MARY TODD LINCOLN 1818 1882 Before Lincoln 1818

MARY TODD LINCOLN 1818 - 1882

Before Lincoln • 1818 Mary Ann Todd Born December 13 in Lexington, Kentucky to a very rich family • Father had 16 children 7 with 1 st wife (Mary’s mom) and 9 with 2 nd wife • 1825 Mary’s mother, Eliza dies • 1826 Enters Shelby Female. Academy 10 yrs • 1832 Sister marries a US senator from ILL • 1839 Moves to live with sister in Springfield

Lincoln Early Years • 1839 Mary Todd meets Lincoln at a Ball • 1840 Mary Todd becomes engaged to Lincoln • 1841 Jan. Break up Mary Todd dates others including Stephen Douglas • 1842 They get back together and marry on Nov. 4 th. Rings engraved “Love is Eternal”

Children • 1843 Robert born • (Lincoln calls Mary. Todd Molly or mother She calls him Mr. Lincoln and sometimes father) • 1844 Buy Springfield home for $1500 • 1846 Eddie born date of first known group picture • 1847 Abe elected to House of Reps. Move to DC

• 1849 Abe’s term ends Political Career stalls • 1850 Feb. Son Eddie dies, Dec. 3 rd son Willie born • 1851 Lincoln’s dad dies, Mary never met him • 1853 4 th son Tad is born • 1860 Lincoln Elected President “Mary, Mary we are elected!”

• 1861 Family moves to DC Mary refurbishes White House and greatly overspends money Congress gave her. • 1862 Willie dies, Mary is never the same again. Half brother Sam Todd dies at Shiloh for the South. Goes through a year of depression. • 1863 Mary’s half brother Aleck dies at Baton Rouge, David at Vicksburg and brother in law dies at Chickamauga all for the South

• 1864 Mary is worried if Lincoln loses everyone will find out how much she spent • Starts having seances in the white house at least 8. • 1865 Lincoln Killed • 1866 Mary moves to Chicago Lincoln’s former law partner claims Ann Rutledge was Lincoln’s true love. • 1868 Robert Lincoln marries, Tad and Mary travel Europe • 1870 Congress gives Mary $3000 annual lifetime pension

• 1871 Tad dies in Chicago. • 1875 Mary’s own surviving son Robert has her declared insane by a court. Mary 56 spends several months in a private asylum in Batavia ILL • 1876 Mary gets a new trial and verdict changed. Travels Europe for the next 4 yrs. • 1881 Researchers think Mary Todd has been diabetic for years, many health problems due to this. • 1882 Collapses on the anniversary of Tad’s death, dies next day.

Abraham Lincoln 1809 - 1865

Early Years • Feb. 12 1809 Abraham Lincoln is born in a one room log cabin on Nolin Creek in Kentucky • 1811 Family moves to 230 acre farm on Knob Creek • 1815 Lincoln attends a log cabin school • 1816 Lincoln pulled from school when family moves to the backwoods of Indiana

• 1818 Lincoln kicked in the head by a horse, Oct. 6 Mom killed by “Milk. Sickness” • 1819 Dec 2 Abe’s Dad marries a widow Sarah Bush Johnston who has 3 previous children. • 1828 Jan. Married sister dies while giving birth. April Hired to take a flat boat of cargo to New Orleans. Lincoln sees first slave auction • 1830 The Lincoln family move to IL. Near Decatur on the Sangamon River.

Illinois Years • 1831 Father moves again, Abe moves to New Salem • 1832 Black Hawk War, Abe elected Captain of his rifle company. Serves 3 months but never saw active service. • 1833 Abe’s store fails and goes bankrupt • 1834 At age 24 elected to the IL General Assembly

• 1835 Falls in love with Ann Rutledge, she dies from fever at age 22 in Dec. • 1836 Becomes a leader of the wig party, gets his law license. Courts Mary Owens. Has severe depression in Dec. • 1837 Helps to get the capital moved from Vandalia to Springfield. Proposes marriage to Mary Owens and is turned down. • 1839 Meets Mary Todd 21 at a dance. • 1840 Engaged to Mary Todd

• 1841 Jan. 1 breaks of engagement. Has episode of depression. • 1842 Resumes courtship with Mary Todd. Marries Mary Todd on Nov. 4 • 1846 Elected to US house of Rep. • 1849 Lincoln leaves politics and is granted a patent. Only president to ever get one. • 1854 Re-enters politics opposing the Kansas-Nebraska Act. • 1857 Speaks against the Dred Scott decision

Oct. 15 -19, 1860 Grace Bedell exchange letters • • • Grace Bedell's letter Hon A B Lincoln. . . Dear Sir My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin's. I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am if so give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have yet got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try to get every one to vote for you that I can I think that rail fence around your picture makes it look very pretty I have got a little baby sister she is nine weeks old and is just as cunning as can be. When you direct your letter direct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chautauqua County New York. I must not write any more answer this letter right off Good bye Grace Bedell Wikipedia

Lincoln's response Springfield, Ill Oct 19, 1860 • Miss Grace Bedell My dear little Miss Your very agreeable letter of the 15 th is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three sons – one seventeen, one nine, and one seven, years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole family. As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a silly affection if I were to begin it now? Your very sincere well wisher A. Lincoln

• Nov 6, 1860 Elected 16 th President, with 180 of 303 electoral votes and only 40% of popular vote. • April 17, 1861 - Virginia secedes from the Union. Followed within five weeks by North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, thus forming an eleven state Confederacy. • April 27, 1861 - The president authorizes the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus. • Aug 6, 1861 - Signs a law freeing slaves being used by the Confederates in their war effort.

• April 16, 1862 - Signs an Act abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia. • May 20, 1862 - Approves the Federal Homestead Law giving 160 acres of publicly owned land to anyone who will claim and then work the property for 5 years. Thousands then cross the Mississippi to tame the 'Wild West. ' • June 19, 1862 - Approves a Law prohibiting slavery in the territories. • Sept 22, 1862 - The president issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves. Dec 31, 1862 - The president signs a bill admitting West Virginia to the Union.

• Jan 1, 1863 - President Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates. (Last slave in US freed in 1865, 2 yrs later) • Feb 25, 1863 - Signs a Bill creating a national banking system. • March 3, 1863 - Signs an Act introducing military conscription. (First Draft) • Aug 10, 1863 - The president meets with abolitionist Frederick Douglass who pushes for full equality for Union 'Negro troops. ' (First formal meeting of a President and a Free Black American) • Sept 19/20, 1863 - The president appoints Gen. Grant to command all operations in the western theater. • Oct 3, 1863 - Issues a Proclamation of Thanksgiving. • Nov 19, 1863 - President Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the Battlefield as a national cemetery.

• March 12, 1864 - President Lincoln appoints Grant as general-in-chief of all the Federal armies. William T. Sherman succeeds Grant as commander in the West. • June 8, 1864 - Abraham Lincoln is nominated for president by a coalition of Republicans and War Democrats. • July 18, 1864 - Issues a call for 500, 000 Volunteers for military service. • Nov 8, 1864 - Abraham Lincoln is re-elected president, defeating Democrat George B. Mc. Clellan. Lincoln gets 212 of 233 electoral votes and 55 percent of the popular vote.

• March 17, 1865 - A kidnap plot by John Wilkes Booth fails when Lincoln fails to arrive as expected at the Soldiers' Home. • April 9, 1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. • April 10, 1865 - Celebrations break out in Washington. • April 11, 1865 - President Lincoln makes his last public speech, which focuses on the problems of reconstruction. The United States flag 'Stars and Stripes' is raised over Fort Sumter. • April 14, 1865 - Lincoln and his wife Mary see the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. About 10: 13 p. m. , during the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head. Doctor that had been watching the show attend to the president in theater then move him to a house across the street. • April 15, 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7: 22 in the morning.