Madeira was the drink used to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence, according to Jancis Robinson, editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine. Madeira was a favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson, and frequently enjoyed by U.S. Presidents George Washington and John Adams.
Madeira is a fortified wine that comes from the eponymous Portuguese island. Because of the island's position on trade routes - particularly on route to the New World - the wine gained early popularity. And because it is fortified, meaning that it is made with a higher alcohol content in the fermentation process, Madeira lasted longer than other wine varieties, making it the perfect drink to bring with you on long sea voyages. The higher alcohol content also makes it sweeter and more viscous. Other fortified wines include Port, Sherry and Marsala. While some types of the wine are made in California and Texas, according to EU regulations, the term "Madeira" can only be used for wines produced on the Portuguese island.
Madeira often gets a bad rap for being merely a low quality "cooking wine". Newer and cheaper versions of Madeira are used to flavor steaks and other dishes with Madeira sauce. Some low quality Madeira is even pre-seasoned with salt and pepper for this very purpose. However, the finer versions of Madeira are often enjoyed as a pre-meal drink (aperetif) or a dessert wine, similar to port or sherry.
A Washington Post article (see link below) from Saturday's edition profiles a seventh generation Madeira producer, Chris Blandy. According to the article, while Madeira remains largely a niche wine in the U.S., national consumption has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years and now stands at around 12,000 cases annually.
Sources:
Robinson, J., ed. (2006), The Oxford Companion to Wine (Third ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860990-6. Pages 416-419.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/why-you-should-crack-open-a-bottle-of-the-wine-thats-indestructible/2016/02/12/90199e22-cff7-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html
http://wine.about.com/od/fortifiedwines/a/Fortifiedwine.htm
http://www.blandys.com/
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