Center for Women's History
Women’s history is American history. Bring it into your classroom with our new curriculum!
Leadership support for Women and the American Story provided by
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
Attributed to Gilbert Stuart, George Washington, 1796. Oil on canvas. White House Historical Association / White House Collection.
Resource 6: Saving Washington
Dolley’s famous letter to her sister details the frightening hours before British troops invaded Washington during the War of 1812, and her rescue of the iconic portrait of George Washington. When Margaret Bayard Smith included the entire letter in her profile of Mrs. Madison, Americans celebrated Dolley’s wifely devotion and her patriotic bravery.