- Née:
- Mary Ann Todd
- Died:
- July 16, 1882, Springfield, Illinois (aged 63)
- Title / Office:
- first lady (1861-1865)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Abraham Lincoln
- On the Web:
- Potter's Wax Museum - Mary Todd Lincoln (Oct. 30, 2026)
Mary Todd Lincoln
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Who was Mary Todd Lincoln?
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) was the American first lady and wife to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
Born into a prominent family in Lexington, Kentucky, she received an excellent education. In 1839, she moved to Springfield, Illinois, where she eventually married Abraham Lincoln in 1842 after a tumultuous courtship. As first lady at the start of the Civil War, Mary faced criticism due to her Southern roots and alleged extravagant spending. The assassination of President Lincoln in 1865, which she witnessed, deeply affected her, and she struggled with mental health issues for the rest of her life.
Notably, she found a trusted dressmaker and confidante in Elizabeth Keckley, who provided her with support during the war and after Lincoln's assassination.
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Who was she married to during her time as First Lady?
Mary Todd Lincoln was married to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. They married on November 4, 1842, after a tumultuous courtship and remained married until his assassination in April 1865. As First Lady from 1861 to 1865, Mary faced the difficult position of being a Southerner by birth during the Civil War, with some of her relatives fighting for the Confederacy. She strived to present an image of stability, but the assassination of her husband, which she witnessed, was almost more than she could bear.
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What were some of her main roles as First Lady?
As First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln aimed to project stability during the Civil War, though her Southern roots posed challenges. She redecorated the White House, and her gracious hosting was initially praised. With the help of her dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley, she wore European-inspired clothing. However, she faced criticism for excessive spending on her wardrobe and White House furnishings, which troubled President Lincoln. Keckley and Lincoln grew close after the loss of their sons, and Keckley became a source of comfort to Lincoln after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
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How did the American Civil War affect Mary Todd Lincoln's life?
The American Civil War profoundly impacted Mary Todd Lincoln's life. As first lady during the war (1861–1865), her Southern birth and the fact that some of her relatives fought for the Confederacy created a difficult position for her. She understood her duty was to project stability, so she refurbished the White House and wore European-inspired clothing.
However, she faced criticism for excessive spending on her wardrobe and White House furnishings, which troubled her husband. The death of her son Willie in 1862 further strained her, and reports of irrational behavior began to circulate. The assassination of President Lincoln in April 1865, which she witnessed, was almost unbearable.
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What challenges did Mary Todd Lincoln face during and after her husband's presidency?
Mary Todd Lincoln faced numerous challenges as First Lady and in her later life. As a Southerner by birth during the Civil War, she faced suspicion and criticism, though she worked to project an image of stability.
She was also criticized for extravagant spending on clothes and White House furnishings, which distressed her husband. The death of her son Willie in 1862, and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, which she witnessed, caused her great strain.
After her husband's death, she struggled with the delusion that she was impoverished, despite receiving a government pension. In 1875, she was briefly confined to a mental asylum at the request of her son, Robert, leaving her humiliated.
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How do historians view Mary Todd Lincoln's contributions and legacy as First Lady today?
As First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln faced the challenge of maintaining stability during the Civil War, given her Southern roots and relatives in the Confederacy. She aimed to project respectability, redecorating the White House and donning European-inspired dresses made by her dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley.
Initially praised, she later faced criticism for excessive spending on her wardrobe and White House furnishings, causing distress to her husband. The assassination of President Lincoln, which she witnessed, deeply affected her.
Later in her life, Mary Todd Lincoln was viewed with public sympathy as the widow of an assassinated president. Today, historians acknowledge her efforts to maintain appearances during a tumultuous period, while also recognizing the personal struggles and tragedies that marked her life.
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Mary Todd Lincoln (born December 13, 1818, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.—died July 16, 1882, Springfield, Illinois) was an American first lady (1861–65), the wife of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. Happy and energetic in her youth, she suffered subsequent ill health and personal tragedies and behaved erratically in her later years.
Mary Todd was the daughter of Robert Smith Todd, a prosperous businessman, and Eliza Parker Todd, who came from a distinguished and well-connected family. Mary was given an excellent education for a young woman of her time, and she later boasted about how well she had learned French. After her mother died in 1825, her father remarried, and Mary, who despised her stepmother, spent more time with her grandmother. In 1832 she enrolled in boarding school.
In 1839 she moved to Springfield, Illinois, to live with her sister Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband, Ninian Edwards, whose family was active in local politics. As an attractive and accomplished member of a prominent household—her sister’s father-in-law was a former governor of Illinois—Mary received much attention, particularly from Abraham Lincoln, then a struggling country lawyer with no firm prospects. After a tempestuous courtship in which Abraham once broke off their engagement, the couple married on November 4, 1842, despite Elizabeth’s objections.
During the early years of their marriage Mary was fairly happy, despite the untimely death of her three-year-old son, Edward, in 1850 and her husband’s protracted absences while he campaigned or served in Congress.
Mary became first lady on the eve of the Civil War. Her position was a difficult one given her Southern birth and the fact that some of her relatives (including her half brothers) were fighting for the Confederacy. She recognized that her duty as first lady was to present an image of stability and respectability, and, to that end, she set about refreshing the White House and dressing in European-inspired attire made by her personal dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley. Her gracious performance as hostess drew initial praise, but she was later criticized for extravagant spending on her wardrobe and on White House furnishings, which caused her husband considerable distress. The death of her second son, Willie, in 1862 of typhoid fever added to her strain, and reports began to circulate about her irrational behaviour.
The assassination of President Lincoln in April 1865, which she witnessed, was nearly more than she could bear. At about this time she developed a powerful and lasting delusion that she was in dire poverty, though she continued to buy extravagantly. The wide public credence given the claim of William H. Herndon, her husband’s former law partner, that Ann Rutledge, a family friend who had died in 1835, was the only woman Abraham ever loved, bewildered and saddened her. In 1868 she traveled to Europe with her youngest son and lived for a time in Germany and England.
As the widow of an assassinated president—the first in the nation’s history—she received public sympathy, and in 1870 Congress responded by granting her an annual pension of $3,000, raising it to $5,000 in 1881. She considered the sum inadequate, however, and continued to believe that she was poor.
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In 1871, shortly after her return to Chicago, her youngest son, Thomas (Tad), died. In 1875 her eldest and only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, arranged for a hearing on her sanity, which resulted in her confinement for several months in a private sanatorium in Batavia, Illinois. A second hearing in 1876 reversed the earlier finding of insanity and ended her confinement but left her publicly humiliated. She spent the next four years in Europe, returning in late 1880 to Springfield, where she remained in declining health until her death in 1882. She was buried beside her husband at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.