FREE ESSAY ON MARY TODD LINCOLN

MARY TODD LINCOLN

Bibliography 
Baker, Jean H., Mary Todd Lincoln, A biography; New York: W. W. Norton 
and Company, 1987. 
Author's Qualifications 
Jean H. Baker graduated with a B.A. from Goucher College in 1961, received a masters from
John Hopkins University in 1965 and a Ph.D. in 1971. 
She was the assistant professor of history at Goucher College from 1972-1976, associate
professor of history at Goucher College from 1976-1981 and is presently the professor of
history at the same college. 
Ms. Baker has written several books including The Stevensons of Illinois 1976, Mary Todd
Lincoln 1987, and Affair of Party 1982. She is currently working on a revision of Civil
War and Reconstruction with David Donald and Michael Holt. 
Source: www.goucher.edu/history/department/baker.html
Author's Purpose 
For all interested persons to understand the justification and reasoning behind the
"alleged" lunacy of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Precis
Mary Ann Todd was born in Lexington, Kentucky on December 13, 1818 to Eliza and Robert
Todd, a rather prominent family. She had six siblings. Her mother died when Mary Ann was
only six years old. Many women died in this era due to complications of birth and
incurable diseases. 
Mary Todd's father, Robert, remarried shortly after his first wife's death. Mary Todd
never had a comfortable or loving relationship with her stepmother, Betsy. Betsy was
often critical of Mary Todd and also shamed her in public. 
Mary Todd was sent to a boarding school for girls and excelled in her studies even though
it was not common or acceptable for young ladies to continue with schooling after a
certain age. Mary was fluent in French and was very excited and interested in political
issues.
In 1839, Mary Todd met and began a relationship with Abraham Lincoln. Abraham was not of
her status, but she had a "feeling" that he would take her to the White House one day.
They loved each other and were married in 1842. 
Mary gave birth to Robert in 1843, Eddie in 1846, Willie in 1850 and Tad in 1853. Mary
and Abraham lost Eddie in 1850 to tuberculosis. This was the first of many grievances
that Mary would experience. Mary loved all of her children and her husband very much. She
was devoted to all. When many other women of that era had nurses and maids to assist them
in rearing a child, Mary chose to do all of this on her own. She nursed all of her boys
for longer periods than most women and was very protective. 
Abraham Lincoln would become the President of the United States in 1860. The Lincolns
moved from Springfield in 1861 to take up new housekeeping in Washington, D.C.
Mary soon become in debt due to splurging on new rugs, drapes, china, and gowns. She
exceeded her limit quickly, which allowed the press to take another stab at the First
Lady. According to Mary, past presidents' wives did not use the allowance provided to
them for refurbishing the White House but probably kept the money.
After Abraham's second term, their third son, Willie, became ill with typhoid fever. This
was Mary's favorite son. He suffered for two weeks and then he died. As before, Mary Todd
did not attend the funeral. Proper women grieved in private and not in public. Mary began
seeing spiritualists to visit with Willie and even Eddie on occasion. 
On April 9, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot the President while watching a performance at
the Ford's Theatre. Again, she would grieve. Mary, Robert and Tad would move to Chicago.
In 1868, Mary and Tad went to Germany only to return to the U.S. three years in 1871.
This was the year that Tad died, probably of pleuritis. 
Robert persuaded a jury to convict his mother of lunacy. He became tiresome of her
constant worrying of his health, spiritualism, and over zealous use of money. She was
never satisfied with the amount allotted to her by congress. Though her stay at Bellevue
Sanitarium was for only three months, she never forgave Robert and disowned him. Mary
fled to Europe once again to escape the grip of her son, Robert, for fear of being
declared a lunatic. 
After suffering from arthritis, cataracts, and hardening of the spine, Mary died of a
stroke at the age of 63. Mary was buried by her husband, Eddie, Willie and Tad in the
Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. Robert inherited her estate, estimated
at $84,035.
Critical Evaluation
Jean H. Baker portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln as a strong, intelligent woman who had to live
a life of sorrow and disappointment. When I mentioned to various people that I was
reading Mary Todd Lincoln for a history class, their first response was "she was crazy."
Little did they know that she had lost her mother at the age of six, lost her brother in
war, lost three sons due to illnesses and watched her husband while he was being
assinated. Not only did she have experience grief because of the deaths of loved ones,
but also her oldest son was embarrassed by his own mother and had her committed to an
asylum for the insane. 
Jean H. Baker wrote an excellent biography of a woman who is misunderstood by many. She
revealed the details of Mary Todd's life that gave her justification to be different and
gave me an appreciation for a woman that went through so much. She did tend to want more
than she had, but when someone is always grieving, they usually find something that makes
them happy: for Mary Todd Lincoln, it was spending money (or more appropriately,
charging).
Great book!
Bibliography
www.goucher.edu/history/department/baker.htmlBibliography 
Baker, Jean H., Mary Todd Lincoln, A biography; New York: W. W. Norton 
and Company, 1987.