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Birth
Dolley was born in Guilford County, North Carolina. Into a Quaker settlement of New Garden. -
Dolley Married Her First Husband John Todd
Dolley married John Todd a Quaker lawyer. They moved to Philadelphia and settled down. The marriage was of her father's wishes. -
Dolley's Children
John Payne Todd is born on February 29, 1792. Dolley had this child with husband John Todd. They decided to name their child after him. They later had a second child named William in 1793. -
Dolley's Husband and Child Die
Dolley was living in a resort in Philadelphia and John stayed home to take care of his sick parents. They died and John died soon from yellow fever, leaving Dolly a widow. Dolley's three month old William Isaac Todd died the same day, also from yellow fever. -
Dolley Marries James Madison
Dolley married a virginia planter named James Madison. He was also a politician and helped to create the constitution. James was 17 years her senior and was not Quaker which raised a few eyebrows. -
Dolley Moves to Washington.
In 1796 James retired from politics. But when Thomas Jefferson became President in 1800, he invited James to be the secretary of state. So Dolley and her family moved to Washington DC. She thrived in this environment, she quickly became friends with many of the wives and was known for her generosity and grace. She even started to get involved in politics herself. -
Dolley Becomes a First Lady
On March 4, 1809 James was inaugurated as the 4th President of the United States. Therefore making Dolley America's third First Lady. She started to decorate the White House and to take care of social needs. -
Burning of the White House
During the War of 1812 while James was away the British sent troops, 35 miles from Washington in order to burn the city. Instead of everyone's request to evacuate the White House Dolley stayed behind. She saved the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington along with official papers, silver, and other valuables. -
Moves Into the Montpelier
After James left office the Madisons stayed there for one month then moved to the Montpelier in April. It was a hard shift for Dolley because she was used to the urban life of Philadelphia and Washington. Montpelier was a plantation in rural Virginia. -
John is Thrown in Jail
Dolley's oldest son John was thrown into debtor's prison because he gambled and could not repay his debt. John spend money as if it was water and had a huge gambling problem. This was hard on Dolley. -
James Madison Dies
James was on his deathbed for awhile and Dolley took care of him. He died in 1836 which left Dolley a widow for the second time. Their marriage lasted 42 years. This was a hard time for Dolley. -
Dolly is Honored
Dolley receives a lifetime chair on the House Floor.
