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Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison

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I have actively studied history for a quarter century. Rarely does it get this good, and it doesn't get any better.

From the standpoint of pure reading enjoyment, _Strength and Honor_ is an outright winner. Mr. Côté's pace, dramatic timing, word choices and level of detail are just right. There isn't a slow page, never a `say what?' moment. The portrait of our most revered First Lady is engaging, credible and perceptive. The author has the prized ability, one I don't think can be taught, to put oneself into the other gender's shoes and describe the world as another would view it. Dolley Madison thus smiles at us from these pages with all the insight one might expect of a female author. The result is charm like unto Dolley herself. I looked forward to each day's reading session.

As history, this is far more than one prominent woman's life story. This is an essay on a young Republic in all its lusty, bumptious, disorganized glory. In Constitutional arguments, you know you're in for a load of baloney when someone begins a sentence with "If you read the Federalist Papers, the Founding Fathers intended..." Few have ever read them for themselves, nor even realize how they were first published and by whom. Here are some views of Founding Fathers and Federalists as seen through the eyes of the wife, friend and confidante of several. Dolley Madison was Thomas Jefferson's White House Hostess (stand-in for a First Lady), then James Madison's First Lady. She saved many national treasures from British fire while armed militiamen fled for their lives. She was perhaps the most influential American woman of her time. She lived into the era of early photography, so we are even treated to actual daguerreotypes of Dolley in her sprightly, impoverished, dignified final years.

As told by Côté, her story remedied many embarrassing weaknesses in my own understanding of the era. I would propose _Strength and Honor_ as an excellent candidate for college-level American course material. It is an important contribution to American history, to women's history, and to the world of enjoyable literature. If William Manchester were to have written a biography of Dolley Madison, he might have done as well.

History isn't boring; most people just write it that way. Work such as this is the clear antidote.

After reading "Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison," I am convinced more than ever that Dolley Madison was the most beloved First Lady in American History. In my lifetime the women who have been married to the President have often been figures of admiration more than affection. Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy were both greatly admired, for quite different reasons. Betty Ford and Barbara Bush have probably engendered the most affection along with that admiration, but it did not reach the sort of transcendent heights that exists long after their time in the White House. The greatest common denominator for First Ladies the last several decades has been the recurring idea that these women have been smarter than their husbands, a bipartisan belief that applies as much to Nancy Reagan as it does to Hilary Clinton. Being smarter than her husband is one thing that could not be said about Dolley Madison, who second husband, "the great little Madison," was the only person on the American continent who had a mind on the same level of Thomas Jefferson.

The idea that Dolley Madison was beloved is ingrained in many of the examples related about her "Days of Grace and Honor" after Madison's death. In 1844 she was present when Samuel Morse made the first public demonstration of his electric recording telegraph. After the initial transmission of Numbers 23:23, "What hath God wrought?", Morse asked Dolley if she wished to send a message. With a Baltimore cousin at the other end, the wife of a U.S. Representative, she asked Morse to send: "Message from Mrs. Madison. She sends her love to Mrs. Wethered." This made her the first person to senc a personal message by telegraph. The following year, when American troops marched off to Mexico they marched past Dolley's home on Lafayette Square to cheer and salute their heroine.

Of course, Dolley Madison has been assured a footnote in American History because as she fled the Executive Mansion at the last minute while British troops were marching on Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814 during the War of 1812 she made a point of saving the nation's treasures, including the celebrated 1797 Lansdowne portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart along with cabinet papers, at the expense of her personal belongings, including a miniature of Dolley. Richard N. C?t? relates that defining event as part of a chapter entitled "From Hostess to Heroine," but the book begins in media res with Dolley "In Harm's Way" on the day that would make her an American immortal. Yet what this book really underscores is how for half a century Dolley Madison was the most important woman in the social circles of America.

Born a Quaker firm girl in the North Carolina wilderness, Dolley Payne grew up in Philadelphia following the strict discipline of the Society of Friends, but was always considered to have a happy personality and warm heart. In 1790 she married John Todd, Jr., a lawyer, but three years later a yellow-fever epidemic too the life of her son, her husband, and both of his parents, leaving her a widow with one son. With her charm, black curls, fair skin, and laughing blue eyes, the young widow of property attracted many suitors. But then she was introduced by family friend, Aaron Burr, to Representative James Madison, Jr., of Virginia and the rest, as C?t? amply demonstrates, was not only a love story but a key part of American history as well.

Acknowledged as the Father of the Constitution, Madison was 17 years older than Dolley and an Episcopalian. In September 1794 they were married, and although Dolley was disowned by the Quakers for marrying a non-Quaker, they were happily married for 42 years ("Our hearts understand each other," she wrote to him in 1805). When Madison served as Jefferson's Secretary of State it was Dolley who assumed the role of official hostess at the President's House, and continued in that position for sixteen years when her husband succeeded Jefferson as president. No wonder she defined the role of First Lady with her immense warmth, effervescence, tact, and popularity and became one of the most-acclaimed women in America. Working on more 2,000 of her letters, C?t? provides an intimate portrait that tells the story of vivacious woman who triumphed over adversity, poverty, and tragedy while helping to build the new American republic. There are points at which the historical record is sketchy at best, and C?t? does a nice job of not going out of the way to fill in the gaps despite the absence of evidence. For the most part he tells her story and lets Dolley speak on her own behalf when possible through her letters.

This handsome book is illustrated with reproductions of paintings and photographs of historical artifacts. There is also a Puck cartoon on "The Reign of Dolley Madison" lampooning her role as "The Presidentress," but by then C?t? has already made the compelling case for her title as the queen of Washington society and her attempt to create a climate that reflected the Republican simplicity of American social values while also projecting a sense of refined elegance and high fashion. You will also find a trio of daguerreotypes of Dolley Madison taken in the last years of her life and what I find so compelling of them is that even given the strictures of the time for taking such pictures, you can see the smile on her lips and in her eyes, such as you can see them in the Gilbert Stuart painting on the front cover. In the end the simple lesson of the life of Dolley Payne Todd Madison was that to know her was to love her. "Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison" will easily win a new generation of hearts for her as well.

Having read both of Richard Cote's previous biographies, as well as his novel, I was delighted to find his new book prominently displayed in my local bookstore, and I promptly brought it home. I was not disappointed. Once again, Mr. Cote has chosen a strong, unique woman to profile. Dolley Madison was no shrinking violet. After her first marriage ended in tragedy, she attracted the attention of one of the most intelligent, influential politicians America has ever produced-James Madison. When she became his adored wife and helpmate, she successfully transformed herself from a simply dressed, farm-raised, Quaker girl into a fashionable plantation owner's wife and later into a memorable First Lady. As in his other two biographies, Mr. Cote's extensive use of quotes from personal letters allows his readers to see his subject as a human being instead of a one-dimensional historical figure. There are also numerous illustrations, which are delightful because I enjoy comparing a face with a name to see how my preconceptions match up. Mr. Cote always finds the "small treasures" in his subjects' lives that other biographers often miss. One of these is a photograph of Dolley's engagement ring, which is astonishing and totally unlike anything you would expect. In addition to telling an engrossing story about a true American heroine, Mr. Cote manages to leave the impression that you could invite First Lady Dolley Madison to dinner-and she would come and be the most entertaining guest you ever had.

Not just a colonial lady for whom children's cupcakes were named, Dolley Madison was the first true American heroine and set the standard by which all first ladies would be judged. Long before Jackie Kennedy wowed us with her fashion sense, the former Quaker and wife of America's fourth president, James Madison bedazzled everyone with her French-inspired gowns, turbans and décolleté.

This thorough account by Richard N. Côté describes the complex woman that Dolley was - a devout Quaker who gave up her religion for love and metamorphosed from a plain Friend into a fashionista. Most importantly, though, the author exposes the bravery and integrity of Mrs. Madison's character in times of great crisis, both personal and national. The tale of her life as a colonial American woman who found love but experienced distressing heartaches, took great pride in her family yet suffered disappointment for it, an admired society matron who also faced poverty in later years is skillfully interwoven through surviving correspondence and painstaking research.

Richard N. Côté's ability to masterfully tell the story of historical figures was apparent in his previous biographies, Mary's World and Theodosia. But Strength and Honor is even more beautiful a tome than his earlier works. I found myself turning this book about Dolley Madison over and over to admire the care and beauty of the volume itself, before I even began to read it. The reproduced illustrations, paintings, photographs and maps are plentifully dispersed throughout the work and make for a gorgeous tribute to a lovely lady.

Richard N. Côté, is a historian with a background in eighteenth and nineteenth century history of the South. Côté is a journalist and has served as a staff member of the South Carolina Historical Society. Côté has written several other books including Mary's World: Love, War and Family Ties to Nineteenth-century Charleston, The Redneck Riviera, and Theodosia Burr Alston: Portrait of a Prodigy. Mr. Côté is also the Editor-In-Chief of Corinthian Books and when he is not busy researching or writing new material he spends his time traveling across the country to speak, teach, and hold book discussion and signing events.

In the introduction Côté lets the reader know that he became a serious fan of Dolley Madison while he was writing his first biography Mary's World: Love, War and Family Ties to Nineteenth-century Charleston. One of Côté's purposes in writing this book is to educate the majority of Americans under fifty whom in his opinion only know about Dolley Madison through her famous image on snack cakes and ice cream packages. His goal is to present a complete portrayal of the life and times of Dolley Madison that both fans and non-fans alike will find entertaining to read. Côté states at the outset that this is not going to be a biography that reads like an encyclopedia but a book, which he hopes, will spark more people to become fans of Dolley Madison. Côté examined the papers of Dolley at the University of Virginia and set out to try and find material that had not been available or used before by previous books on Dolley.

Côté describes in detail the bravery that Dolley displayed on August 24, 1814. Dolley stayed as long as possible at the White House in waiting for her husband to return. Dolley

arranged to bring with her what she felt to be of value to the new nation. She should be remembered for the rest of her life for what she saved for our country and her Strength and Honor. Côté discusses in exacting detail the previous two years of fighting that had already occurred. It is almost as if one is in the battle that he is describing.

The second chapter starts out with the birth of Dolley Madison and then explains her confusing and complex family ancestry. Côté provides a thorough history lesson on everything one needs to know about the everyday life of a Quaker. Côté also

describes all the rules and regulations in finite detail for all things a Quaker is supposed to abide by. Côté identifies whom in Dolley's family is no longer a Quaker and how they become Anglicans.

Then Côté describes how Dolley felt every time her family moved somewhere else and her close relationship with her many

siblings. Côté focuses on the little known fact that for many

year Mrs. Madison's first name was spelled incorrectly as "Dolly" and not "Dolley." This happened he explains through her biographers and in early encyclopedias and so after her death many commercial companies continued to spell her name wrong. To date he notes that there has been much confusion about how long she lived in North Carolina and what her actual birth date was.

Côté paints a picture of the various homes and communities Dolley lived in while she was growing up in North Carolina and Virginia. He describes the types of furniture that was in the houses. He discusses Dolley's cousin Patrick Henry and what it was like for her and her family to live at his large Scotchtown house. Côté identifies how Anglican children are brought up and compares them to how Quaker children are brought up. During the time that Dolley was born women were not educated, she was brought up to be a proper lady, respect her family and

be very polite in society. Dolley learned the domestic arts early as she was the eldest daughter in a planter's family. Quakers were not supposed to abuse slaves and were the 1st for emancipation.

Dolley's family moved once again this time from Virginia to Philadelphia. Her father John Payne had chosen to manumit his slaves, move the family to the city, and become a laundry starch maker. Dolley had been a simple girl from the country and Côté thinks that this is when Dolley learned all about fashion and sophistication. Côté considers this to have been like a "fashion education" to Dolley and that she would remember what she learned when she became Thomas Jefferson's official hostess at the White House.

Côté jumps back and fourth between what is currently happening in Dolley's life and then describes what James Madison, Jr. is doing, which is years before Dolley even met him. The reader is introduced to the man who became Dolly's first husband John Todd, Jr. in 1790. Dolley has two children with her first husband. Yellow fever strikes and Dolley loses her husband, her youngest son William Temple Todd and her in-laws in 1793. While Dolley was still in mourning her close friend Aaron Burr, the guardian of her surviving son John Payne Todd informed her that James Madison, Jr. wished to meet her.

Dolley married James Madison, Jr. who was seventeen years older then her less then a year after her first husband had passed away. Madison was not a Quaker, he was an Anglican planter and a major slaveholder. Dolley was disowned by the Quakers because of marrying outside her religion. The Madison's were married for forty-two years by the time James passed away in 1836. Côté describe what types of clothing the bride, the groom, and the guests might have worn to the wedding. Although Dolley had ceased to be a Quaker she still lived by the

"moral integrity" she had learned.

When Dolley returned to Philadelphia after her wedding she became immersed in all the culture, fashion, and politics that the city had to offer. She looked forward to a new and bright

future and a lifetime of gay parties, balls, and other society functions as the wife of a politician. This was a complete and total transformation for someone who had been brought up as a simple Quaker farm girl from the country. Dolley became an accomplished and sought after hostess, which Côté sees as her training ground prior to becoming the First Lady of the nation.

The next part of chapter six highlights the formative years of James Madison, Jr. Then Côté goes back to Dolley' s past and her prior marriage, then present time and the Madison's move to the Montpellier Plantation and then back to the past. It is quite distracting to follow all the jumping back and fourth. Côté gives a very thorough discussion of every female that Dolley meets and where they fit into the world picture from a historical perspective. Côté also describes the events going on in the 1790s with the "revolutionary feminist Mary Wollstonecraft."

Côté focuses on the many accomplishments of James Madison, Jr. in his lifetime. Côté points out the many important friends of James Madison's such as Thomas Jefferson, William Bradford, Aaron Burr, Hugh Henry Brackenridge, Philip Freneau, and Samuel Stanhope Smith. Dolley would become extremely close to Thomas Jefferson and was already very close to Aaron Burr. They spend a great deal of time expanding their home at Montpellier. Dolley learns how to become a "plantation mistress."

There are quite a bit of pages devoted to James Madison's inability to conceive a child with Dolley. Once Thomas Jefferson is confirmed as the new President he convinces James

Madison, Jr. to go back into politics by becoming his Secretary of State. The Madison's moved to Washington and stayed for eight years through Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson was a widow and he required Dolley to serve as his official Hostess for his entire presidency. Dolley honed her social skills, was quite the fashion maven, and truly understood more then most women married to politicians did about politics. Dolley was in the spotlight of the nation and received praise both good and bad for the way she dressed, her hairstyle, her manners, etc..

It was quite surprising that Dolley became involved in politics because Jefferson did not feel that women should be at all involved. Côté explains all the different social functions that Dolley was required to attend on Jefferson's behalf and Côté describes what a sloppy dresser Jefferson was. Dolley in helping Jefferson "had become the most important woman in

Washington society." After four years as the official hostess of President Jefferson, Dolley considered herself to be a veteran at this point and never realized how cruel the public

could be to her.

The next four years Dolley spent dealing with her recurring eye problem of conjunctivitis, her and her husbands attacks of "billius fever," her husband's "chronic bouts of weakness, and her ulcerated knee." Through all this she still managed to find time to secure a good school for her son and maintain an avid interest in politics. She suffered greatly when her

dear friend Aaron Burr was charged with treason and put in prison on the request of President Jefferson. Burr was acquitted and fled to Europe and left his daughter Theodosia behind. Dolley lost first her two nieces, then her sister Lucy Jackson in 1806, then in 1807 her mother, and finally her sister Mary in 1808 and still managed to be the perfect hostess.

To top it off she suffered inflammatory rheumatism in the summer of 1808. Once it became clear that James Madison. Jr. was the Republican choice for the next president, "Madison's Federalists opponents circulated lewd rumors of a graphically scandalous nature" about Dolley. They said, "she was Jefferson's lover, her husband was impotent, Dolley was

oversexed," and that her husband required her and sister to provide "Jefferson with sexual favors, fellow Republicans, and foreign diplomats in return for votes and support." John Randolph from Virginia who opposed Madison helped to fuel the spread of these rumors. The South Carolina Governor Charles Pickney said, "I was beaten by Mr. and Mrs. Madison" in the election.

On March 4, 1809 Dolley's husband James Madison, Jr. was inaugurated as the fourth president of the united States. During the next four years Dolley became even more of a fashion

icon with her "elaborate turbans," pearl jewelry, and expensive French clothes. Dolley Madison is credited with starting the inaugural ball after the presidential inauguration. Dolley was

considered the consummate hostess, she had more common sense then many women of her time, and was thought to be the "perfect person to lead Washington society." Dolley was called the

"Presidentress" because there was not a set title defined for the wife of a president. Dolley had a keen sense of fashion and took great pride in decorating the President's House, which she thought would be how she would be remembered in history. Her success at hosting great presidential receptions earned her the title of "queen of Washington society."

Dolley is often remembered today as being the perfect hostess and lady of style during her time as the "Presidentress." Côté feels that Dolley should be remembered as a heroine for the country for saving important papers from the President's House and for saving the portrait of George Washington. Dolley was described in stories at the time as having "strength and honor

under fire." Côté found reports that described her as "the heroine of the War of 1812." Côté postures that if women had been allowed to vote that Dolley might have been elected the next president. In Côté's opinion "with strength and honor, they faithfully discharged their duties to the highest offices they held."

Dolley thought that once they left the President's House in March 1817 she would live out the reminder of her days happy at the Montpellier Plantation. James Madison, Jr. was fine until the early 1830s when his health started to fail. Madison's goal was to edit his papers and have them published, he died June 28, 1836 before he could accomplish this and left this task Dolley to finish. Dolley had to move to Washington in 1845 and stayed there till she died.

By February 7, 1849 Dolley Madison's life had come full-circle when she was invited to be the guest of honor at an event in the presidential mansion by President James K. Polk when she was eighty-years old. Dolley was still seen as an "important leader in the capital's social circles." Dolley viewed publishing her husband's papers as her main goal from the time he died till the end of her life in 1849 when she was eighty-one. Dolley had to rely on the kindness of others for the final thirteen years of her life because she was left poor when her husband died. Dolley had been unaware that her husband had been covering her son John Payne Todd's debts for years.

This book appears to be extremely well researched and Côté uses letters all throughout the book to put into perspective Dolley's own words. There is a great set of illustrations and a detailed chronology explaining the events of Dolley Madison's life. Côté included a two page family tree on the Payne family and the Madison family which was invaluable. It was very distracting and hard to follow when Côté jumped back and fourth in time mid chapter.

The reader is required to constantly refer to the chronology and family trees to figure out whom Côté is talking about. That being said, it still held my interest to the end of the book.

Côté shows a bias in interpreting the material on Dolley, which may be due to Côté's own admission of a fascination with Dolley. This book is a real contribution to the subject of

Dolley Madison and helped me to understand Dolley Madison more as a person and a female.

This book would be helpful for students learning about women in American history in upper level college course or for those taking women's studies courses. This is not a just book about Dolley Madison but includes the historiography of other

important events in American history.

Rachel D. Dvorkin

Roosevelt University

Schaumburg, IL

I have read Richard Cote's Mary's World, Theodosia Portrait of a Prodigy and I have to say this Author is superb!! Strength & Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison is right up there with the other two. This Author has done his research and the reader learns alot. I can't wait for another one his books to come out. His writing style keeps you glued to the pages and makes it very hard to put the book down.
Anyone who wants to feel like they are actually present in the specific time period in which Mr. Cote'writes needs to read Mr. Cote's books.
Highly recommend this Author and all his books!!

I've never read any biography on Dolley Madison before and I'm glad to have read this. It was a good use of my time and I am now in love with Dolley Madison. I've also selected several chapters of this book for my daughter to read to help her with her AP History class next year. She and I have enjoyed discussing various aspects of Dolley's incredible life.

My daughter's and my only complaint is the clunky writing style, and the almost constant interruption of the chronological flow of the book. Someone's dead, then they're alive again. Some parts were so hard to understand, I had to just skip past them.

Still, it was a worthy book and I'm glad that I read it. Cote's passion for Dolley is evident and I was very pleased that he presented her in the best possible light and did not hold back his profuse praise of this worthy woman. No political correctness. He treats with compassion her conflicts of slave ownership.

As I read the chapter, Hostess to Heroine, I actually found myself indignant and angry with the British for burning the President's House. I also was very disgusted with her son, Payne Todd, for his miserable, cruel neglect of his mother in her last years.

As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 will be acknowledged and re-conidered, so interest in that fascinating lady at the heart of the storm, DOLLEY MADISON will be sparked This biography by an accomplished writer might offer a good introduction to Dolley's times and her life. It's easy reading and there are lots of drawings and illustrations illustrations that one doesn't find in other biographies. A reader might not quite capture her heart and her inner-thinking during the pivotal summer of 1814 when Washington burned ... but the story is here ... and well-told.

"Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolly Madison" by Richard (...) Cote is excellent reading and a work of art. Mr. Cote has once again shown that he is one of the best writers of our era. His work continues to excel and there is no limit to his artistic ability to dazzel the reader with his painting of history with a flair that only his author's brush can make. This is another masterpiece that hangs well beside "Mary's World" and "Theodosia Burr Alston"

This book was at least not a completely sterile historical work. I have always been interested in the life of Dolley Madison. While it's clear that Mr. Cote' loves history and is excellent at fact gathering, I felt this book was poorly constructed, which is a shame, given the wealth of material. Still, not a bad book to read to glean more information on a very important woman in history.