Mary Todd Lincoln
|
|
Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882) served as the sixteenth First Lady of the United States when her husband, Abraham Lincoln, served as the sixteenth President, from 1861 until 1865. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, she was the daughter of Robert Smith Todd and Eliza Parker, prominent residents of the city. At the age of twenty, Mary Todd moved to Illinois where her sister Elizabeth was living. Her sister Elizabeth introduced Mary to the young lawyer who would later become her husband. They were married on November 4, 1842.
Their children were:
- Robert Todd Lincoln : Springfield, Illinois August 1, 1843 – July 26, 1926 in Manchester, Vermont
- Edward Baker Lincoln : Springfield March 10, 1846 – February 1 1850 in Springfield
- William Wallace Lincoln : Springfield December 21, 1850 – February 20, 1862 in Washington, D.C.
- Thomas (Tad) Lincoln : Springfield April 4, 1853 – July 16, 1871 in Chicago, Illinois.
Of her four sons, only Robert survived into adulthood. Of Robert's children, only Jessie Lincoln had any children (Mary Lincoln Beckwith and Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith), neither of whom produced children.
Mary Lincoln was instantly unpopular upon her arrival in Washington. Newspapers at the time criticized her for using taxpayers' money to refurnish the White House as well as to fund personal shopping sprees. After her husband's death in April 1865, her reputation was further besmirched as former Lincoln aides and cabinet members openly attacked her for lacking compassion, some even hinting that she was a Confederate spy. In fact, the deaths of William, her husband, and ultimately Thomas (Tad) lead to the gradual onset of mental illness.
Mary Lincoln was committed by her son Robert to an insane asylum in Batavia, Illinois in 1875, but was released three months later. She died at the Springfield, Illinois home of her sister Elizabeth on July 16, 1882.
External links
- Mary Todd Lincoln Research Site (http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln15.html)
- Especially for students - An Overview of Mary Todd Lincoln's Life (http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln76.html)
| Preceded by: Harriet Lane | First Lady of the United States 1861–1865 | Succeeded by: Eliza McCardle Johnson |