Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Lincoln ( born December 13, 1818 in Lexington, Kentucky as Mary Ann Todd, † July 16, 1882 in Springfield, Illinois) was the wife of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and the First Lady of the United States from 1861 until 1865.

Life

She was a daughter of Robert Smith Todd and Eliza Parker, a wealthy family from the South who held slaves themselves. Her mother died early. Her father was a member of the Whigs and provided an excellent education of his daughter and also aroused their political interest.

At the age of twenty years, Mary moved to Springfield, Illinois, where her sister Elizabeth lived. There she met Abraham Lincoln, whom she married on November 4, 1842. From the beginning, she supported his political career.

They had four children:

  • Robert Todd Lincoln ( born August 1, 1843 in Springfield ( Illinois), † July 26, 1926 in Manchester, Vermont)
  • Edward " Eddie" Baker Lincoln ( born March 10, 1846 in Springfield ( Illinois), † February 1, 1850 ibid )
  • William " Willie" Wallace Lincoln ( born December 21, 1850 in Springfield ( Illinois), † February 20, 1862 in Washington, DC)
  • Thomas " Tad " Lincoln ( April 4, 1853 in Springfield ( Illinois), † July 16, 1871 in Chicago)

First Lady

After the election of her husband as president and during the Civil War it was because of their descent from Kentucky - several of her (half - ) brothers fought and died on the side of the Confederate States of America - Animosity exposed. Also she organizes parties and the costly renovation of the White House earned her criticism. Nevertheless, she always stood firmly on her husband, who also always discussed his policy with their page.

In Washington, she suffered from loneliness, migraines and mood swings. Her best friend was the seamstress Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave. That this 1868 their memories of the time of Lincoln's presidency, Behind the Scene, or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House, published with intimate glimpses into the lives of the president's family, led to the break of friendship. This is, inter alia, described how Mary Lincoln fell into disuse after the death of her third son Willie in hysteria, which they compensated by Shopaholic, which led to high levels of debt.

Her husband's assassination on April 14, 1865 at Ford 's Theatre in Washington DC experienced them with close range.

Widow

After the death of her husband, Mary Lincoln sank into a deep depression and only wore black. With her ​​sons she moved to Chicago. For several years she lived with her ​​youngest in Frankfurt am Main. His death in 1871 increased their mental suffering.

1875 was a tough battle between the only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln and his mother. Because her son felt their way of life as more and more eccentric, he struggled in 1875 to a court case against her to get control of their finances. Mary Ann Todd Lincoln was sent out to a psychiatric facility in Batavia, Illinois, but was released after three months and moved in with her ​​sister in Springfield. Later, she made ​​several trips to Europe and lived for several years in Pau in France. The disagreement with her son was final.

She died 1882 and was buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery.

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