dolley madison. is there any information about how she was able to function socially with poor health? >> that is a great question. that is part of why she was an almost invisible first ady. she had serious health roblems. she had excruciating headaches. it was thought she suffered from arthritis. there were a number of people who believed she may have had a ate onset epilepsy, known as the falling disease, at that point. that is something that would have been kept a secret from the public. one of the byproducts of her poor health, she also had stand in her place her daughter, eliza. it is her daughter who is responsible for a number of these actions blamed on her mother. it gave off an aura of snobbery. the first white house wedding of the president's daughter took place. eliza took over reparations. it was she who said, this is a family affair. you talk about those 500 or 600 people. and number of them thought they should have been invited to the wedding. for the historical reputation, we have acce

dolley is queen dolley.eryen have to travel this strict line, but the women get to have an aristocratic title. that is one of the messages she is sending out the women at that time, and it was understood a lot at the beginning of that is predicated on loyalty. >> a lot of people called her president. >> who called her queen dolley? >> a lot of people. >> she dressed a queen. she looked every inch a queen. sometimes they say she looked libling a -- like a bride and a queen. so her elegance of dress, she bought a lot of her material in paris. so she is very elegantly dressed, and she looks to american eyes as a queen. and that's fine, because she is not the head of state. she is walking a very fine line where she expresses the finer things to which the nation aspires. she is not royalty. she is always walking a very fine line down the middle. >> you provided a wonderful segue to our next video. >> oh, did i? >> it is at mont pilliar which is the restored home of the madisons and open for tours. put it on your

. >> here is where we bring in dolley madison and what role does she have to play in this administration? >> referred to by carl anthony brilliantly as the queen mother, i think, she had a beautiful cousin, angelica singleton, martin van buren had four single sons including his chief aide and she introduced them all at a dinner party. >> why was dolley madison back in washington? >> her husband had died. >> and they had to sell off the plantation. >> her son wasn't the best manager so she moved back to washington. she also loved the washington scene. >> she bought a house on lafayette square. she was right there. and she immediately jumped in to the social swing where she had been happiest and she came back there as a widow. >> back to calls. terry in independence, missouri, as we talk about the van buren administration. hi, terry. are you there? we have lost her. let's go to kentucky. caller: i am calling about mrs. jackson. i thought she had a son who passed away. i would also like to comment on angelica's impression on the press as hostess of the white house and representing the buren

dolley madison has been part of our series -- this is her last hurrah. what was her role with the polk white house? >> she had come back to washington. sarah polk and dolly became very close. dolly mentor to sarah and sarah fed her. >> which was important because she was very broke. >> she treated her as the grand dame and honored her in theirte. they we .ar.r 2 an ma p twe tw the nsoff, the sensh the underse role of the first lady and conveying of the -- sort of, indirect that would support her husband's residency. it is not easy to be a first lady during war. thewere many detractors as war went on. polk went in and said i will do the following things in four years, and he did. >> this is also the first time we have photography. and we have a fabulous photograph to show you on screen right now. which brings together a number of these characters all in one place. here are the polks, dolly madison is the second from the right with her turbine. and we have an opportunity here to see harriet lane, served as white house hostess later on. dollyarah polk and m

dolley madison's order in 1811 cost $2000. to give you an idea.he pink gown you saw had more lace on it. madethers were about $25, by seamstresses in washington. the fabric would've an extra. >> she was trying to find that sweet spot between frugality and image. >> she did so so well. everyone said she was beautifully dressed, had been full deportment. she carried herself like a lady, acted like a lady and was very gracious. >> at the same time we are learning about sarah polk and her modern approach to being a political partner, what is happening to women out large and united states? what is going on with women overall? at a beginning to ask for more power in society? >> the people in seneca falls are. it is important to have some perspective on what is happening to women at this time. for most american women, not much is changing and being asked. the most important changes for women, the cutting edge of women in politics, is coming out of the antislavery movement. you have thousands of women who are politically active, really for the first time

we say goodbye to dolley sheldons influence, cooper -- we can't do a program dolley in it. sheldon cooper asked, did sarah guidance to future first ladies? >> yes, 50 years after she was see, until the early 1990's, dolley died in 1849. so sarah was the embodiment of first lady proper ther dolley died and respect passed down with her, yes. >> so building on that, the is, what is sarah polk's legacy? >> i'll let her answer this a great dealritten on sarah. >> i think that james k. polk have beenight not able to achieve his ambitious herterm agenda without help. she certainly kept the white house running because he himself toorked death and she handled his legacy well after his unfortunate early death. the legacy isf his, first postage stamp, treasury department, thest doubling the size of united states. and many things to be thankful for. the first ladies themselves are theyo much innovators as are sometimes they embrace those the american character that the public needs it very,nk she did very well. >> the election of 1848 brought the white house and as we continue our prog

. >> is it true dolley madison also was around to offer advice? >> i think she offered advice whenever she got away with it. she would have been nearby from time to time. >> one last thing legacy was she was the first presidential window to get attention for her service. how did that happen? >> for husband died in office, and she needed the assistance, so congress inappropriate $35,000 for her. an on substantial amount of money. when he dies in office this is the first time this has happened. did it create a constitutional crisis? >> it certainly did. the constitution does indicate if the president is not air -- is not there, those duties on the vice president, but it did not say what the status of that person would be. would he be carrying out the duties as vice president, as acting president, or as the new president, sir john tyler decided he was not going to let them thing too long about it, so he declared himself president, and he had congress pass resolutions declaring him president. that,eryone agrees with so occasionally mail came to new th

. >> i put her right up there with dolley madison, and i actually think her influence on the country might be more lasting, because she was one of the earley colingses. when people hardly knew the words environmentalism and ecology, she called it beautification. she didn't like the word, but that was the best she could come up with. and it was to tell communities to treasure their natural resources, make their communities more beautiful. get rid of the junkyards, tear down the billboards. her imprint is seen today all over this country. hiways in north carolina, in georgia, in california are sprinkles with wild flowers, which takes some doing. it's much easier just to mow them. she did a lot. >> which one of the mothers did you like the least? >> the least? oh, i don't look at people that way. i will say which one i like the best, and i think martha young truman was just such a steadfast person with a sense of humor and kind of full of vim and vigor. she talked politics on her death bed. >> is it fair to say in the book you were pretty positive about all the mothers? >> yes. >> did y