Lincoln, Mary Todd (1818-1882), the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, was the daughter of Robert S. Todd, a banker of Lexington, Kentucky, and his wife, Eliza Parker Todd. Mary was born on Dec. 13, 1818, in Lexington. In 1839, at the age of 21, she moved to Springfield, Illinois, to live with a married sister. There she met Abraham Lincoln, a young lawyer. They married on Nov. 4, 1842.
Mary Lincoln achieved her greatest ambition when her husband was elected president. But her four years as first lady brought sorrow rather than happiness. Many people unjustly suspected her of disloyalty to the Union because she came from the South. In addition, Mrs. Lincoln’s haughty manner made her unpopular among the wives of government officials. The death of the Lincolns’ third son, William Wallace, in 1862 caused her deep grief. In 1865, the shock of the assassination of Lincoln left her both a mental and a physical wreck.
Loading the player...Abraham Lincoln
Years of travel failed to restore Mrs. Lincoln’s health, which was further weakened in 1871 by the death of another son, Thomas. Her mental condition worsened until her oldest son, Robert, had her tried in court for insanity and committed to a private sanitarium in 1875. She was released later that year. Mrs. Lincoln died on July 16, 1882, in the Springfield home of her sister. She was buried in the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield.
