Editing James Madison (section)

=== Marriage and family ===
[[File:Gilbert Stuart - Dolley Payne Madison (Mrs. James Madison) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Dolley Payne Madison|Dolley Madison]]<br>''Painted by [[Gilbert Stuart]] c. 1804''|alt=Image of Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison.]]

On September 15, 1794, Madison married [[Dolley Payne Todd]], the 26-year-old widow of John Todd, a Quaker farmer who died during a [[yellow fever]] epidemic.{{sfn|Ketcham|1990|page=377}} Earlier that year, Madison and Dolley Todd had been formally introduced at Madison's request by [[Aaron Burr]]. Burr had become friends with her when staying at the same Philadelphia boardinghouse.{{sfn|Brant|1950|pp=406–407}} The two quickly became romantically engaged and prepared for a wedding that summer, but Todd suffered recurring illnesses because of her exposure to yellow fever in Philadelphia. They eventually traveled to [[Harewood (West Virginia)|Harewood in Virginia]] for their wedding. Only a few close family members attended, and [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]] reverend [[Alexander Balmain]] presided.{{sfn|Ketcham|2003|pages=376–380}} Dolley became a renowned figure in Washington, D.C., and excelled at hosting.{{sfn|Montpellier, Life of James Madison}}  She subsequently helped to establish the modern image of the first lady of the United States as an individual who has a leading role in the social affairs of the nation.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=479–480}}

Throughout his life, Madison maintained a close relationship with his father, James Sr. At age 50, Madison inherited the large plantation of Montpelier and other possessions, including his father's slaves.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=443–444}}{{sfn|Ketcham|2003|pp=370–371}} While Madison never had children with Dolley, he adopted her one surviving son, [[John Payne Todd]] (known as Payne), after the couple's marriage.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=321–322}} Some of his colleagues, such as Monroe and Burr, believed Madison's lack of offspring weighed on his thoughts, though he never spoke of any distress.{{sfn|Ketcham|2003|p=386}} [[Oral history]] has suggested Madison may have fathered a child with his enslaved half-sister, a cook named Coreen, but researchers were unable to gather the [[DNA evidence]] needed to determine the validity of the accusation.{{sfn|Mummolo|2007}}{{sfn|Nelson|2016|pages=19–20}}