Mary Todd Lincoln, first lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865, was born this day in 1818 in Lexington, Ky. Her reputation has had ups and downs since her time in the White House, but there is no doubt that she was a crucial ally to her husband Abraham Lincoln as he steered the nation through the Civil War as president.
Born into a well-to-do banking family active in local politics, Mary Todd was highly educated, attractive, and intellectually interested in social issues. Men flocked to her, including Abraham Lincoln, then a rising figure in political circles. They married in 1842, and, though they suffered the loss of a 3-year-old son, lived happily together.
Her role as first lady kicked off with a grand re-decoration of the White House that centered it as a showcase meant to impress visitors. But just a few months into the first year of her husband’s presidency, the Civil War started. That was especially awkward for the woman from a Confederate state living in the White House. She did her best to serve as a stabilizing force for the nation but became a subject of public ire because of her extravagant outfits and spending on renovations.
Mary Todd’s life in the public eye would continue to be difficult. In 1862, the two suffered the loss of another child. Then in 1865, she was seated alongside her husband when he was assassinated. She fell into a period of deep distress marked by a sense that she lived in poverty (which she did not.) It lasted for years. In 1871, yet another of her sons died.
There is no happy coda to her story, unfortunately. In 1875, Mary Todd’s only remaining son, Robert Todd Lincoln, had her placed in a sanatorium after a court hearing. The court reversed that decision the following year, but Mary Todd’s public reputation had been tarnished. She moved to Europe for four years, before returning to Springfield, Ill., a couple of years before her death in 1882.
You can read more about Mary Todd Lincoln at History Cooperative.
