Mary Todd Lincoln was the 16th First Lady of the United States. Born to well-to-do Kentucky slave owners, well educated and refined, Mary was the most unlikely person you would expect to be later wed to a man of poor and simple background, or a man to be later deemed Americas “great emancipator”, for that matter, but as they say, love conquers all. Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln met at Mary sisters house, he was a lawyer in her brother-in-laws law firm; the pair shared an interest in literature and “Whig” or Republican politics which was a rare topic to discuss with a lady of that time, especially one who was known as a “southern belle. Although they were quickly interested in each other, they did not wed until two years into their on and off courtship.
Once married, Mary experienced life as the wife of a struggling lawyer, a far cry from the life of privilege and excess she once knew. As mother of three sons with a husband that traveled much, Mary kept her focus on her dream of advancing her husband in the political arena, and through her prodding ultimately Mr. Lincoln was elected to one term in congress. Tragically life at home was not so successful; the Lincolns lost one of their beloved children Edward, to a childhood illness. Understandably the family was heartbroken and political ambitions were cast aside as Mr. Lincoln finished his tenure in congress and returned to life as a struggling lawyer.
Depressed from the loss of her son, Mary decided that she needed to function again for the sake of her other children and husband Abe, the time might be right to have yet one more child to brighten their home, nine months later the Lincolns had their fourth and final child, a boy once more. Happier, the couple once again focused on Lincoln’s political career, but this time they found the nation was divided in it’s view on continuing slavery. The Todd family had long been slave holders with as many as 200 slaves, including Mary’s beloved Mammy Sally who had raised her as a young child after her own mother’s death, none the less, Mary did not believe that slavery was right nor did Abe. America inspired by Abe Lincolns speeches to limit slavery whilst preserving the union, elected him the 16th president of the United States. Newspapers of the time wrote stories of Mary’s spending habits claiming that she spent more than the Presidents salary. Much of this gossip now thought to be fueled by some continuing tensions within the country; the north claiming that since she was a slave owner’s daughter, she must be on the side of the south and wanted to preserve slavery, and the south saying she must be on the side of the north because of her husband’s views on limiting slavery.
While in the White house Mary once more felt the pain of losing a child for the second time and her grief was said to be unbearable, but she still had two sons Robert and Tad and her husband who she loved very much. One evening while holding her husbands hand at Fords Theater, the president was shot in the head and died early the next morning. So intense was her pain, Mary could not lay her eyes on her husbands body. Heartbroken and in shock, Mary eventually moved to Europe with her son Tad, who also later passed on as well, again to an illness easily treated today.
Alone and feeling the weight of the loss of nearly all the people she ever loved, from the loss of her mother at a young age, her three sons and her adoring husband, Mary’s behavior was said to have become “erratic” and at the request of her oldest and only living child Robert, she was sent to live in an asylum by court order. After four months time passed, Mary was released and pronounced sane, she returned to Europe for a brief period before illness and oncoming blindness sent her to live with her sister until her death.
Smart and ahead of her time Mary Todd Lincoln was often misunderstood, but never the less one of the most interesting First Ladies in American history, here are 15 fast facts about her along with some dates and details to help you with your assignment:
#1 Mary Todd Lincoln was born December 13th 1818, to a wealthy southern banking family in Lexington Kentucky.
#2 One of ultimately 15 children, Mary’s mother Elisabeth passed away shortly after childbirth, when Mary was just 6. Robert Todd Mary’s father remarried to a woman that Mary was not fond of, leaving her longing for her mother but close to the families “mammy” Sally.
#3 Because of her strained relationship with her stepmother, Mary was sent away to Madame Victoria Mentelle’s Boarding School, where she learned fluent French.
#4 At the age of 20 Mary Todd moved to Springfield IL, to live with her older sister Elizabeth, there she met many suitors including politician Stephan Douglas and later Abraham Lincoln.
#5 The Lincolns were wed on November 4, 1842. Mary was 23 and Abe was 10 years her senior.
#6 During their marriage, Mary & Abe had four boys. Robert, Edward, William also called Willie, and Thomas, known fondly as Taddie. Sadly all but Robert passed on at a young age, due to illnesses that may be easily treated today. Robert Lincoln survived his mother and had descendants that lived until the mid 1980’s.
#7 Mary was very politically out spoken for a woman of her day. She did everything in her power to influence and prod her husband’s political career. She was a die hard Republican.
#8 An avid shopper while Mr. Lincoln was President, it was rumored that the First lady spent more than her husband earned as President of the United States.
#9 Raised by a southern family that owned 200 or more slaves, Mary was staunchly out spoken against slavery a strong advocate for abolition.
#10 After President Lincoln was shot Mrs. Lincoln only saw her husband more, it is said that her grief was so great that the doctors attending to Abraham Lincoln removed her from the room. After the assassination, Mrs. Lincoln did not attend the funeral train carrying the President and the exhumed remains of their son Willie back to Springfield IL. to their final resting place, she remained in mourning in the White House.
#11 The death of the President in 1865 left the Mary alone and depressed. She traveled some time in Europe with her youngest son Tad until his tragic death in 1871 of pneumonia and pleurisy.
#12 Mary then slipped yet deeper into her depression and grief from the loss of her loved ones and ultimately poverty from continuous shopping sprees. In 1875 her only remaining son Robert had her committed to an insane asylum by court order. After four months spent Mrs. Lincoln was released upon being pronounced sane.
#13 Mary Todd Lincoln spent the next four years living in France. She returned to the states in 1880 due to poor health and lived with her sister Elizabeth once more in Springfield, IL.
#14 Slowly going blind, Mary lived in a darkened room in her sisters home alone. On July 16, 1882, Mary passed away at the age of 63; her death certificate simply read “paralysis”, which is now believed to have been a stroke.
#14 She was buried next to her husband in Springfield wearing the ring he gave her when they married, still visible on the ring were the words Lincoln had engraved, “Love is Eternal”.
