The post-Revolutionary era comes to life in this vivid, incisive portrait of the early American republic--and its master political architect.

First Lady of the United States and America's "Queen of Hearts," Dolley Madison fashioned an unofficial role for herself in the new administration of the United States, helping to answer the nation's need for ceremony and leaving footprints for centuries of presidential wives to follow. Assisting her husband, James Madison, she helped to promote national unity, modeling a political behavior that stressed civility and empathy. Together, their approach fueled bipartisanship in a country still assembling a political identity. About the Lives of American Women series: selected and edited by renowned women's historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a women's life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a 'good read', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject's perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

In this comprehensive biography of James and Dolley Madison, historian Bruce Chadwick introduces the reader to America's first power couple. Using newly uncovered troves of letters at the University of Virginia, Chadwick has been able to reconstruct the details of the Madisons' personal and political lives. Based on this archive, the author argues that our fourth president--the architect of the Constitution--owed much of his success to the political savvy of his wife. And Dolley, through her many social skills, created the dynamic role of First Lady that we know today. Within the new historical papers are remarkable stories of Dolley's parties and her backdoor politicking. Their letters show Madison not as a boring, average president--as some historians have maintained--but as a vibrant, tough leader, a very successful commander in chief who changed America. These documents also help to paint a searing portrait of the Madisons' struggles with their irresponsible son and outline how their lifelong funding of his whims brought about their own demise. Blending the personal and the political, this is a fascinating portrait of a couple whose life together contributed so much to the future course of our nation.

Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. She wore beautiful dresses, decorated her home, and threw lavish parties. Everyone talked about Dolley, and everyone loved her, too. Then war arrived at her doorstep, and Dolley had to meet challenges greater than she’d ever known. So Dolley did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. Don Brown once again deftly tells a little known story about a woman who made a significant contribution to American history.

Dolley Madison is the target when America declares war on Great Britain and enemy soldiers march into Washington City. How can she save the United States and herself?

The story of Dolly Madison is the story of one of the most charming and beloved of American women.

A new biography series, complete with full color illustrations, that celebrates amazing women, from acclaimed author Kathleen Krull.