The first lady’s role has never been defined prior to the 19th Century.On August 24, 1814 Dolley Madison's wife, of President James Madison was left alone in the White House with a few loyal servants while President James Madison"save for a few loyal servants", to try and save what little she could before the British arrived. In letters she wrote to her sister Lucy, she describes what was happening around her. She tells Lucy how her husband told her she "should be ready at a moment's warning to enter" her "carriage and leave the city ". Having to leave one's home at any moment would be frightening enough without having to deal with the thought of losing a priceless momento.
Dolly Madison, along with packing important state documents, also had to worry about how to save "Gilbert Stuart's priceless full-length portrait of George Washington." She had to supervise the loading of the wagon with her possessions as well as the valuable items in the President's house. Then came the removal of Washington's portrait. She supervised the servants who removed the portrait and sent it on its way to a farm. She then left her home. She finally met up with her husband 36 hours later. When they returned to the White House, they found it burned.
President George Washington's Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
Dolley Madison
The Changing Role of the First Lady Teachers Guide Grades 5 Through 12
