WAY BACK IN 2006 I RUN A SERIES ABOUT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AMERICAN FIRST LADIES. Read below.
There's something about Mary: The Insanity Trial of Mary Todd Lincoln - Friday, February 15, 2013 - A PBS dramatic reenactment of one of saddest legal episodes in Chicago history - the 1875 insanity trial of Mary Todd Lincoln. As political partner with the President of the United States, all have their own share of woes and griefs - assassination, alcoholism, adultery et cetera. In the end they were all strong women in spite of their husband's weaknesses and peccadilloes.
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Previous Publication May 11, 2006
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AMERICAN FIRST LADY MARY TODD
LINCOLN
LINCOLN
MARY TODD was born on December 13, 1818 in Lexington, Kentucky. She
came from a well-to-do family, well-educated and very attractive. As a
young woman she had many admirers. She went to Springfield, Illinois, to
live with one of her married sisters .
came from a well-to-do family, well-educated and very attractive. As a
young woman she had many admirers. She went to Springfield, Illinois, to
live with one of her married sisters .
There she met a successful and hard-working lawyer, Abraham
Lincoln (16th U.S. President, 1861-1865). He was the tallest of all the
U.S. Presidents at 6'4'. He had past two girlfriends - Ann
Rutledge who died in 1835 and Mary Owens who said no to his half-hearted
proposal of marriage. After the courtship of Mary Todd, she chose him and
they got engaged but was broken and then unbroken. They finally married in
1842 and went to live in a boardinghouse. Eighteen months later, he bought
a plain but comfortable frame house that was to be the family home. The
Lincoln family lived modestly. He was often seen taking care of his horse
and milking the family cow. There was usually a maid to help Mary with the
house chores and there was a carriage available for attending social
gatherings. She was popular and socially ambitious while Abe was moody and
more involved in debates politically as a congressman and as leader of the
Illinois bar. According to gossips, they disagreed a lot when they were
together. Didn't anybody?
Lincoln (16th U.S. President, 1861-1865). He was the tallest of all the
U.S. Presidents at 6'4'. He had past two girlfriends - Ann
Rutledge who died in 1835 and Mary Owens who said no to his half-hearted
proposal of marriage. After the courtship of Mary Todd, she chose him and
they got engaged but was broken and then unbroken. They finally married in
1842 and went to live in a boardinghouse. Eighteen months later, he bought
a plain but comfortable frame house that was to be the family home. The
Lincoln family lived modestly. He was often seen taking care of his horse
and milking the family cow. There was usually a maid to help Mary with the
house chores and there was a carriage available for attending social
gatherings. She was popular and socially ambitious while Abe was moody and
more involved in debates politically as a congressman and as leader of the
Illinois bar. According to gossips, they disagreed a lot when they were
together. Didn't anybody?
They had 4 sons: Robert, Edward, William and Thomas also better known as
"Tad." The children were naughty and hard to manage. Three died
young and only one lived to grow up. Their oldest child Robert became a
well-known lawyer and statesman. He attended Harvard Law School and served
in the Union Army under Ulysses S. Grant. President James Garfield (20th
U.S. President, 1881- 6 1/2 mo.) appointed him Secretary of War in 1881 and
held the same post under President Chester Arthur (21st U.S. President,
1881-1885.]
"Tad." The children were naughty and hard to manage. Three died
young and only one lived to grow up. Their oldest child Robert became a
well-known lawyer and statesman. He attended Harvard Law School and served
in the Union Army under Ulysses S. Grant. President James Garfield (20th
U.S. President, 1881- 6 1/2 mo.) appointed him Secretary of War in 1881 and
held the same post under President Chester Arthur (21st U.S. President,
1881-1885.]
In 1861, when Abe Lincoln was elected President, Mrs. Lincoln's
ambition of being a First Lady finally became a reality.
However, her White House years did not bring her much happiness. The Civil
War just started and Commander-in-Chief Lincoln was busy organizing green
volunteers into armies. She was unjustly suspected of not being loyal to
the Union because she came from the South, and several close relatives were in
the Confederate Army. She was not popular inside the beltway of Washington
being high-strung and her bossy manner annoyed many. As a loving and
caring mother, the death of her third son William in 1862 added grief to her
never ending sorrow.
ambition of being a First Lady finally became a reality.
However, her White House years did not bring her much happiness. The Civil
War just started and Commander-in-Chief Lincoln was busy organizing green
volunteers into armies. She was unjustly suspected of not being loyal to
the Union because she came from the South, and several close relatives were in
the Confederate Army. She was not popular inside the beltway of Washington
being high-strung and her bossy manner annoyed many. As a loving and
caring mother, the death of her third son William in 1862 added grief to her
never ending sorrow.
The assassination of her husband at the presidential box of the Ford's
Theatre by a best known actor of that time by the name of John Wilkes Booth
was the final and ultimate shock. She became mentally depressed and
physically incapacitated and years of traveling failed to restore her
health. She was dealt another blow when her son Thomas died at age 18 in
1871. For her own good, she was committed to a private sanitarium to chill
out and was released after a year.
Theatre by a best known actor of that time by the name of John Wilkes Booth
was the final and ultimate shock. She became mentally depressed and
physically incapacitated and years of traveling failed to restore her
health. She was dealt another blow when her son Thomas died at age 18 in
1871. For her own good, she was committed to a private sanitarium to chill
out and was released after a year.
She was 64 years old when she died in 1882 at the home of her loving sister
in Springfield, and was buried at the tomb of her beloved Abe at Oak Ridge
Cemetery. The monument that marks the grave of the Great Emancipator is a
dear place of universal pilgrimage.
in Springfield, and was buried at the tomb of her beloved Abe at Oak Ridge
Cemetery. The monument that marks the grave of the Great Emancipator is a
dear place of universal pilgrimage.
In Springfield visit the Abraham Lincoln Library. http://www.alincoln-library.com
Don't Know Much History Series
050112006
cc: LabTechs website
The American First Ladies of the past were all beautiful and loving to their husbands. Your 'Don't Know Much History Series' is very informative and telling in how they've done as Presidents and First Ladies.
ReplyDeleteGood work!
AMERICAN FIRST LADY JULIA DENT
ReplyDeleteGRANT
JULIA DENT was born on January 26, 1826, the daughter of Judge Frederick
Dent of St. Louis, Missouri. She came from a wealthy family and was
educated in a boarding school.
Miss Julia met Ulysses S. Grant in St. Louis when he was commissioned as
second lieutenant of the Fourth Regiment Infantry. She was the sister of
one of his classmates at West Point Academy and soon fell deeply in love
with her. It was a long engagement of four years for Grant was forced
to serve in the Mexican War and participated in the fighting in Monterrey
where he bravely carried a message through the streets lined with enemy
snipers. They finally hooked up on August 28,
1848. He was stationed at various garrisons and missed his wife and
child who were in Ohio so much he began to drink heavily. He was
ordered to reform or resign by his commandant - he chose to resign in
1854. Their family life together was full of happiness and joy.
They had four kids: Ulysses, Jr., Jessie, Nellie, and Frederick.
Her husband worked as a pioneer farmer for 4 years in a 60-acre land gifted
by his father-in-law, built his own log cabin which he named
Hardscrabble, and peddled wood in the streets of St. Louis. He
worked for a short time in a real-estate office and customs house. In
1860, they moved to picturesque and rustic Galena, in Western Illinois, where
Grant's two younger brothers managed their father's leather-goods store.
He received a wage of $800 a year. He was disappointed by his lack of
success as a civilian. Mrs. Grant was very supportive and gave him the
affection and sympathy he needed in his long years of discouragement before the
Civil War.
Grant was almost forty when President Abraham Lincoln called for army
volunteers to fight in the Civil War. He was eager to serve and fight even
though he had no opinion of slavery. However, he was against to secession
of any of the states. In Missouri, President Lincoln promoted Grant to
brigadier general upon the suggestion of Congressman Elihu B. Washbourne.
In August, 1861, he was sent to Cape Girardeau ( hundreds of years later to be
the home of Rush Limbaugh, the Doctor of Democracy) as Commander of
the District of Southeastern Missouri.
As a soldier, General Grant earned the nickname Unconditional Surrender
(U.S.) and also his initials of Ulysses Simpson. At Fort Donelson, when
the Confederate general asked for terms, Grant replied: "No terms other than
unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." He was also
known as the Hero of Appomatox.
[His victory as Commander-in-Chief of the Union armies at the end of Civil
War made him popular to a grateful nation and elected him 18th U.S. President,
1869-1877. He succeeded Andrew Johnson, the 17th U.S. President,
1865-1869, who became president when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
Although he was regarded as a tremendous force with his war record, the Grant
Presidency was tainted by the "spoils system" and fraud and scandals in the
government. There was also the Salary Grab Act scandal in his second
term. The Salary Bill of 1873 raised the salary of the President from
$25,000 to $50,000 a year; the Members of Congress (MC) from $5,000 to
$7,500 a year; the Chief Justice from $8,500 to $10,500; the Vice-President,