9. JOHN PAYNE TODD
John Payne Todd was the adopted child of James Madison and son of Madison’s wife, Dolley, from her first marriage. John’s father and younger brother died in the 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic, and he was just 2 years old when his mother married James Madison the following year.
While John collected art and participated in diplomatic missions befitting a first child, he also gambled and drank away much of his family’s money after the Madisons left the White House. In 1826, this affinity for gambling landed him a short stint in a debtor’s prison. John’s behavior devastated his mother, who wrote, “every feeling of my Soul is wounded” as she attempted to figure out how to handle her son.
James Madison endeavored to shelter his wife as much as possible from knowledge of their son’s indiscretions. Without Dolley knowing, Madison would sell off acreage of their land to pay John’s debts. However, when Madison died, he could no longer protect his wife from the knowledge of her son’s debts. Dolley was forced to sell Montpelier, the family’s plantation. She also sold Madison’s papers to Congress, which paid a yearly fee to the widow, preventing John from being able to take the money all at once. Upon his death in 1852, John used his will to free his slaves. Due to his outstanding debts, this was contested by his debtors. However, the slaves were granted their freedom in 1853.
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