Who was Mary Todd Lincoln? The Story Behind the Former First Lady

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Three of her four children did not live to adulthood, and her husband was assassinated while he held her hand. If anyone ever deserved to be troubled, it was the wife of the 16th president.
James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois said simply: “She had the most tragic public life in American history.”
This is the story of the woman who once said, “I wish I could forget myself.”
This is the story of Mary Ann Todd Lincoln, the former First Lady.
#civilwar #civilwarhistory #abrahamlincoln
Narrated by Fred Kiger
Produced by Dan Irving
Published by Third Wheel Media
We're looking for sponsors for this channel. If you're interested in learning more about this limited opportunity, email: info@thirdwheelmedia.com
____________________________________________________________________
Some Characters Mentioned In This Episode:
Elizabeth Todd Edwards
Stephen A. Douglas
Robert Todd Lincoln
William Henry Seward
Tad Lincoln
Elizabeth Keckley

Пікірлер: 625

  • @clifforddriver9434
    @clifforddriver94346 ай бұрын

    She had been through more than most humans will ever go through in a lifetime. God rest her soul.

  • @deniseedodson1938

    @deniseedodson1938

    3 ай бұрын

    In the 1800s it was not unusual for lots of babies and people to die due to disease. As sad as her life was, it was no more sadder than all the families who lost their lives, homes., etc. Mary Todd Lincoln was, sadly, mentally ill. Also she grew up fairly well off compared to all the children in America who had no parents due to death or abandonment. This was also why she drove President Lincoln into poverty. She was obsessed with wealth and spending money.

  • @shahareffendiaazizi5360

    @shahareffendiaazizi5360

    3 ай бұрын

    What an ungrateful son

  • @monicacall7532
    @monicacall75326 ай бұрын

    Several Lincoln historians as well as psychologists and psychiatrists have posited that Mary Lincoln dealt with bipolar disorder which was exacerbated by the tragic deaths of her young sons and by the carriage accident that she had while living in the White House. Mental illness of any kind is difficult to deal with, but such illnesses as bipolar, schizophrenia, dementia and others actually rob a person of their sense of self. For this reason I can only have pity and compassion for both Mary and Abraham who dealt with serious depression. How they were able to function normally at all is a wonder. What a shame that there was no medical help in the 19th century to help the mentally ill!

  • @WVgirl1959

    @WVgirl1959

    6 ай бұрын

    I agree. ❤

  • @danysanerd2383

    @danysanerd2383

    6 ай бұрын

    I am a decent in the Lincoln family tree and I have Bipolar, severe anxiety & PTSD, ADHD (that was kinda diagnosed late, a little over 5 years ago, & then also a very recent) Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis I'm F/40. I could very easily see mental health struggles not being treated well, or given much of any treatment at all back then, because looking back just in my parents life growing up, and then my grandparents youth; just how bad things were for their mental health because so many things weren't spoken about like that... I'm glad I live in a world today where I have access to counseling for free every week and support groups that most of the generations before us weren't privy to.❤ I have too big of a heart I couldn't have lived before now. 😢 You know how when people say I should have been born in the 50's or 70's or something I mean.... 😅 I was born when I should have that is to say....

  • @VDobnik

    @VDobnik

    6 ай бұрын

    ⁹09⁹o⁹⁰⁹o òiiii8

  • @VDobnik

    @VDobnik

    6 ай бұрын

    😊😊 45:21 45:21 45:21 45:21

  • @LindaStuan

    @LindaStuan

    6 ай бұрын

    I grew up in Springfield, Ill and many ancestors lived here as well. My great great grandfather was an German Immigrant. He came to Springfield in the early 1850s. He was a shoemaker and he worked at a Mather's shoe shop a block from the Lincoln Herndon Law Office. He made shoes for the Lincoln family. Linda Stuan

  • @ritahsusyers1787
    @ritahsusyers17873 ай бұрын

    Losing three children, and then her husband in a tragic murder is more than most women could bear.

  • @islewait6107

    @islewait6107

    2 ай бұрын

    And then happened to keep their remains at home.Until further, arrangements could be made.Talk about heartbreaking there❤

  • @arsenamcintire961

    @arsenamcintire961

    2 ай бұрын

    Not to mention her oldest son, kind of betraying her, and having her committed

  • @ernie1238

    @ernie1238

    Ай бұрын

    Seems like karma

  • @ericnvee

    @ericnvee

    25 күн бұрын

    @@ernie1238karma for what tho? She wasn’t that bad

  • @darianrose2195

    @darianrose2195

    4 күн бұрын

    I can't imagine someone shooting my husband. I doubly cannot imagine being seated right next to him when the shot was fired. It's a wonder she was as with it as she was, IMO.

  • @baylorsailor
    @baylorsailor7 ай бұрын

    A woman who lived in my town in Northern NY was at Ford's Theater the night Lincoln was assassinated. She told the story over and over again to anyone who would listen until the day she died 50 years later. It must have been a very traumatic experience.

  • @LittleKitty22

    @LittleKitty22

    7 ай бұрын

    That's fascinating! How do you know about this lady, do folks in your city still talk about her?

  • @verak66

    @verak66

    6 ай бұрын

    Fascinating. Can you recall what she said. Did she write about it?

  • @bryanspindle4455

    @bryanspindle4455

    6 ай бұрын

    There was a man in his nineties who was on To Tell The Truth in the 1950s who was five years old when he witnessed Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater.

  • @deboraholsen2504

    @deboraholsen2504

    6 ай бұрын

    @@bryanspindle4455I love those old game shows, especially What’s My Line! I learn so much from them about history and people and things I could not have known because I wasn’t alive back then, even though I wish I was!

  • @rosehegi7238

    @rosehegi7238

    6 ай бұрын

    The Ford Theater tour was the favorite part of our visit to dc.

  • @princessofarchetypes3870
    @princessofarchetypes38706 ай бұрын

    If I may ask - Why isn't there a deep dive extensive bio-pic made of this woman? She went through so much and was so tortured. Her story needs to be told properly.

  • @catharineinniss

    @catharineinniss

    3 ай бұрын

    If you’re a writer, you could contribute?

  • @tesslawv693
    @tesslawv6936 ай бұрын

    I really enjoyed this, thank you! Ive read a lot on the Lincolns and I have to be honest, I love Mary!! She was a pistol, for certain but so misunderstood too. What woman wouldnt be a little crazy after her husband was shot in the head while sitting next to her!? It certainly would have gotten to me. Then her children all taken from her.... I pray she rests in peace ✝🙏🏼

  • @francescurriden4640

    @francescurriden4640

    Ай бұрын

    Jackie Kennedy lost a baby , and she crawled across the rear of the convertible they were riding to grab John’s brain . Jackie maintained with class her composure and raised two children . Jackie wasn’t crazy , except just in grief .

  • @BY-lp9tj
    @BY-lp9tj6 ай бұрын

    Wow... what a story. Incredible. I feel bad for Lincoln, God rest his soul.

  • @mel2d2
    @mel2d26 ай бұрын

    Thank you for this lovely portrait of a very complicated human. You handled it with such care.

  • @KhalidMahmood-wm1qz
    @KhalidMahmood-wm1qz7 ай бұрын

    I am an immigrant to the US ,I love American history and different characters,events and democratic and industrial revolutions.thank you for the great insight into Lincoln's biography.

  • @virginiasoskin9082

    @virginiasoskin9082

    5 ай бұрын

    American history is so fascinating. There are so many different periods, from the Pilgrims all the way up to modern day. I think the Civil War is appealing to so many, because it is not that long ago historically. I had an ancestor who fought on the northern side. I always think that if I had to go back in time and live for a month in that era it would be familiar enough that I could get along OK once I learned how to bake bread over a fire or in a primitive iron stove. I know that people wore many more layers of clothing and most of it was either cotton or wool. Just keeping your body and clothing clean and your house clean took a LOT of manual labor -- women nowadays do not realize how much work there actually was. Medical care and vaccines were medieval....I think they had a smallpox vaccine by then but TB, typhoid, cholera and death after delivering babies was a normal part of life. I think I like the 1890-1910 period best. There were the fabulously wealthy and the grinding poor, and that separation made life risky and strange. If you get the chance, visit some places where history happened -- a Civil War battlefield, the house of a president, Plymouth and the replica of the Mayflower, the home of an American author, a colonial fort, and so on. That is where US history really comes alive. My parents took us places like that back in the 1960s when we were kids and that taught us all to appreciate history. Often Native American tribes interest foreigners because there is nothing like them in foreign countries, and with the American film industry making many movies with these themes, foreigners can learn more about the tribes, and it makes them want to go out west and see that landscape for themselves. Mesa Verde, for example, is an outstanding place to see very early Native American cultures. By the way, WELCOME to the USA!.

  • @charlesbireland1780

    @charlesbireland1780

    4 ай бұрын

    ​@virginiasoskin9082 Mesa Verde, been there, done that. The cliff dwellings are interesting, but seeing photographs in a book will save you a lot of time, $, and exercise😊

  • @Elizabeth-yg2mg

    @Elizabeth-yg2mg

    3 ай бұрын

    Immigrants are often better citizens than the ones born here--better educated and conscientious with regard to civics.

  • @oldcollegecoed
    @oldcollegecoed6 ай бұрын

    As a historian, I know firsthand how much time and energy are required to put together an hour long “lecture,” and make it informative but also fascinating and even enjoyable. You did a stellar job of telling Mary Todd’s tragic story. When I read my first biography of her life, I struggled with my own emotions. On the surface she’s an extremely difficult woman to like. But upon further research I found myself pitying her. The reality is her childhood was filled with death, negligence, and instability, any one of which can destroy a child’s psyche. She was deprived of the love and security every child needs and as a result, she was a psychologically damaged little girl who grew into psychologically damaged woman. Actually, given the unbelievable amount of heartache she endured, it’s remarkable she was as rational as she was! Despite her mental health struggles, she was quite a trailblazer. At a time when women were believed to be weak & fragile, were taught to be submissive to their husbands, and understood their place was to walk behind their husbands, not beside them, she refused to follow the rules.

  • @daren7889

    @daren7889

    6 ай бұрын

    Retired Teacher here! I almost majored in history but HIS - Story seemed a bit sexist to me! I preferred HER- story! So I self - educated myself . Baby Boomer here I read the works of Progressive Thomas Paine. COMMON SENSE ! Paine wanted to Free the Slaves and Give Women the Right to Vote in 1776! The Southern colonies refused to sign the Declaration of Independence if those two things were accomplished! It is 2024 and we are still having problems with these REGRESSIVE Southerners! 🤔🤔🇩🇪🇨🇭🇺🇸💙🌊💙🌊🌊🌊💙

  • @daren7889

    @daren7889

    6 ай бұрын

    German - Swiss American here! I recently read the excellent book Learning from the Germans RACE and the Memory of EVIL by Susan Neiman .Susan is a Jewish woman who was born and raised in the segregrated South in the 1960's. She is a Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Einstein Institute in Berlin Germany. She raised her 3 children in Berlin. She still lives there . She made the important point that after WWII Germany had to accept its defeat, to move on to EVOLVE. The South and 45 both were defeated April 9,1865 & November 2020! They basically REGRESSED and DEVOLVED! And FYI, my Great-Uncle died on a beach in Anzio,Italy. He was a Staff Sgt in the US Army. He and many other WWII soldiers did NOT DIE so that their country,the USA could become FASCIST! 🤔🇩🇪🇨🇭🇺🇸🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙 IMHO!

  • @toshland5687

    @toshland5687

    6 ай бұрын

    @@daren7889Your replies read like a weirdo leftist activist who thinks too highly of themselves. Perhaps take a look in the mirror before disparaging those “Southerners” and others you feel are below you. Also learn a little more history about racist incidents that took place in those Northern states you seem to be giving a pass to

  • @oldcollegecoed

    @oldcollegecoed

    6 ай бұрын

    @@daren7889 I am actually a Holocaust and WWII scholar, and the fact is Germany didn’t have to struggle to accept the WWII defeat…after all they were defeated in WWI, only 27 years before. What they did have to accept was the horrific reality that as a society considered to be one of the most advanced in the world, they had perpetuated the worst genocide known to man (at that time). They had to accept the reality of and responsibility for the deliberate torture and murder of 11 million innocent men, woman & children, 6 million of which were Jews and 3.5 million were Soviet POWS. The Germans also had to accept that even if they hadn’t participated in these horrific murders, they had watched it happen and done nothing and were just as culpable as those who worked in the concentration camps, manned the trains that transported the victims from all over Europe to the camps, and the Nazis who rounded up all those innocent people! They didn’t simply lose a war; they were responsible for the annihilation of 2/3 of the Jewish population in Europe, not to mention the murder of tens of thousands of POLES and thousands of homosexuals, the mentally ill, alcoholics, the chronically unemployed, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political opponents, and anyone who protested against the Nazi Party. The reality is in a mere 12 years, Germany went from being a worldwide model of human advancement to being responsible for one of the most inhumane events in human history. Germans were so devoted to Hitler that despite being forced to participate in de-nazification programs, many still believed their actions during the war were warranted. Germany may have progressed after the war, but only because they were forced to participate in denazification programs and, more importantly, because the Holocaust was so well documented by the Nazi party, and by the Allied troops who discovered the concentration camps and the nearby Germans who were forced to view the camps after troops discovered them. The proof was irrefutable! While Slavery, the American Civil War, and racism in America today are utterly deplorable, it is utterly ridiculous to to compare them to Nazi Germany! Americans ARE responsible for an event which can & should be compared to Germany’s WWII & the Holocaust, but it certainly isn’t the Civil War or the racism in Americans today! It’s the methodical destruction 100 million American Indians who thrived in this country long before Europeans ever set foot here. Although I completely understand your outrage over the US Civil War and racism in America, you lost any argument you might have had by comparing it to WWII Germany then & now!

  • @oldcollegecoed

    @oldcollegecoed

    6 ай бұрын

    @@toshland5687 Actually, his worst mistake was comparing slavery, the Civil War and racism in America today to WWII Germany and Germany today. The fact is that WWII Germany perpetuated the Holocaust…one of the worst genocides in human history and STILL deal with antisemitism! To compare these is simply ignorant!

  • @davidspencer6384
    @davidspencer6384Ай бұрын

    A sad tale, well-presented. It's not surprising that Mrs Lincoln was as desperate and depressed as she was. I have huge sympathy for her. What a tortured life.

  • @heidibee501
    @heidibee5016 ай бұрын

    It seems to me the son who called her a lunatic was not far from deserving that epithet himself.

  • @catherinemay9997

    @catherinemay9997

    5 ай бұрын

    I do not believe Robert meant harm.

  • @martinham1409

    @martinham1409

    5 ай бұрын

    You are spot on. Robert was 100 percent Todd. He was arrogant self centered and played on his father's name and reputation his entire life.

  • @stallingsnathan5838

    @stallingsnathan5838

    Ай бұрын

    @@catherinemay9997I would tend to agree. What we consider offensive was just language in the day. She demonstrated behaviors that suggested what we would now believe to be personality disorders at best, chemical imbalances more likely. “Lunatic” was just a catch all. Bipolarism wasn’t understood. Likewise, “moron” was used for any person from autistic or slow to someone with Down’s. It’s unproductive to be offended by things said that were common language in the past.

  • @Nyx773

    @Nyx773

    Ай бұрын

    @@martinham1409 Neither of you are spot on. Don't believe the lies told by Jean Baker and Catherine Clinton. Their books are not based on facts - their citations either do not exist or are taken out of context. Mary Lincoln was a danger to herself. She was suffering from hallucinations and delusions.

  • @jordana5570
    @jordana55707 ай бұрын

    The way you retell history is a gift!

  • @candeegolson5596

    @candeegolson5596

    6 ай бұрын

    I just discovered your reading of Mary Todd Lincoln and enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to hearing more. Your voice is the icing on the cake. Thank you for doing this..

  • @nycsearch9945

    @nycsearch9945

    6 ай бұрын

    ​@@candeegolson5596sounds like a sermon.

  • @doncox7805

    @doncox7805

    5 ай бұрын

    With such enthusiasm 😂​@@nycsearch9945

  • @Jebbie1976
    @Jebbie19766 ай бұрын

    New subscriber here! 47 yrs old & I absolutely love history & biographies; They're getting so hard to find! Really enjoyed your narration & the use of topic specific pictures. I know that sometimes it can be hard to find topic specific pictures & videos but I can't stand it when people use pics/videos that don't even coincide w/ the period of time being referenced. Nice job. Greetings from Alabama. 🙂

  • @ThreadsfromtheNationalTapestry

    @ThreadsfromtheNationalTapestry

    6 ай бұрын

    Welcome! Glad you found our channel.

  • @lg9373
    @lg93736 ай бұрын

    Thank you for this insightful story. I learned a great deal about Mary Ann, and was touched by her life and struggles. I hope she truly rests in peace.

  • @seandobson499
    @seandobson4996 ай бұрын

    As an Englishman, it seems to me that President Lincoln fought two civil wars, one between the north and the south and the other at home.

  • @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    6 ай бұрын

    As an American, I surely share your sentiment. Spot on.

  • @ronvosick8253

    @ronvosick8253

    6 ай бұрын

    Spot on.

  • @davidb2206

    @davidb2206

    5 ай бұрын

    Because he was a fake and fraud in character. That always causes it.

  • @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    5 ай бұрын

    @@davidb2206 “A fake and a fraud.” How so? How did you arrive at these ‘findings;’ and as to “always causes it:” what exactly is “it?” Please, do expound on your studied findings, and share your finely honed acumen with the class. We have time to wait. I am all ears.

  • @davidb2206

    @davidb2206

    5 ай бұрын

    @@mynamedoesntmatter8652 Glad to oblige. ALL of the answers you need are in the two-volume "Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government" by President Jefferson Davis, which you have never seen and never read, most certainly not in any public school in the U.S. Unlike you and me, he was THERE and was an eyewitness.

  • @melissaparks6698
    @melissaparks66986 ай бұрын

    As a native Kentuckian, Ive always been fascinated by the Civil War and the presidents of the Union and the Confederacy alike. My drive home from work now takes me by Mary Todd Lincoln's home, though I've never taken the tour. Thank you for this wonderful presentation!

  • @sandybrayer262

    @sandybrayer262

    5 ай бұрын

    Take the tour! It's very interesting. The docents do a great job.

  • @anairenemartinez165

    @anairenemartinez165

    5 ай бұрын

    I went to Louiville Ky on a trip, we went to a home said to be home of Mary Todd I think they said before marrying Lincoln. I was years ago, I can't recall. This is interesting history.

  • @lisaalane7694
    @lisaalane76946 ай бұрын

    She was a troubled woman. But I do believe she deserved a life long pension.

  • @WonderfulEagle-mm1vj

    @WonderfulEagle-mm1vj

    5 ай бұрын

    Oh from the school that money fixes everything. Sure throw more money at it it does not fix anything. It won't take yhe pain in the heart go away

  • @lesleymaner2851

    @lesleymaner2851

    5 ай бұрын

    @@WonderfulEagle-mm1vjbut it sure wouldn’t hurt her.

  • @rcristy

    @rcristy

    4 ай бұрын

    ​@@WonderfulEagle-mm1vjno but it will feed you. What's wrong with you?

  • @michaelverbakel7632

    @michaelverbakel7632

    3 ай бұрын

    As much as Abraham Lincoln was loved, respected and admired Mary Lincoln was hated and disliked by a lot of people including the Washington establishment.

  • @exomake_mehorololo

    @exomake_mehorololo

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@WonderfulEagle-mm1vjyou get your food for free?

  • @janellekerns6485
    @janellekerns64857 ай бұрын

    Very well done, sir. Thank you. It's hard to wrap your mind around the amount of tragedy this woman endured. Not unlike the pain and loss in Stonewall Jackson's life.

  • @anthonytroisi6682

    @anthonytroisi6682

    7 ай бұрын

    Varina Davis, like Mary Lincoln and Jackie Kennedy, lost a child duing her husband's presidency. Franklin Pierce's wife was devastated by the death of her only surviving child right before her husband's inauguration. The Todd sisters went to stay with their married sister in Springville as part of a husband-hunting ritual. When Mary married Lincoln, she was in danger of becoming a spinster. Wasn't the Fatal First related to his reluctance to marry her? Douglas was never a serious suitor of Mary. The wedding ceremony was so hastily planned that the wedding cake was still warm from the oven.

  • @user-jl3gj2te8y

    @user-jl3gj2te8y

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@anthonytroisi6682wow...Thk U. ❤

  • @christienelson1437
    @christienelson14376 ай бұрын

    Thank you for showing both sides of Mary Todd Lincoln for I believe if it wasn’t for Mary and Abrahams love for their sons I doubt the civil war would have ended when it did. Death hung over both their lives and the fear of losing another son to war was unbearable to them both. Abraham was torn between getting the Thirteenth Amendment signed or ending the civil war. Mary lit a fire under him that gave him motivation to achieve both. Lincoln wore his grief on his face and Mary drowned herself in luxury. Lincoln would have given her anything to protect her from death’s shadow that chased them both. Mary is happy now and I hope some of us are great fully alive because our ancestors survived the Civil War due to Lincoln’s loving their family. 🙏💕

  • @longwhitemane
    @longwhitemane6 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for bringing MTL to life, you did a great job.

  • @vminormom
    @vminormom6 ай бұрын

    Your ability as a narrator is astounding! I had such difficulty finding wonderful historical stories paired with such an animated voice, but here you are! Thank you for your gift of story to us! ❤

  • @meman6964

    @meman6964

    2 ай бұрын

    Phrasing and style reminds me of Paul Harvey, this is a high compliment. Nicely done 👍🏽

  • @hisdarlingewelamb
    @hisdarlingewelamb6 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for this marvelous presentation! I appreciate how you shared all of the hard facts yet concluded in such a way as to leave the listener with a contemplative and positive thought.

  • @justinewilson1740
    @justinewilson17406 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your research. I could listen to these fabulous stories everyday.

  • @griefbearer
    @griefbearer3 ай бұрын

    You are a gifted narrator. TV can't compete😊

  • @TERoss-jk9ny
    @TERoss-jk9ny6 ай бұрын

    She struggled so much. So very sad. Whether she was “bi-polar”, or just clinically depressed, it’s hard to condemn anything about her. America changed that night. It wasn’t for the best for a spell. America grew after the war, and I will ALWAYS believe it was for the better. I would go to the Lincoln Memorial today, but now, that would cause me to be arrested. Our once great nation, the hope of millions, has become a third world country, and each and every president since our inception has spun so fast in their graves, there is nothing left. So sad.

  • @ad6417

    @ad6417

    4 ай бұрын

    Depressed people are not manipulative and violent.

  • @lisahinton9682

    @lisahinton9682

    3 ай бұрын

    @@ad6417 UNTRUE. Depressed people experience the same actions and emotions as anyone else. You seem like you are one of those people who thinks depression means you sit around moping, in the dark, in your pajamas all day long. Untrue - educate yourself.

  • @forwheelinallday
    @forwheelinallday6 ай бұрын

    As an Illinois native, I've always been fascinated by Mary Todd Lincoln. In school we were taught a great deal about A. Lincoln, but Mrs. Lincoln, not so much. TY.

  • @cherylwhite8445
    @cherylwhite84456 ай бұрын

    This production was done in a trauma informed way. Kudos. She certainly had a lot of loss. She lost 3 sons and was estranged from the 4th. It seems like she couldve been a pretty fiery president herself! The word 'hysteria' is used often for women in the past, which, to me, signifies the frustration over the constraints put on women, the opportunities they never got. What a sad story. She could've been a real force. Thank you.

  • @martinham1409

    @martinham1409

    5 ай бұрын

    She was estranged from Robert because they were exactly alike.

  • @exomake_mehorololo

    @exomake_mehorololo

    3 ай бұрын

    Hysteria was any emotion or action that didn't suit the male counterpart. It's the equivalent to some fool nowadays telling you you're emotional because you're winning a formerly rational argument, simply disagreeing with something whether you're actually angry or not, not accepting whatever dumb bullshit and the list goes on 🙄it's option b for when you lack the ability to deal with your own shortcomings and present your side convincingly and intelligently

  • @lindalanish9720
    @lindalanish97206 ай бұрын

    I have always been fascinated by Mrs Lincoln. There is so much about her i didn't know and which you brought out. She did have a lot of grief in her life and unfortunately dealt with it in an unhealthy way. However in her credit it seems like no one knew how to help her or knew what was mentally going on in her life. I am sure if they could help her though it would be a battle that most would not want to fight.

  • @Scoopy38

    @Scoopy38

    6 ай бұрын

    Her personal maid wrote a book about her. Read it years ago & really enjoyed it!

  • @robinlynn1319

    @robinlynn1319

    6 ай бұрын

    What is the book called ? If I may ask?

  • @mumv2089

    @mumv2089

    6 ай бұрын

    @@Scoopy38I’d like to know the name of the book as well??

  • @exomake_mehorololo

    @exomake_mehorololo

    3 ай бұрын

    To deal with trauma in a healthy way you need others examples and help. A vast majority of people isn't capable to do it themselves. Doesn't sound like she had a good family

  • @Patchmm5472
    @Patchmm54726 ай бұрын

    Wow, wow, wow!!! Very interesting presentation and so much information! I am going to watch it again. Thank you for your research!

  • @carlafranklin3081
    @carlafranklin30815 ай бұрын

    What a sad, sad story. Thanks for sharing.

  • @ShawnPlusOne
    @ShawnPlusOne7 ай бұрын

    I wanted this video earlier this morning on a lazy Cali Sunday it was absolutely amazing and very informative I don’t recall knowing anything in this much detail about Mary Todd Lincoln and you’re voiceover made listening to it spectacular now I’m a new fan giving you a thumb’s up wishing you continued success. ❤

  • @joycefitzgerel1632
    @joycefitzgerel16326 ай бұрын

    Years ago I read the book Love is Eternal, I apologize that I don’t remember the author . It was a heart breaking story of the life of the Lincoln’s. Yes it was apparent that Mary had mental illness. But the things she suffered in her life it’s no wonder. And it was horrible how she was treated after Lincoln died. I truly felt such anger towards the way she was treated.😢And her son Robert treated her so mean. I love President Lincoln and Mary. ❤

  • @suellensheppard9734

    @suellensheppard9734

    5 ай бұрын

    Irving Stone

  • @MaryStevens-tb2dz
    @MaryStevens-tb2dz6 ай бұрын

    Very interesting i went to Lincoln Junior High and Loncoln High and at 40 i went to Lincoln Memorial University so ive always had a close relationship with Lincoln.

  • @joebrumfield2952
    @joebrumfield29527 ай бұрын

    I learned through casual history that Mary Todd Lincoln was a bit “ off center” but now I know that she was on the cusp of true madness and understand better why that was the case. RIP MATL

  • @brentinnes5151

    @brentinnes5151

    7 ай бұрын

    but she stood firm..history has destroyed her..given her no credit for going thru the very worst time in US history..the other first ladies have had nothing to do..Eleanor was very good and my second choice

  • @adrienebailey9010

    @adrienebailey9010

    7 ай бұрын

    There's only a thin line between being sane or insane.

  • @adrienebailey9010

    @adrienebailey9010

    7 ай бұрын

    There's only a thin line between being sane or insane.

  • @brentinnes5151

    @brentinnes5151

    7 ай бұрын

    great point..then throw in unimaginable personal tragedy plus the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of boys killed or mutilated..the Union was in a very dark place..people forget this context when evaluating Mary Todd Lincoln@@adrienebailey9010

  • @marciacooper6562

    @marciacooper6562

    6 ай бұрын

    Mary was clearly bi -polar.

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95467 ай бұрын

    Sadly, even today, woman are judged by different standards of behavior.

  • @floydiandreamscapes5145

    @floydiandreamscapes5145

    3 ай бұрын

    Maybe it's because men and women are different.

  • @j.r.c8145
    @j.r.c81456 ай бұрын

    Very insightful documentary. Thankyou for your hard work. I would surmise the lady had mental problems. Sad that that was influcted on her husband and family. One comment please? When a person of signigicance died in Mary's life, you kept saying she was abandoned. She was not abandoned, the person died. She felt abandoned. There is a significant difference. Thankyou.

  • @christinehaley8097

    @christinehaley8097

    6 ай бұрын

    She definitely had mental problems but Abraham seemed troubled as well. I don't think it was just Mary inflicting her struggles on the family. You make good insightful points and I agree about her feelings of abandonment.

  • @exomake_mehorololo

    @exomake_mehorololo

    3 ай бұрын

    Do you think mental problems come out of a void? They hardly ever do. People from healthy functioning families deal w it much less and deal with it better. It is the duty of parents to raise their children well. When that doesn't happen lots of grief follows and children can be blamed only to an extent but blame lies on the people around them too. You sound like you're just blaming the victim as if human relationships don't go both ways? We don't actually know much about how people treated her day to day. How they affected, worsened or caused troubles to her. All we have is hearsay and gossip that we call history because it's long gone

  • @briankey2645
    @briankey26457 ай бұрын

    My grandfather, who was born a little over 30 years after the Civil War stated this quote, "There are only two that can handle a woman, and that is Abe and God, if she is like Mary Todd!:

  • @lisahinton9682
    @lisahinton96823 ай бұрын

    @Threads from the National Tapestry I learned so much about Mary Ann Todd Lincoln that I had never known before. This was the first video from your channel I have watched and I look forward to watching more. Thank you for this - your work is excellent.

  • @reneeochoa1015
    @reneeochoa10156 ай бұрын

    New listener. Thank you for sharing this. Most enjoyable. Keep it up 👍

  • @tracycraft2546
    @tracycraft25462 ай бұрын

    This series is amazing and I can't get enough! Thank you so much fir all your hard work!!❤

  • @cheririce1376
    @cheririce13766 ай бұрын

    Poor woman! She fasinates me. Even w help I don't think I would have been able to carry on after the children's deaths.

  • @wallynoco1363
    @wallynoco13636 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your time and excellent efforts. Time well spent!

  • @marymanos556
    @marymanos5566 ай бұрын

    Really well done! Truely careful and complete research! Bravo! MM

  • @marcenalamb7294
    @marcenalamb72943 ай бұрын

    From Illinois. Family moved to Bement, Illinois from England in 1858. I always wondered if they saw the Lincolns in person. Or the train that carried his body. Thank you for telling this fascinating story of Mary. God rest her soul.

  • @l.rodriguez417
    @l.rodriguez4175 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for such a wonderful program! I had NO idea what a “challenging” lady that Mary Todd Lincoln was. I have even more respect for President Lincoln. He definitely was very wise and had to be on his guard to keep peace on all fronts! God bless you!

  • @coyotedust
    @coyotedust6 ай бұрын

    Mary Todd called her privileged childhood “desolate” not only because of the actual death of her mother but also because of the metaphorical death of her father.86 After her mother died, Mary evidently received little attention from Robert Smith Todd, who, a scant few weeks after his wife’s burial, traveled secretly to nearby Frankfort and courted young Elizabeth “Betsey” Humphreys, whom he wed a year later.87 To Mary’s chagrin, the couple produced eight half-siblings for her over the next fifteen years. She evidently felt betrayed, abandoned, and rejected by her “impetuous, high-strung,sensitive” father.88 As a result, deep-seated anger at him apparently smoldered in her unconscious. Mary Todd had some legitimate grievances against her stepmother. She confided to a friend that her “early home was truly at a boarding school,” Madame Mentelle’s Academy

  • @sarahnichols4439
    @sarahnichols44394 ай бұрын

    Thank you for putting this video together! For me, Mary Todd has always been an interesting person to learn about. Losing three sons and seeing her husband murdered literary in front of her is beyond comprehension and yes mental illness was barely understood. I've seen some portrayals of Mary Todd and I think Mary Tyler Moore did an absolutely amazing job in showing what a tightrope Mary had to walk. Seemingly no end of criticism she no matter what she did.

  • @mariadykeman7008
    @mariadykeman70083 ай бұрын

    Thank you,the more you know the better you are.

  • @jamesmccrea4871
    @jamesmccrea48713 ай бұрын

    I didn't know what to make of Mrs. Lincoln. Through most of this video, I found it hard to reconcile my feelings for her, whether there was some pity, or piteous contempt. Yet, at the end, when you spoke of her being with her family again in death, I felt a well of sadness, and felt tears. An end to what, despite her difficulty from and to others, was surely a painful existence.

  • @TheJoan48
    @TheJoan483 ай бұрын

    This was so beautifully written. i had to comment. I never knew much about Mary Lincoln. My heart goes out to her now. i never realized so many of her family were Confederates. She was the ultimate first women's libber, for sure. God bless the Lincolns and bless you for your work educating us about our history. Thank you.

  • @catelynch7417
    @catelynch74176 ай бұрын

    Poor lady. Sounds like she was totally lost. RIP Mrs. Lincoln.

  • @DarkAngel-bk1bn
    @DarkAngel-bk1bn6 ай бұрын

    I really enjoyed this history, didn’t know much of Lincoln. This is great to pass on to the grandchildren! Thank you! I’ll subscribe to learn more!

  • @bornfree0507
    @bornfree05075 ай бұрын

    Thank you for this video!! I really enjoyed it!! Love Lincoln!

  • @Natestroke
    @Natestroke6 ай бұрын

    What an amazing job you did at putting this together! I like how you left specific dates out and just focused on the story line! Stellar job, sir!

  • @DavidWilliams-qr5yj
    @DavidWilliams-qr5yj2 ай бұрын

    Fantastic job telling her story, I read a book on her and Abraham and their families story. Great video

  • @19590
    @195906 ай бұрын

    Well done! Well done! Bravo! 👏👏👏 Loved it! ❤ 🥳 👍

  • @Elizabeth-yg2mg
    @Elizabeth-yg2mg3 ай бұрын

    This poor woman! Such a sad story.

  • @esterherschkovich6499
    @esterherschkovich64996 ай бұрын

    New sub here from the UK. My Ancestors immigrated to America 😊

  • @floydiandreamscapes5145

    @floydiandreamscapes5145

    3 ай бұрын

    Mine from the UK.😊

  • @lisahinton9682

    @lisahinton9682

    3 ай бұрын

    @esterherschkovich6499 My mum was from Liverpool. She married my American dad. :-) They met over there when he was getting his graduate degree.

  • @user-ih5xz6cs4p
    @user-ih5xz6cs4pАй бұрын

    Thank you for your time researching this topic and sharing it was us.

  • @juliebug2104
    @juliebug21046 ай бұрын

    I just found your channel, and I absolutely love it! I really enjoy how you tell the "story" as you say. History was my favorite subject in school, so I can't wait to listen to all of your posts. Thank you so much for this channel!

  • @jab414
    @jab4144 ай бұрын

    Brilliant storytelling of a lively and intelligent woman who lived with high drama and loss.

  • @DonaldKDever
    @DonaldKDever7 ай бұрын

    Great story! Loved it!❤

  • @kathleensmith8365
    @kathleensmith83656 ай бұрын

    Very interesting piece. I was puzzled by the last portrait shown of Mrs. Lincoln by herself. It so closely resembles the British author Jane Austen.

  • @katnip198
    @katnip1986 ай бұрын

    Thank you. This was very interesting and informative.

  • @tomkarnes69
    @tomkarnes696 ай бұрын

    Outstanding, thank you for the tribute

  • @4cornernan
    @4cornernan6 ай бұрын

    Excellent presentation. There is an old saying, behind every successful man stands a strong woman. She was no exception. Had Lincoln's first love , Ann Rutledge, survived, he may well have been content to stay in Springfield. Looking forward to more content.

  • @royaljesters4010
    @royaljesters40103 ай бұрын

    Love a strong woman.Approval not needed.A work of art. Her mansion was a statement.Her life is a wonderful encouragement to take the initiative .A broken heart because of loss caused her to be defensive.1865 saw a great first Lady. Her husband the President made no will.Still resilient she received a pension. At the end of the day left an inheritance .⚖️

  • @crystalberns7888
    @crystalberns78886 ай бұрын

    Ive read and watched countless sources. Really impressed!

  • @ruththompson9369
    @ruththompson93696 ай бұрын

    Just found you, love the real history and the work that goes into this video..I learn things, be a history person myself that even I never knew..thank you for the detail.. that the stories and the hard work..

  • @ozfreak26
    @ozfreak262 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing!

  • @tomcaldwell5750
    @tomcaldwell57505 ай бұрын

    Thank you for providing this interesting and historical information.

  • @modoc852
    @modoc8527 ай бұрын

    Poor Abe for all eternity, poor poor Abe.

  • @LittleKitty22

    @LittleKitty22

    7 ай бұрын

    I think he's haunting the White House to get away from her. I really hope Abe can find some peace wherever he is know, and maybe find himself a proper wife.

  • @rcristy

    @rcristy

    4 ай бұрын

    ​@@LittleKitty22smh🙄

  • @LucretziaB
    @LucretziaB6 ай бұрын

    Thank you for doing a video about Mary Lincoln. Indeed, from her early background & personal losses, she didn’t seem to cope well & appeared to be a real nutcase. What I don’t understand, is why you didn’t include her frequent use & ultimate dependence on laudanum, which most certainly contributed to her erratic behavior.

  • @danysanerd2383

    @danysanerd2383

    6 ай бұрын

    Nutcase really isn't a very nice thing to say, 😮 tbh I think the whole thing is much more complicated than calling a names covers. I think MATL had a lot of trauma and tons of ultra compounded grief. I do agree with you that her use of laudanum is relevant to her story, and would have had a huge affect on her behavior & choices. But I also think that of someone can't tell a particularly sensitive part of a story well, then it might be best to leave it out as it was done here. I am actually a decendant of the Lincolns, I was taught say Lincoln was a great (like eight times) uncle. It's interesting because I too suffer from a lot of the symptoms I've heard mentioned Mary suffers from, & I was formally diagnosed with many things like migraines, fibro (I'm confident it's EDS, working on updating that), arthritis, and of course bipolar, anxiety, ptsd, and (late diagnosed I'm 40/f bc women mask better so it was missed most of my life) ADHD & autism spectrum disorder, & all my life have been on and off so many very powerful drugs, including opiates many of which aren't even on the market anymore and even did hero!n for a while, but it's been almost 4 years now since I've touched that crap, and it's been almost 3 years since I've had any needles in my arm (not hero!n obvs) , over two since I've had (smoked) any fentanyl, and over a year since I've even smoked a cigarette, and I've said all that for two reasons, showing our comparison of symptoms & to say that quitting all that hard stuff has all only been made possible because I've been able to stop self medicating and get into a MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) program and since they didn't have ANY of that stuff I have had back in her time, they had very limited options (I'm also doing multiple forms of therapy and meeting with multiple kinds of doctors) but it is very likely that she suffered from many of the same things as I do and so for her not to have any proper emotional/mental support and guidance in whole life I could see how inappropriate some of her choices and the way she behaved was, especially when you put mind altering substances on top of all of that. Idk I guess I'm just really triggered that you thought it necessary to call her a nutcase, she did some pretty wild, crazy, and unnecessary things & as Abe did tell her if she didn't get it together she might end up institutionalized which indeed happens to people sometimes but calling people names when they're clearly having a difficult time makes me sad. Idk how much experience you've got with mental health struggles, or addiction but I'll tell you from personal experience I'm sure that pretty much no one chooses to have mental health issues or addiction issues for funzies or because they want to be thought of as a nutcase, anyways I'll get off my soapbox now, I just think that addiction is still such a multifaceted, multilayered, delicate and a hotbutton topic, that more than half of people can't agree on because more than half of people would rather punish the addict, & make broad assumptions about addiction, than really stop and take the time to get in there and learn about what's going on, & to really inform themselves. ❤❤❤

  • @LucretziaB

    @LucretziaB

    6 ай бұрын

    I was married to a mainline heroine addict. I get the whole picture. He left his only child fatherless & me penniless. The effects were numerous & far reaching. I’m sorry to read all that you’ve gone through & are going through. I wish you only the best for complete healing & peace in your life. Whether you like my terminology or not, based from the content of the video about Mary Lincoln, to me she was made to appear like a real nutcase.

  • @judithgalloway2238

    @judithgalloway2238

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@danysanerd2383 Chill. I don't think her remark of being a "nutcase" was being nasty, I took it as a general description. We have become a very sensitive society for the words we use. Sry fir all of your illnesses.

  • @LucretziaB

    @LucretziaB

    2 ай бұрын

    @@judithgalloway2238 Thank you for your comment. I couldn't agree more!

  • @debraranta6457
    @debraranta64575 ай бұрын

    I just started reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker" by Jennifer Chiaverini. It is the story of her seamstress, Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave. So far, interesting reading for anyone wanting to learn more of Mary Todd Lincoln.

  • @Laura_toggsgirls
    @Laura_toggsgirls3 ай бұрын

    This always had a interest in my heart

  • @chereecargill355
    @chereecargill3556 ай бұрын

    I had wondered why Robert Lincoln was not buried in Springfield with the rest of his family. Now I understand. Mary would have broken out of her grave and rampaged in fury if he had been.

  • @martinham1409

    @martinham1409

    5 ай бұрын

    Robert wasn't buried in Springfield because his alcoholic wife, Mary Harlan Lincoln, didn't want to be buried there.

  • @rcristy

    @rcristy

    4 ай бұрын

    Didn't HE choose his own place of burial?

  • @olivialewis5925
    @olivialewis59254 ай бұрын

    Thank you for making these videos! They are super helpful in teaching. 🫶

  • @arianemontemuro7901
    @arianemontemuro79015 ай бұрын

    Great video❤thank you!!

  • @MelDally-wc9rm
    @MelDally-wc9rm5 ай бұрын

    It so sad Lincoln family were curse everyone died in Lincoln family. Hopefully Lincoln family members can finally RIP ✌️😢.

  • @leegalen8383
    @leegalen83836 ай бұрын

    This was great! A woman completely different than I was taught in school many moons ago.

  • @susanpetrakis7963
    @susanpetrakis79633 ай бұрын

    I really enjoyed this very interesting.

  • @lukemaas6747
    @lukemaas67476 ай бұрын

    The woman whose photo is at about 5 minutes and 20 seconds is Kate Chase, daughter of Salmon Chase, future Secretary of the Treasury. and Mary's enemy.

  • @deborahwatson2432
    @deborahwatson24326 ай бұрын

    Great story! Poor Abe 😢

  • @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    @mynamedoesntmatter8652

    6 ай бұрын

    Indeed.

  • @andrewwatkins4852

    @andrewwatkins4852

    6 ай бұрын

    At least they are together again in heaven

  • @shannonsruralrefuge3575
    @shannonsruralrefuge35757 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing 👍

  • @Valerie-mz4et
    @Valerie-mz4et6 ай бұрын

    Wow, thank you for this! I had no idea she was so troubled. How sad.

  • @stinky92607
    @stinky926072 ай бұрын

    This is my first time to this channel. Very nicely done. I am now a subscriber. Thank you, I'll probably listen to this one again. 👍

  • @sontamay1
    @sontamay16 ай бұрын

    Thank you soo much for these videos! I love all the historical information, it’s hard to find such well put together information and detail. I laughed a few times because You narrate like my late grandmother did about people that were ridiculous or things she didn’t approve of, polite but you get the point. LOL! I look forward to watching more

  • @josephel4292
    @josephel42923 ай бұрын

    A fascinating but tragic life.

  • @christinemiller7238
    @christinemiller72384 ай бұрын

    I’ve been to Hildene twice. I very much enjoyed this program. Thank you!

  • @misskitty2133
    @misskitty21335 ай бұрын

    This is awesome! I knew so little about her!

  • @missy183
    @missy1835 ай бұрын

    Thanks for Sharing this Video. ❤❤❤

  • @drunio1504
    @drunio1504Ай бұрын

    Good content. Enjoyed it.

  • @shirleyjagers
    @shirleyjagers5 ай бұрын

    Thanks to you all [Fred, Dan, Third Wheel etc] for your commitment to clarifying these historic events in dramatic narrations. The best to you all. -Kaiser Jaeger

  • @monickalynn4365
    @monickalynn43656 ай бұрын

    I love this channel,even at 50 (cough,cough!!) I learn a bit more about history.Audio accounts/stories,for me,help me retain what I'm learning/hearing. Thanks

  • @lucianabotto6364
    @lucianabotto63646 ай бұрын

    GREAT JOB !!!!!!

  • @annaleefinch7266
    @annaleefinch72666 ай бұрын

    New subscriber from Virginia. LOVE history!

  • @malindateal14
    @malindateal146 ай бұрын

    Excellent thank you so much

  • @SH29824
    @SH298246 ай бұрын

    Thank you this is very interesting!

  • @JR-dt9ie
    @JR-dt9ie6 ай бұрын

    Thank you 🎉