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Dolley Madison
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Dolley Madison First lady Dolley Madison Dolley Madison Earliest known photograph of a U.S. first lady Mrs. Dolly Madison, by Gilbert Stuart.Gilbert Stuart, who was born in Rhode Island but spent nearly twenty years abroad, found preeminent popularity with his fluid and luminous society portraits. Dolley Madison
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Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison Dolley Madison, oil on canvas by William S. Elwell, 1848; in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Dolley Madison

American first lady
Also known as: Dolley Payne, Dolley Todd, Dolly Madison
Written by
Betty Boyd Caroli
Betty Boyd Caroli has written extensively about American first ladies. A graduate of Oberlin College, she holds a master's degree in Mass Communications from the Annenberg School of the University of Pennsylvania...
Betty Boyd Caroli
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Dolley Madison (born May 20, 1768, Guilford county, North Carolina [U.S.]—died July 12, 1849, Washington, D.C., U.S.) was an American first lady (1809–17), the wife of James Madison, fourth president of the United States. Raised in the plain style of her Quaker family, she was renowned for her charm, warmth, and ingenuity. Her popularity as manager of the White House made that task a responsibility of every first lady who followed. Dolley Payne was one...

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