Founding Mothers: The matriarchs of American independence

Shortly after, Dolley met and wed James Madison, a politician and "Father of the Constitution" who would later become the fourth president of the United States. He was an Episcopalian, and she adopted his faith. As such, Madison no longer wore the plain clothes of a Quaker she had worn earlier. Her official White House biography said she dressed in fine fashions and had the social manners of a queen. One of her most memorable moments was when she saved several artifacts from being burned or stolen when the White House was ransacked during the War of 1812.

— Nicole Warburton

Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley was a slave who was brought to America from Gambia and then spirited north and educated. She was cut off from her own culture but was such a quick study that she was soon mastering the ways of Northern white women. She was a devoutly religious person and became known for her ability to sound the depth of spiritual matters in her poetry.

She was especially good at writing elegies, perhaps because of the traditions of her African tribe. When she wrote an elegy for the legendary evangelical Methodist minister George Whitefield, she found instant success as a poet. She knew Latin, read much and though she seldom touched on matters of race and politics, modern African-American authors see her as a founding mother not only of America, but of their own identity.

Because of her popularity as a poet, she was ultimately freed from slavery on Oct. 18, 1773. A strong supporter of independence, she met with Gen. George Washington in March of 1776. Phillis is remembered for many first-time accomplishments. She was the first African-American to publish a book, the first to earn a living from her writing, and the first woman writer encouraged and financed by a group of women. The following snippet is typical of her poetry:

But the west glories in the deepest red:

So may our breasts with every virtue glow,

The living temples of our God below!

Filled with the praise of him who gives the light

And draws the sable curtains of the night.

— Jerry Johnston