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Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–1882) -

Mary Todd was never fully accepted by the public. Wife of President Abraham Lincoln, the First Lady was the subject of criticism and disapproval almost immediately upon her arrival in Washington in 1861.

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Redecorating the White House -

Soon after moving into the White House, Mrs. Lincoln embarked on a lavish redecoration of the building.

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Shopping in New York -

This entailed traveling to New York City for a prolonged shopping spree. Reporters followed her every move.

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Expensive tastes -

The First Lady's expensive tastes were vilified by the press. Among her bespoke purchases was this compote, engraved with a version of the Great Seal of the United States, which was part of a larger service ordered by her.

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Target of the press -

One journalist working for The New York Herald wrote: "Mrs Lincoln, who has been engaged since her arrival in making large purchases at some of the leading merchants, was out yesterday enjoying herself in the usual way."

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Questions surrounding the First Lady -

Reports of such indulgence did not go down well in besieged, wartime Washington. Furthermore, the loyalty of the First Lady was brought into question as the American Civil War progressed.

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Family history -

Mary Todd was born in 1818 into a large and wealthy slave-owning family in Kentucky.

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Conflict of interest -

Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that Todd had three half-brothers in the Confederate Army.

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A supporter of abolition -

However, the press apparently overlooked the fact that Mary herself never owned slaves and in her adulthood came to oppose slavery.

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Supportive of her husband -

Mary Todd Lincoln was also demonstrably supportive of her husband's career and political ambitions, and maintained this stance throughout his presidency.

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Keeping up morale -

She was actively involved in keeping national morale high during the Civil War, yet was still maligned by the newspapers.

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Marriage and family life -

Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married on November 4, 1842. They had four children, all sons: Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas.

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Edward Lincoln -

The Lincoln's second son Edward Lincoln, who was born in 1846, died of tuberculosis in 1850.

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William Lincoln -

In the same year, 1850, the Lincoln's third son William was born. But he succumbed to typhoid fever in 1862 while Lincoln was president.

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Thomas Lincoln -

The couple's fourth son, Thomas Lincoln, known as "Tad," was born in 1853. He died at age 18 likely from pneumonia, though the exact cause was never determined.

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Robert Lincoln -

The only one of the couple's four children to survive past his teenage years was first-born Robert. He was also the only one to outlive both parents. Robert Lincoln rose to become United States Secretary of War (1881–1885) and the US Ambassador to Great Britain (1889–1893).

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Prone to depression -

Mary Todd suffered severe headaches throughout her adult life. She was also prone to protracted depression. The early loss of two of her children served only to worsen her condition.

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Mood swings and temper tantrums -

Her years in the White House were marked by mood swings, fierce temper, and public outbursts. This, together with her excessive spending, has led some historians and psychologists to argue that the First Lady suffered from bipolar disorder.

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Were medical disorders to blame? -

Another theory maintains that Mary Todd Lincoln's manic and depressive episodes, as well as many of her physical symptoms, could be explained as manifestations of pernicious anemia.

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Devastating loss -

It was noted that after William's death, her devastation over his loss was such that she took to her bed for three weeks and was unable to look after Tad.

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Crisis at home -

Lincoln, at that time a busy lawyer, was beside himself and had to employ a nurse to look after his distraught wife.

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Duties as First Lady -

Despite these obvious physical and mental drawbacks, Mary, as First Lady, accompanied the president on military visits to the field during the Civil War and also took time to visit hospitals in and around the capital to meet wounded Union combatants.

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Still spending too much -

But she was still spending too much money on the White House and hosting numerous social functions while the nation was being splintered in two.

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A dreadful turn of events -

After the war ended, Mary Todd Lincoln fully expected to enjoy another four years as the First Lady of a nation at peace. But events were about to take a tragic turn.

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Assassination of Abraham Lincoln -

On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth as the presidential party, including the First Lady, were watching the comic play 'Our American Cousin' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Mortally wounded, Lincoln died the next day.

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Messages of condolence -

With the country in shock, a grieving Mary Todd Lincoln received messages of condolence from around the world, including a letter of sympathy from Britain's Queen Victoria (pictured).

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Capturing the "ghost" of Lincoln -

As a widow, Mrs. Lincoln posed for a bizarre photograph taken by the spirit photographer William H. Mumler. The image depicts the former First Lady in mourning dress with the 'ghost' of Lincoln standing over her. Mumler's photos were later revealed to be hoaxes.

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No public vote of sympathy -

In the wake of the assassination, the public refused to embrace their hero's widow. She returned to Illinois and lived in Chicago with her sons before relocating to Europe and settling in Frankfurt, Germany. Then, in 1871, Tad Lincoln died.

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Institutionalized -

Consumed with overpowering grief and depression, Mary Todd Lincoln's behavior became even more erratic. Alarmed by her spiraling mental health, her surviving son, Robert, had her committed to an insane asylum in 1875.

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Death of Mary Todd Lincoln -

The following year, Mary was released into the custody of her sister, Elizabeth. Her final years were marked by declining health and on July 15, 1882, the former First Lady died. She's interred at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, next to her sons.

Sources: (BBC) (Mary Todd Lincoln House) (White House Historical Association) 

See also: Historical burial sites of US presidents 

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