American history at that time.
Dolley collaborated with architect Benjamin Latrobe to help equip the White House. She also contributed to the social organization of occasions like State Dinners and other formal gatherings. She was the only First Lady in American history to be given an honorary seat in the House of Representatives thanks to her use of social gatherings to spark political conversations and reach agreements. Despite popular belief, Elizabeth did not save the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington from the White House fire in 1814, but she did order its removal and transportation to safety.
Dolley Madison formalized the First Lady's position considerably more than her predecessors did. She strongly backed her husband's goals and positions as President and head of his political party by utilizing the position. Dolley moved back to Washington after Madison's passing and the forced sale of his Montpelier property to settle his debts, where she remained for the majority of the rest of her life while still a prominent member of Washington society. At the age of 81, she passed away in 1849. She was first buried in Washington, but it was later unearthed and reburied next to her husband, James Madison, at Montpelier.
- Born: Dolley Payne , May 20, 1768Guilford County, North Carolina, British America
- Died: July 12, 1849 (aged 81)Washington, D.C., U.S.
- First Lady of the United States ( March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817)
