Existing comment:
The Madison Family Cemetery
Discovering Madison
"The advice nearest to my heart and deepest in my convictions is that the Union of the States be cherished an perpetuated."
-James Madison, Advice to My Country, 1834
The Madison Family Cemetery is the understated resting place for two of America's most remarkable people: James and Dolley Madison, when the last Founding Father did in 1836, Dolley, together with friends, family, and slaves, paid loving respect. Public tribute came two months later, when John Quincy Adams delivered a passionate oration celebrating the man who had formulated the Constitution and sponsored the Bill of Rights. After the death of her cherished James, Dolley moved to Washington, D.C., where she resumed her role as the city's leading hostess. When she died in 1849, nearly penniless, all of Washington turned out for her state funeral. This rare honor acknowledged the legacies of both Madisons and their profound role in shaping our nation. |