As I led a presentation about U.S. History to an advanced placement senior class at a local high school, I wanted to get a glimpse of what they knew about some of our Founding Fathers. So I asked a few questions. These kids were pretty good—advanced placement after all. But it seemed their general knowledge about U.S. History left something to be desired.

One of the last questions I asked was “what do you know about Dolley Madison?” One young lady raised her hand (they were on their best behavior for my visit to their class) and she said “Didn’t she have something to do with cupcakes?” (She was serious!)

Dolley Madison is one of the most interesting females in the 1700’s, in U.S. history. And yet we don’t teach our kids about her. In this particular history class assigned book, there was more information about Marilyn Monroe than about Dolley Madison. It’s so sad. Here’s a little bit about Dolley.

In 1794, James Madison, the 43 year old Member of Congress (sometimes known as “the Father of the Constitution”) gave up his long held status as a confirmed bachelor when he married the charming and beautiful 26 year old widow named Dorothy Payne. History knows her best by the name everyone is acquainted with for her: “Dolley Madison.”

Dolley was born May 20, 1768, to the Quaker couple, John and Mary Payne. For a little period of time, the Payne family lived at Scotchtown, which had been owned by their distant relative, Mary’s cousin, Patrick Henry.

When Dolley was 14, for various reasons, John moved his little family to Philadelphia. However, John never could make a living out of his vocation as starch maker. He went bankrupt in 1789 and was shunned by his friends and the religious community. He died, broken and dispirited two years later.

Dolley blossomed into a beautiful young lady, and had several young men competing for her attention. She met and married a young lawyer, John Todd, shortly after her father’s death. Despite her father’s desperate end of his life, the community was pleased at this happenstance, and 80 signed her marriage certificate when the marriage was solemnized. John was a conscientious lawyer, gained many clients, and the couple lived in a fine house.

By 1793, the couple had two sons, an 18 month old and a new-born baby.

So how does James Madison come into the picture? I’ll tell you more tomorrow.