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The President's Wife: Mary Todd Lincoln, A Biography
The President's Wife: Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography
378 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
64 people want to read
About the author
Ishbel Ross
64 books4 followersIshbel Ross, journalist and biographer, spent her childhood in the Highlands of Scotland, living only ten miles from industrialist Andrew Carnegie's castle. Later in life she recalled her childhood in terms of watching the comings and goings of Carnegie's famous guests and reading classic literature.
In 1916, Ross left Scotland and moved to Canada where she landed a filing job at the Toronto Daily News. Ross, who would later be considered "New York's best woman reporter," needed no more than six weeks to move up the newspaper's ranks from clerical worker to reporter with a front-page headline and a byline to her credit, after getting the scoop on Emmeline Pankhurst's visit to Canada.
In 1919, she joined the New York Tribune (later the Herald Tribune). While covering the infamous Stillman divorce, she met and fell in love with Bruce Rae, who was reporting on the case for the New York Times. The two married in Montreal in 1922 and had one daughter. After their marriage Ross and Rae continued working for rival newspapers and frequently covered the same stories. The couple made a point of balancing high professional standards and married life.
In 1932 Ross published her first novel, Promenade Deck. Encouraged by its success, Ross left the Tribune to pursue a career as a novelist. Although Ross wrote four more novels, her work as a biographer ultimately overshadowed her career as a novelist. Ross first turned to biography when Stanley Walker, city editor at the Tribune, suggested that she write a book about famous women journalists. Her Ladies of the Press traced women's roles in print journalism, covering the range from stunt reporters and "sob sisters" to social crusaders, foreign correspondents, and editors in chief.
Ross went on to complete eighteen more works of nonfiction, most of which considered the lives of famous American women. Ross was drawn to women who led unconventional lives. She wrote about women who had exciting careers, such as physician Elizabeth Blackwell; the founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton; and Confederate spy Rose O'Neal Greenhow.
Ross emphasized the importance and complexity of women's lives. By achieving success as a journalist
and biographer, by balancing marriage and professional ambition, Ross herself led a life much like those she deemed worthy of study.
- excerpted from American National Biography, referenced at: http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrows...
In 1916, Ross left Scotland and moved to Canada where she landed a filing job at the Toronto Daily News. Ross, who would later be considered "New York's best woman reporter," needed no more than six weeks to move up the newspaper's ranks from clerical worker to reporter with a front-page headline and a byline to her credit, after getting the scoop on Emmeline Pankhurst's visit to Canada.
In 1919, she joined the New York Tribune (later the Herald Tribune). While covering the infamous Stillman divorce, she met and fell in love with Bruce Rae, who was reporting on the case for the New York Times. The two married in Montreal in 1922 and had one daughter. After their marriage Ross and Rae continued working for rival newspapers and frequently covered the same stories. The couple made a point of balancing high professional standards and married life.
In 1932 Ross published her first novel, Promenade Deck. Encouraged by its success, Ross left the Tribune to pursue a career as a novelist. Although Ross wrote four more novels, her work as a biographer ultimately overshadowed her career as a novelist. Ross first turned to biography when Stanley Walker, city editor at the Tribune, suggested that she write a book about famous women journalists. Her Ladies of the Press traced women's roles in print journalism, covering the range from stunt reporters and "sob sisters" to social crusaders, foreign correspondents, and editors in chief.
Ross went on to complete eighteen more works of nonfiction, most of which considered the lives of famous American women. Ross was drawn to women who led unconventional lives. She wrote about women who had exciting careers, such as physician Elizabeth Blackwell; the founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton; and Confederate spy Rose O'Neal Greenhow.
Ross emphasized the importance and complexity of women's lives. By achieving success as a journalist
and biographer, by balancing marriage and professional ambition, Ross herself led a life much like those she deemed worthy of study.
- excerpted from American National Biography, referenced at: http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrows...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 2, 2015
This book is a wonderful story about a woman misunderstood during her lifetime. Mary Todd was born into the elite Kentucky political aristocracy of the 1800’s. In fact, the Great Compromiser Henry Clay was her neighbor. She absorbed political dialogue from a lot of the bigwig politicians of the time. She was also well educated and devoured books. By the time she matured into womanhood she was a garrulous interesting conversationalist. She had many suitors. However, it was a very tall, straggly looking man who caught her attention.
She always claimed that she would marry a president. When she met Abraham Lincoln very few knew that he would become our second greatest president. She however knew there was something special in this odd looking man.
A little tidbit about why Abraham Lincoln grew a beard. An 11 year old girl wrote him a letter containing the below:
“I have got 4 brother's 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 you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's to vote for you and then you would be President.”
When he won the presidency Mary certainly had ideas on what the first lady should be doing. She refurbished the White House and went on spending sprees thus racking up enough debt to cause the President some embarrassment. She threw gallant dinners and elegant balls where she impressed the guests with her flirtacous manners. She also had tremendous mood swings and often offended some of President Lincoln’s most important allies. She was also very kind. She tended to wounded soldiers at hospitals.
Their son Willie’s death in 1862 had a tremendous impact on the Lincolns. Abraham Lincoln also had recurring nightmares about his own death. Often times Mary would have fits while Abraham would lovingly comfort her best he could. What is very evident is that she loved Abraham Lincoln and he loved her.
After the Civil War ended and Lincoln won reelection their lives seemed to be improving. On April 14, 1865 her husband was assassinated and her world was turned upside down. With one grown son, Robert, and one young son, Willie, she was a widow. It was not uncommon at the time to be a widow supporting a child but it was extraordinarily uncommon for such a powerful woman to drop out of such a position with a small child and no income.
This is where the story gets sad. Lincoln had assets but they were tied up in court. Mary had no income. She sent letters to important people begging them to lobby Congress for a pension. At the same time she was being vilified in the newspapers. She was never quite trusted by the North and seen as a traitor by the South. Negative stories about her where circulated by the big yellow journalistic newspapers of the day. It was so bad that she left for Europe with her son Willie. She enjoyed Europe traveling and seeing the many attractions but she longed for the good old USA and came back.
What she came back to was not so good. First, her son Tad died of heart failure. To make matters worse, there was an apparent attempt by her oldest son Robert to take control of the Lincoln estate which was just being disbursed of. Robert cleverly constructed a jury in charge of determining her sanity. She watched old friends testify about her mental stability. The jury agreed and she was sent to an asylum. It was short-lived but she held it against her son Robert for a long time.
Things would get better for her though. She was cleared of insanity in a new trial. She also started receiving funds from the Lincoln estate and congress finally approved a pension for her. She died at the age of 64 in 1882, I believe a happy woman.
She always claimed that she would marry a president. When she met Abraham Lincoln very few knew that he would become our second greatest president. She however knew there was something special in this odd looking man.
A little tidbit about why Abraham Lincoln grew a beard. An 11 year old girl wrote him a letter containing the below:
“I have got 4 brother's 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 you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's to vote for you and then you would be President.”
When he won the presidency Mary certainly had ideas on what the first lady should be doing. She refurbished the White House and went on spending sprees thus racking up enough debt to cause the President some embarrassment. She threw gallant dinners and elegant balls where she impressed the guests with her flirtacous manners. She also had tremendous mood swings and often offended some of President Lincoln’s most important allies. She was also very kind. She tended to wounded soldiers at hospitals.
Their son Willie’s death in 1862 had a tremendous impact on the Lincolns. Abraham Lincoln also had recurring nightmares about his own death. Often times Mary would have fits while Abraham would lovingly comfort her best he could. What is very evident is that she loved Abraham Lincoln and he loved her.
After the Civil War ended and Lincoln won reelection their lives seemed to be improving. On April 14, 1865 her husband was assassinated and her world was turned upside down. With one grown son, Robert, and one young son, Willie, she was a widow. It was not uncommon at the time to be a widow supporting a child but it was extraordinarily uncommon for such a powerful woman to drop out of such a position with a small child and no income.
This is where the story gets sad. Lincoln had assets but they were tied up in court. Mary had no income. She sent letters to important people begging them to lobby Congress for a pension. At the same time she was being vilified in the newspapers. She was never quite trusted by the North and seen as a traitor by the South. Negative stories about her where circulated by the big yellow journalistic newspapers of the day. It was so bad that she left for Europe with her son Willie. She enjoyed Europe traveling and seeing the many attractions but she longed for the good old USA and came back.
What she came back to was not so good. First, her son Tad died of heart failure. To make matters worse, there was an apparent attempt by her oldest son Robert to take control of the Lincoln estate which was just being disbursed of. Robert cleverly constructed a jury in charge of determining her sanity. She watched old friends testify about her mental stability. The jury agreed and she was sent to an asylum. It was short-lived but she held it against her son Robert for a long time.
Things would get better for her though. She was cleared of insanity in a new trial. She also started receiving funds from the Lincoln estate and congress finally approved a pension for her. She died at the age of 64 in 1882, I believe a happy woman.
June 28, 2010
Slightly insane due to her immense grief from losing two sons and her husband within a few years of each other, and because most of the country hated her during a time of civil war, Mary Lincoln was almost every bit a martyr as her husband. So what if she tried to spruce up the Whitehouse. Back then the Whitehouse was public domain. Anybody could come in whenever they wanted. Steal whatever they wanted. The place was in tatters! It's because of her that the First Ladies contribute a china pattern.
You know what - I'd be slightly insane too if every newspaper in the land was writing how awful I was. Anybody would for crying out loud! Imagine if Laura Bush had been treated the same way. Or Michelle Obama? Well, maybe Hillary Clinton understands, but can you imagine the out cry if these kind of tactics happened today?
This was a great book club discussion. Everyone should read about this woman.
You know what - I'd be slightly insane too if every newspaper in the land was writing how awful I was. Anybody would for crying out loud! Imagine if Laura Bush had been treated the same way. Or Michelle Obama? Well, maybe Hillary Clinton understands, but can you imagine the out cry if these kind of tactics happened today?
This was a great book club discussion. Everyone should read about this woman.
June 7, 2011
I LOVED this book! I have always wondered about the life of Mary Todd Lincoln. This book was a fascinating look at her very complicated and tragic life. Mary Todd was born in 1818 in Lexington, Kentucky to a well-to-do family. She spent her growing up years listening to and engaging in political discussions at her family's dinner table where Henry Clay was often in attendance. She was a voracious reader and became a very well-educated woman.. which wasn't at all typical of her time.
In 1839, she met Abraham Lincoln at a dance.It was so interesting to me that Mary and Abe were opposites in just about every way people can be opposites.. physically, emotionally,...and yet they fell in love and married. Despite all of the writings to the contrary, it seemed to me that despite their differences,they deeply loved and cared for each other. Excerpts from letters they wrote to each other demonstrates that clearly to me.When Mary and Abe got married, he was a struggling attorney with some political aspirations. He was from very modest means and Mary, who was used to a comfortable lifestyle,seemed to take it all in stride. She became Abe's biggest supporter, confidante and political advisor. Mary seemed to instinctively know the correct decisions that Abe needed to make to move his political career forward and he ended up winning the Presidency.
The Lincoln Presidency was the start of a very emotionally trying and tragic period in Mary's life...as well as Abe's. The Civil War had begun and from the beginning, Mary was looked at with suspicion and hostility by both the North and the South, even though she made it clear she was on her husband's side and the Abolitionists' side regarding slavery.The North didn't trust her and the South considered her a traitor. She was crucified in the press for just about everything she did... from how she dressed(people didn't approve of her cleavage revealing dresses), to her emotional and sometimes angry public outbursts to the fact that she chose to show her support and compassion for injured soldiers by visiting them. Abe really didn't fare any better in the press but he was able to let the insults slide.. Mary was not. Many historians actually believe Mary started to demonstrate the symptoms of mental illness which would continue to worsen the rest of her life.
I was so touched by the life of this very complex woman. She suffered so many tragedies and being an emotional and sensitive woman just made the difficulties harder to bear. The Lincolns lost 3 of their 4 sons to illness. And if that wasn't bad enough, Mary was the first woman to become a widow in the White House due to the assassination of her husband. Many historians believe that the murder of her husband was the event from which she would never recover.
Sadly, after Abe's murder, Mary returned to Illinois... deeply in debt and showing definite signs of her mental illness. She suffered from debilitating migraine headaches and seemed to be losing touch with reality. Her remaining son, Robert, committed her involuntarily to a private mental hospital where she spent several months. This event led to her estrangement from her son which lasted for years. Psychiatrists who have reviewed medical records of Mary Todd LIncoln believe she was suffering from schizophrenia.
The life of this amazing, interesting and tragic woman ended on July 16, 1882 at the age of 64.The minister who delivered her eulogy stated... 'when Abraham Lincoln died,she died.... so it seems to me today, that we are looking at death placing its seal upon the lingering victim of a past calamity." I believe truer words were never spoken. Mary Todd Lincoln was buried beside her husband and sons in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Illinois.
In 1839, she met Abraham Lincoln at a dance.It was so interesting to me that Mary and Abe were opposites in just about every way people can be opposites.. physically, emotionally,...and yet they fell in love and married. Despite all of the writings to the contrary, it seemed to me that despite their differences,they deeply loved and cared for each other. Excerpts from letters they wrote to each other demonstrates that clearly to me.When Mary and Abe got married, he was a struggling attorney with some political aspirations. He was from very modest means and Mary, who was used to a comfortable lifestyle,seemed to take it all in stride. She became Abe's biggest supporter, confidante and political advisor. Mary seemed to instinctively know the correct decisions that Abe needed to make to move his political career forward and he ended up winning the Presidency.
The Lincoln Presidency was the start of a very emotionally trying and tragic period in Mary's life...as well as Abe's. The Civil War had begun and from the beginning, Mary was looked at with suspicion and hostility by both the North and the South, even though she made it clear she was on her husband's side and the Abolitionists' side regarding slavery.The North didn't trust her and the South considered her a traitor. She was crucified in the press for just about everything she did... from how she dressed(people didn't approve of her cleavage revealing dresses), to her emotional and sometimes angry public outbursts to the fact that she chose to show her support and compassion for injured soldiers by visiting them. Abe really didn't fare any better in the press but he was able to let the insults slide.. Mary was not. Many historians actually believe Mary started to demonstrate the symptoms of mental illness which would continue to worsen the rest of her life.
I was so touched by the life of this very complex woman. She suffered so many tragedies and being an emotional and sensitive woman just made the difficulties harder to bear. The Lincolns lost 3 of their 4 sons to illness. And if that wasn't bad enough, Mary was the first woman to become a widow in the White House due to the assassination of her husband. Many historians believe that the murder of her husband was the event from which she would never recover.
Sadly, after Abe's murder, Mary returned to Illinois... deeply in debt and showing definite signs of her mental illness. She suffered from debilitating migraine headaches and seemed to be losing touch with reality. Her remaining son, Robert, committed her involuntarily to a private mental hospital where she spent several months. This event led to her estrangement from her son which lasted for years. Psychiatrists who have reviewed medical records of Mary Todd LIncoln believe she was suffering from schizophrenia.
The life of this amazing, interesting and tragic woman ended on July 16, 1882 at the age of 64.The minister who delivered her eulogy stated... 'when Abraham Lincoln died,she died.... so it seems to me today, that we are looking at death placing its seal upon the lingering victim of a past calamity." I believe truer words were never spoken. Mary Todd Lincoln was buried beside her husband and sons in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Illinois.
February 8, 2023
A very comprehensive insight into a misunderstood Fist Lady. Mary Todd Lincoln was born in Kentucky and had relatives who fought on both sides of the CIvil War which left her in a precarious position of being considered a traitor by some. In addition, she was a well educated woman for her times which was intimidating.
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July 31, 200892L
January 5, 2017
Insightful, seemingly well-balanced biography of one of America's most popular and maligned figures of her day.
June 12, 2009
One of the most misunderstood women in history.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews