Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Ann Todd Lincoln was the First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. She was born into a large and wealthy slave-owning family in Kentucky, but she never owned slaves and later opposed slavery. After finishing school, she moved to Springfield, Illinois, where she lived with her sister.

Mary supported her husband's career and was active during the American Civil War, helping to keep morale high. She was in charge of social events at the White House and redecorated it, which sometimes caused concern because of the cost.

The Lincolns had four sons, but only their eldest, Robert, survived both parents. The deaths of her husband and three of their sons were very hard on Mary. She faced health issues, including headaches and possible depression or bipolar disorder. She spent time traveling in Europe and later lived with her sister in Springfield, where she died in 1882 at age 63. She is buried with her family in the Lincoln Tomb, a National Historic Landmark.

Early life and education

Mary Todd Lincoln was born on December 13, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky. She was the fourth of seven children of Robert Smith Todd, a banker, and Elizabeth "Eliza" (Parker) Todd. When Mary was six, her mother passed away, and her father later married Elizabeth "Betsy" Humphreys, with whom he had nine more children.

From 1832, Mary lived in a large house in Lexington, known today as the Mary Todd Lincoln House. She attended a school where she learned French, literature, dance, drama, music, and social skills. By the time she was 20, Mary was known for her wit and interest in politics. In 1839, she moved to Springfield, Illinois, to live with her sister. There, she became popular and eventually married Abraham Lincoln, who shared her political views.

Marriage and family

Mary Todd Lincoln met Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer at the time, through her older sister. They shared an interest in politics and became engaged, though some family members did not approve because of Lincoln’s uncertain future. Their engagement ended for a while, but they got back together and married in 1842 when Mary was 23 and Abraham was 33.

After they married, they had four sons. Robert and Tad grew up and lived past their father’s death, but only Robert lived longer than their mother. The other two sons, Eddie and Willie, passed away when they were young.

Lincoln's career and home life

While Abraham Lincoln worked as a lawyer in Springfield, Mary took care of their home and family. They lived in a house there from 1844 until 1861, which is now a historic site that people can visit.

When Lincoln traveled for his work, Mary stayed home to look after their children. She helped Lincoln with his work, especially when he became president in 1860. Mary also cooked meals for him, keeping with the simple style she learned from her family, even preparing foods like imported oysters that Lincoln liked.

First Lady of the United States

Mary Lincoln had many challenges during her time as First Lady while her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, led the country through a difficult time. She came from a family in a state where slavery was allowed, and some of her relatives fought on the opposing side during the Civil War. Despite this, Mary strongly supported her husband’s efforts to keep the nation together.

She worked hard to serve as First Lady in Washington, D.C., even though it was a place with very different customs. She worked to decorate the White House beautifully, but sometimes spent more money than was planned, which upset her husband. Mary also loved beautiful jewelry and sometimes bought pieces she could not fully pay for at the time. She faced health issues, including frequent headaches and times when she felt very sad, which made her life more difficult. Despite these challenges, she visited soldiers in hospitals, bringing them comfort and writing letters for them to send home.

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Main article: Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

As the American Civil War ended, Mrs. Lincoln hoped to keep being the First Lady of a peaceful nation. On the morning of April 14, 1865, President Lincoln felt happy because Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Ulysses Grant. That night, Mrs. Lincoln and President Lincoln went to see a play called Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre with friends.

During the play, President Lincoln was sadly shot by John Wilkes Booth. Mary held his hand when this happened. Lincoln lost consciousness right away. Mary stayed very upset, but she helped doctors carry him across the street to the Petersen House, where he was taken to a bedroom.

Lincoln stayed unconscious for about nine hours and passed away at 7:22 a.m. the next morning, April 15, 1865. Before he passed, Mary was allowed back in the room and held his hand, calling him kind names. When he passed, his face looked calm and peaceful.

Later life

After her husband’s death, Mary Todd Lincoln received kind messages from people all around the world. She tried to answer many of them herself, including a thoughtful letter from Queen Victoria, who had also lost her husband, Prince Albert.

As a widow, Mary returned to Illinois and lived in Chicago with her sons. Though her husband had left her enough money to live comfortably, Mary struggled with money. In 1868, she asked for help in newspapers and tried to sell her personal items, which surprised many people. She and her son Tad moved to Europe, where they lived in Frankfurt for several years. During this time, the Seligman family helped her by paying for her travel and supporting her.

In 1870, Congress approved a yearly payment for Mary, which she had worked hard to receive. She believed she deserved it, comparing her situation to the families of soldiers who had died in the war.

Tragically, Mary faced many personal losses. Her son Tad passed away in 1871, and later her behavior became more unpredictable. Her surviving son, Robert, grew worried and took steps to have her placed in a private care home in Batavia, Illinois. However, Mary was clever and managed to leave with help from her friends. She was later allowed to live with her sister in Springfield.

In her final years, Mary’s health declined. She had trouble seeing and fell several times. She traveled to New York to ask for more support from Congress, which she eventually received.

On July 15, 1882, Mary collapsed at her sister’s home, and she passed away the next morning from a stroke at the age of 63. Her funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield.

In popular culture

Mary Todd Lincoln has appeared in many books, films, and plays. Several writers have written historical novels about her life. Some of these books let Mary tell her own story.

She has also been played by many actresses in movies and television shows. These include performances by Kay Hammond, Marjorie Weaver, Ruth Gordon, Julie Harris, Mary Tyler Moore, Donna Murphy, Sally Field, Penelope Ann Miller, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

In 1972, an opera called The Trial of Mary Lincoln was performed, with a singer named Elaine Bonazzi playing Mary.

In 2024, a funny play called Oh, Mary! made its Broadway debut. It makes a humorous look at Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks before her husband's death.

Mary Todd Lincoln was also shown in a 2024 TV series called Manhunt, with actress Lili Taylor playing her.

Family

Mary Todd Lincoln had a large family. Her sister Elizabeth Todd married Ninian Edwards Jr., the son of Illinois Governor Ninian Edwards. Their daughter Julia Edwards later married Edward L. Baker Jr., who worked for the Illinois State Journal.

Mary also had half-sisters. Emilie Todd married Benjamin Hardin Helm, who became a general and was the son of Kentucky Governor John L. Helm. Another half-sister, Elodie Todd, married Nathaniel H. R. Dawson, who served as the third U.S. Commissioner of Education. One of Mary’s cousins, John Blair Smith Todd, was a congressman and general from Dakota Territory John Blair Smith Todd.

Regard by historians

Historians have not always thought highly of Mary Todd Lincoln as a first lady. Some felt she caused trouble and made things harder for President Abraham Lincoln. This was partly because she faced sad times, including the loss of two of her children.

Since 1982, Siena College Research Institute has asked historians to rate American first ladies. At first, Mary Todd Lincoln was ranked near the bottom. But by 2020, her ranking had improved. This change may be because more has been written about her life and experiences.

In the rankings, her positions were:

• 42nd-best of 42 in 1982
• 37th-best of 37 in 1993
• 36th-best of 38 in 2003
• 35th-best of 38 in 2008
• 31st-best of 39 in 2014
• 29th-best of 40 in 2020