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From Colonies to States
The story of how the 13 colonies became the 13 original states of the Union is, perhaps, a familiar one for students. However, it bears repeating. There were patriots in every colony willing to risk their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. But the battles did not end with the defeat of the British. There were numerous fights in state legislatures and state constitutional conventions as the Constitution for the new republic was debated. Dolley was a very young child at the time of the American Revolution. During her life span, she saw the United States begin with the original 13 and then reach to the Mississippi and beyond.
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"And the lesson of this story is...": Learning from Folk Tales and Fairy Tales
Many popular American fairy tales were written and widely published during Dolley Madison’s lifetime, often in Europe. Usually these stories had an educational purpose as well as an entertaining one, because they all “taught” lessons about life – the difference between good and evil, proper respect for one’s elders, and the value of ideas like honesty, hard work, and sympathy for those who are treated badly. One would expect that as a young girl, Dolley heard such stories, read to her by her mother. In turn, then, Dolley undoubtedly read some of these tales to her son.
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Dolley Madison: Courage in Time of War
The War of 1812 brought much destruction to our nation’s capital. The White House was burned: only the sandstone walls remained. Dolley Madison knew of the impending British invasion and potential destruction, so she quickly selected and packed items of significance. One of the items she chose was a full-length portrait of our country’s founding father, George Washington.
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Rural Life in the 19th Century
Dolley Madison spent much of her childhood at Scotchtown Planation in Virginia before moving with her family to Philadelphia, so her life encompasses both a rural and an urban background.
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A Gathering of Cultures: A Study of First Peoples
While Dolley Madison and her contemporaries were trying to stabilize the United States as a country, Native American populations were trying to figure out how to deal with this hoard of white people who were steadily taking over their lands. One of the great losses to American society has been the loss of the knowledge, stories, and understandings that Native Americans possessed (and still, to some extent, possess).
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Designing the Common School: The First Educational Reform
Few students or teachers realize the challenges teachers had to overcome as schools became more commonplace in early American society. During Dolley Madison’s life, the transition from family-provided, or private education, to the creation of a public education system was underway.
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The Hostess with the Mostest
Dolley Madison has been written down in history as one of the most hospitable first ladies. She entertained like no other—her style of dress, methods of entertaining, dinner menu, etc. It is suggested that she influenced many government leaders with severely differing viewpoints to come together for the good of the country.
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Heading to the City! From Rural to Urban in the 19th Century.
Dolley Madison (and all the First Ladies of the 19th Century, for that matter!) were part of a major movement in the United States from a rural society based on agriculture to an urban society based on manufacturing.
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A Free Press for a Free People: Newspapers in America
Dolley Madison was one of the most popular First Ladies of the 19th century; she was noted for her ability to welcome people from various backgrounds and with various beliefs to the White House, and to participate elegantly and energetically in the Washington social scene. Much of this “public” life – as well as the political life of her husband – were chronicled in newspapers, which exerted growing influence on the popular culture of the time.
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The Plain People: Quakers in America
Dolley Madison was reared as a Quaker. She grew up in a strict religious society that was set apart from other members of the community. When Dolley married James Madison, who was not a Quaker, the reaction of church leaders was one of utter rejection.
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Were There Two Wars for American Independence?
One of the major events in Dolley Madison’s life was the War of 1812. Among other things, she managed to save the major American historic documents, as well as the famous portrait of George Washington, all of which were in the White House, before the British burned Washington, D.C.
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Time to Retire? 21st Century Life After Work
In the early days of our country, most people didn't live as long as they do now. Pensions, or other safeguards to ensure that old age wouldn't be plagued by poverty, didn't exist. This was true of Presidents and First Ladies, as well. There were no retirement plans for them, either. Instead, they were on their own to save enough money to live on after they left the White House. In many cases, First Ladies like Dolley Madison, spent their later years close to real poverty after their husbands died.
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The Mill Girls of Lowell, Massachusetts
Toward the latter part of Dolley Madison’s life, the cotton mills in Massachusetts became world-renowned as “humane” working places for girls and young women. Whether or not they were humane, they created a considerable amount of debate. The textile industry was one of the first to hire large numbers of female workers. Their lives and working conditions, so unlike Dolley Madison’s, but that must have been known to her, were perhaps, a matter of concern.
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A Fascination with Mystery and Horror: Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley
During Dolley Madison’s lifetime, two early authors of American horror stories/poems produced their most well known works. These two authors are Edgar Allen Poe (The Raven) and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein).
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The Debate on Slavery
The foundation for the Civil War was laid in the Declaration of Independence when southern colonies refused to allow Jefferson’s language on the elimination of slavery in to the Declaration. In order to get the Declaration passed, northern colonies accepted its elimination. For the rest of Dolley Madison’s life, the debate over slavery continued, until finally erupting in the Civil War twelve years after her death.
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