On 25 August 1814, a large British army vanquished the American militia at Bladensburg and marched towards Washington City, six miles to the south. Abandoned by her guards and not knowing the whereabouts of her husband, Dolley Madison stayed behind with only a few servants to safeguard and remove irreplaceable artifacts left in the Presidential Mansion.
The decision was not an easy one.
As citizens poured from Washington City in panic, thieves moved in and began looting the empty buildings.
Moreover, the soldiers under British Admiral Cockburn were not known for either chivalry or civility: the year prior they had captured Hampton, Virginia, and subjected the civilian population to rape, plunder, and murder. Cockburn was even offering a reward for her capture, and there were many Americans, bitterly opposed to the war, which would have been happy to collect it. A few of them openly expressed a desire to murder the President and Dolley.
Dolley wanted to stay and fight, to defend her home and capital against the barbaric hordes of Great Britain, but was duty-bound to ensure the safety of the treasures packed in her carriage and a small wagon. She fled, and watched in helpless rage as the British burned her city and home.
Today, most will identify Dolley Madison as a brand of pastry.
Thirty years ago, people knew she rescued the painting of George Washington from the White House just before the British burned it.
Sixty years ago, people knew she also saved the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They knew her title was “The Presidentress”. They knew that she became the model for all future presidential wives, and they knew the title “First Lady” was first used by President Zachary Taylor speaking at her funeral.
Two Hundred years ago?
The list of her known accomplishments has diminished with time.
What else did this extraordinary lady accomplish that is no longer taught or remembered?
What are the forgotten adventures of Dolley Madison?
