Montpelier
Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison was a social and political force of nature, and a powerful foil for her husband, James. As America’s First, First Lady she influenced policy and pop culture, and wielded substantial influence. Dolley, seventeen years younger than her husband, outgoing and socially skilled. Her abilities enhanced her husband’s popularity.
The Madison’s lived in their Orange County estate, Montpelier. Until President Thomas Jefferson appointed James Madison as his Secretary of State in 1801, As the wife of the ranking Cabinet official, Dolley served as the unofficial First Lady for the widowed Jefferson. Her genuine graciousness and political tact made her a popular, if unconventional, figure on the Washington scene during her husband’s two administrations.
Montpelier
Montpelier
James Madison was an American Statesman and Founding Father of the constitution who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809–1817. James Madison’s Montpelier was the plantation house of the Madison Family. The fourth president of the USA James Madison and his wife Dolley lived at the house and grounds located in Orange County, Virginia. the first recorded use of the name comes from a 1781 James Madison letter. Madison personally liked the French spelling of the name Montpellier. The city of Montpellier, France, was a famous resort. Clues from letters and visitor descriptions suggest these origins of the plantation’s name.
James Madison was one of 12 children and the third generation Madison to own Montpelier. However, the size of his family does not compare to the largest community of people who lived on the plantation. From 1723 to 1844, during the Madison family’s ownership, hundreds of African-American slaves called Montpelier home. “Five, six, and possibly seven generations of African Americans were born into slavery at Montpelier.” The Madison’s were not the only residents of Montpelier, but they were the masters of the land and its enslaved people.
Dolley Madison and the Politics of Gracious Hospitality
During her lifetime, Dolley Payne Todd Madison was a partner to James in multiple ways — one half of a loving marriage, an effective political connector, and a hostess so able that she would set the tone for hospitality not only in Washington but all over America. Today, we inherently understand that a spouse’s popularity has significant impact on a presidential candidate’s chances with the public, but it was Dolley Madison who showed just how important a president’s partner can be.
If James’s political philosophy emphasized the importance of the individual, Dolley made each individual visitor personally feel that importance. Her unique brand of hospitality was emulated by a very young nation anxious to craft an identity.
The nation’s admiration didn’t end with Dolley’s death in 1849 or the impressive funeral held for her in Washington. Her value as a symbol would stay strong well into the following century.
US Constitution
The landmark restoration of Montpelier continues with the unveiling of the estate’s intellectual heart, James Madison’s library. Looming at more than 4,000 volumes, Madison’s library represents a lifetime dedicated to knowledge and was widely recognized as one of the most significant in America.
In this quiet recess at Montpelier, a young 35-year-old Madison spent countless hours developing a plan to save a young America from ruin. The ideas born here became the framework for the Virginia Plan and later the U.S. Constitution
Arguably one of the most important documents in the history of our country, our 4,543-word Constitution has lasted, to date, 230 years. A model for Constitutions worldwide, the US Constitution has only been ratified once, and contains 27 amendments. James Madison was the author of the Bill of Rights the first ten amendments. Shaping a collection of British colonies, the United States into a nation, that would ultimately become a global superpower.
It is our duty to foster conversations that encourage people to seek out truth in history to move our country forward. They are painful, complicated, and controversial. They are also necessary, and to shy away from them because they are contentious is cowardly and irresponsible.
Montpelier connects the past to the present through the lens of the Constitution and engages the public in elevated conversations about rights, and the struggle for freedom. To understand what happened in Charlottesville and what’s continuing to happen across the country, it’s imperative to understand our history of race as a nation.
