Mary Todd Lincoln 1818 – 1882

Biography

Mary Todd Lincoln was born in Lexington, Kentucky, into a wealthy, politically prominent family, and was educated in French, literature, and politics. In 1842 she married Abraham Lincoln, then an Illinois lawyer, and the couple had four sons, only one of whom outlived her. As First Lady during the Civil War, she redecorated the White House, visited wounded soldiers in hospitals, and endured vicious press attacks and the deaths of two sons. She sat beside her husband at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, when he was assassinated, and never recovered from the trauma. Her later years were marked by grief, financial troubles, and a brief commitment to an asylum by her son Robert. She died in Springfield, Illinois, in 1882. Her White House years and her grief have inspired countless books and plays, and she remains one of the most debated First Ladies.