The First Lady: Mary Todd Lincoln’s Life and Experiences Throughout the Civil War

Brianne Abrams

History 10

May 29, 2015

Brianne Abrams Block  A

History 10 May 29, 2015

The First Lady: Mary Todd Lincoln’s Life and Experiences Throughout the Civil War

Part One: An introduction to the Most Controversial First Lady of the United States

As many idolize the actions of a president they also overlook the impact of a first lady. Before starting my research I barely knew anything about the first lady of the sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln. In fact I did not even know her name. On the other hand I could list several accomplishment of Abraham Lincoln, and in order to be as successful as Lincoln was I knew that he had to of had someone beside him throughout his journey who was as supportive and  caring as Mrs. Lincoln was. I knew that I wanted to focus on a women’s contributions to the war for my research paper and I thought who better to choose than the first lady herself. Mrs. Lincoln had a very important role as a women during the civil war. As many women did not have a significant amount of say in society, but she was able to influence the decision of the President and stand as a voice for a women in the United States. My choosing of Mary Lincoln was fitting and appropriate for this assignment because our main focus of our current curriculum in History is the American Civil War. With so many different aspects I could have focussed on with Mary Lincoln I chose to get an overall better understanding as her life as a whole, and her impact on the Civil War. So, who was Mary Lincoln, and how did she contribute to the war?

Part Two: Searching For Answers

To start off my research I simply went to google and typed in Mrs. Lincoln. Within seconds I had many resources within my finger tips. However even though this was convenient it created much confusion. I had no idea where to start my research or how to tell the reliable sources from the unreliable. So I decided to start my research with a site that I was familiar with and  is well known. I did a quick run through of the article making sure it had useful information on my topic. Then after coming to the conclusion that it was scholarly I created a bibliography, and started the note taking process. I repeated this throughout my research. One source that I found to be extremely helpful throughout my research was the book Mrs. Lincoln. At first I was hesitant to the idea of finding books when I am so accustomed to using the web, but it turned out to have a significant role in my final research. I found it convenient to make a spreadsheet in google docs which allowed me to develop clear and neat notes. Finding important notes was going smoothly until I frequently came to the realization that many articles began with the main focus on Mrs. Lincoln, and then shifted into the views and accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln. I started to back track my research and take it from the beginning in order to get rid of, and weed out all of the unnecessary information on President Lincoln. Another struggle I came about during my research process was the conflicting information about Mrs. Lincoln. Some articles would go into detail about how positive Mrs. Lincoln was and how supportive she was of her husband. In contrast to those viewpoints many other sources would point out how negative Mrs. Lincoln was. Then I realized that a person is capable of having both positive and negative actions and effects on people, so I decided to focus on both the positive and negative that Mrs. Lincoln had to offer.

Part Three: A Women With Importance

On the thirteenth of December in 1818, no one knew that the child born to Elizabeth Parker and Robert Smith Todd would become the first lady of the United States during one of if not, the biggest events in American history. Mary grew up in Lexington, Kentucky where her and her sister, later on known as, Elizabeth Edwards were raised to be proper southern ladies. Mary’s  mother Elizabeth died when Mary was only six years old leaving Betsey Humphreys as Mary’s motherly figure. Betsey had children of her own leaving Mary with not as much attention as she was used to. Mary had a hard time accepting Betsey into her life and on many occasions they did not get along. Betsey had a strict way of bringing up her children and Mary and her sister were not used to this. Mary was used to asking for something and almost always getting what she wanted. Due to the fact that Mary and Betsey did not get along Mary moved out of her father’s house at a young age, and moved in with her sister Elizabeth and brother in law Ninian Edwards in Springfield Illinois where she would meet her beloved Abraham Lincoln.

Mary and Lincoln were an unexpected couple. Lincoln came from nothing while Mary came from a successful, wealthy family. They quickly fell in love with each other’s sense of humor, interest in politics, and ambition. Mary was eager to get married. Lincoln called off the first proposal, but then reconsidered his decision to marry Mary, and they later got married in the living room of Elizabeth and Ninian Edwards. Mary was a big help alongside Lincoln during his years of hard work trying to become president.

Politics were big in the Todd family and Mary was more than willing to carry on the tradition. Mary held her husband’s career close to her heart and would make sure his reputation was a good one. She would constantly be updating her husband wardrobe and making sure his appearance met the high standards to impress those around him. Mary would attend press conferences and comment to the press about her husband’s policies. Making sure he was always having his name and opinions expressed.

When Lincoln became president many Americans were sceptical about Mary and her intentions. She spent her first months living in the white house spending all of the renovation money that was meant to last over Lincoln’s whole presidential term on redecorating. Her lavish spending influenced many to believe that she was incapable of standing by her husband and make rational decisions for the United States. When the war began it made citizens even more worried.

The south looked at Mary as a traitor because she was supposed to be opposed to the abolishment of slavery. Mary knew how much the south depended on slaves to uphold their economy, and the south expected Mary to stand as a voice for them during the war when in fact she did the exact opposite. Mary was more eager to end slavery than President Lincoln was himself. She was extremely impatient, and her beliefs would play a huge role in Lincoln’s decision making process. Lincoln and Mary also shared the same desire to keep the Union together and not allow the South to succeed.

The North also did not find Mrs. Lincoln to impact the country in a positive way. Her actions toward the union went unnoticed for the most part. Mary showed her passion for the North by aiding the sick and wounded in the war. She also took in troops and allowed them to stay in the East Room of the White house. Mary also showed her support to the Union by refusing to leave the White House when D.C. was threatened to undergo an attack. Mary repetitively showed her loyalty to those in the North, but many of them continued to believe that since Mary was from the South and had southern views that she was a spy.

Mary’s life took a turn for the worst on April 15th, 1865 when he husband and president of the United States was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre. The couple and their youngest son Thomas Lincoln were all enjoying a night out while watching a British comedy. Mrs. Lincoln was sitting right behind her husband when he was shot from behind and struck the ground. Mary pleaded a doctor that was at the theatre to keep her husband alive, but he knew that it was just a matter of time before Lincoln took his last breathes. The doctor brought Lincoln to the Petersen’s which was  house near by. Their he was able to attempt to save the President’s life, but their was not much he could do. Mary was asked to leave the room where her husband was being examined by the doctors because her loud shrieks prevented them from being able to focus. Even after she left the room her screams were still heard from down the hall.

After Lincoln died Mary stayed in severe depression making those around her worried about her health. Mary wrote letters expressing her pain due to the loss of her husband. One letter stated “I mourn over that of my worshiped husband, in whose devoted love, I was so blessed, and from whom I was so cruelly torn?” Her son Robert Lincoln had her tried and convicted Mary in court of insanity for attempting suicide multiple times. Mary was in disbelief that her own son could betray her, and have her committed to Bellevue Insane Asylum, in Batavia, Illinois. After going to trial again Myra Bradwell was able to prove that Mary was being held against her will resulting in Mary’s release from the asylum into the care of her sister Elizabeth. Mary died July 16th, 1882 of a stroke. She was buried alongside her husband and children in the Lincoln Tomb at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield Illinois.

Part Four: A Learning Experience

Throughout my research I learned that it is important to take clear and well thought out notes while completing my outline. I was able to have a better understanding of my topic by getting a significant amount of information. Due to the excessive note taking I was able to produce an essay that covered all aspect of my topic while still maintaining a central focus. Another skill I learned while completing my research was perseverance. There were many times where I struggles to find information I needed through reliable sources, but with enough focus, commitment, and time I soon found what I needed to move along in my research. I will definitely use that perseverance in the future when I come along a challenging obstacle. If I were to do another I-search paper again I would manage my time better. These essays require a lot of time and energy, so I feel as though I should have spread the work out over a week. I really enjoyed writing this essay because we were able to pick a topic of our choosing and incorporate our own opinions into the essay.

Bibliography

Type of Entry	(Foot/End) Note Entry Form	Bibliography Form
Website	“Mary Lincoln” (A&E Television Networks, LLC,  2015); http://www.biography.com/people/mary-todd-lincoln-248868, accessed on 25 April 2015.	“Mary Lincoln” A&E           Television Networks, LLC.                                                                                                                                2008.http://www.biography.com/people/mary-todd-lincoln-248868 (accessed on 25 April 2015).
Website	“Mary Todd Lincoln” (World History Group, 2015); http://www.historynet.com/mary-todd-lincoln, accessed on 25 April 2015.	“Mary Todd Lincoln” World History Group. 2015. http://www.historynet.com/mary-todd-lincoln (accessed on 25 April 2015).
Website	“Mary Lincoln Biography” (The National First Lady Library, 2015); http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=17, accessed on 27 April 2015.	“Mary Lincoln Biography” The National First Lady Library. 2015. http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=17, (accessed on  27 April 2015).
Book, one author	Catherine Clinton, Mrs. Lincoln (Harper Collins Publishing, 2009), 11.	Catherine Clinton. Mrs. Lincoln. Harper Collins Publishing, 2009, 11.
Website	“Mary Lincoln’s Letters” ( Michigan Publishing, 2015); http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/09/arts/sealed-with-sorrow-mary-lincoln-in-letters.html, accessed on 6 May 2015	“Mary Lincoln’s Letters” Michigan Publishing.  2015. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/09/arts/sealed-with-sorrow-mary-lincoln-in-letters.html (accessed on 6 May 2015).
Website	“American President” (Miller Center, University of Virginia, 2015); http://millercenter.org/president/lincoln/essays/firstlady, accessed on 26 April 2015.	“American President” Miller Center, University of Virginia. 2015.  http://millercenter.org/president/lincoln/essays/firstlady (accessed on 26 April 2015).
Book, one author	Lisa Tendrich Frank, Women in the American Civil War (ABC-CLIO, 2008), 368	Lisa Tendrich Frank. Women in the American Civil War. ABC-CLIO. 2008, 368

Who is Abdul Rahman, the Prince Among Slaves

Who is Abdul Rahman, the Prince Among Slaves

Rahman's Background:

Abdul Rahman was born in Futa Jallon, Africa in 1762.  Rahman was born into royalty, his father being the king, so when Rahman reached a certain age he was given the task of head of the army. This was very important because in Futa Jallon they had strict laws, structure, and formed a sophisticated society.  With this heavy task Rahman had control of two thousand men. Rahman's life was content as he lived in Futa Jallon with his wife and children on their acres and acres of land. 

Rahman's Journey Into Slavery:

One day when Rahman and his men were on their way back from victory they were ambushed by an enemy tribe, and forced to walk one hundred miles barefoot while chained to the shore. Once they reached the shore they were sold to an English ship for objects such as gun powder, rum, tobacco, and muskets. While on board the ship they were cramped into the bottom of the boat with very little water and food. Many slaves died on board the ship because the conditions were extremely unsanitary.When the ship reached its destination in the Americas the slaves lined up on a doc and were auctioned off the white men. Rahman was sold to Thomas Foster a religious minded business man for $930 along with another slave.

Life Under Foster:

When Futa Jallon first arrived at the plantation he tried to explain to Mr. Foster how he was a prince but Foster mocked him so Rahman gave up. During his first couple weeks in slavery Rahman was stripped of everything that made him who he was as a person his hair which was a sign of power and nobility was cut off. Rahman felt worthless so he ran away, but only to realize after a couple of days that their is no way to return to his old life in Africa and went back to Mr. Foster. After his return Rahman devoted all his energy to the plantation leading it to success in the cotton industry. Mr. Foster heavily relied of Rahman to keep the other slaves in line while completing their work on the fields. Mr. Foster allowed Rahman to marry because he knew that if Rahman had a family on the plantation it would be harder for him to leave. 

Fight for Freedom:

One day Rahman had heard news that Mr. Foster slept with one of his daughters and this made him put his whole future in perspective. He realized that this plantation was no place to grow a family, and that when Mr. Foster died his family would be split apart and he would be forced to never see his family again. With this knowledge Rahman took action and wrote to his family back in Futa Jallon to try to get help with freeing him and his family. After finding out that Mr. Foster agreed to his freedom as long as he left the country Rahman started sharing his story with people all over and took advantage of the publicity by starting a fund to buy the freedom of his children. Eventually time ran out and Rahman only reached half of his funding goals. He had to leave his children in America as he sailed to Africa with his wife in hopes of getting enough money there and buying the freedom of their children. Unfortunately Rahman died at the age of sixty- seven shorty after his ship landed. Rahman never returned to Futa Jallon or saw his children.

Should Andrew Jackson Be On Twenty Dollar Bill?

            Most people do not know much about the man on the twenty dollar bill. For those who don't his name is Andrew Jackson. Jackson was known for many things whether it be positive or negative, but he is most well known as the seventh president of the United States. I for one believe that Andrew Jackson should not remain on the twenty dollar bill in years to come because of his role in spoil system and in the patronage system. I also do not support him being displayed on the twenty dollar bill because of his treatment towards the natives and blacks.
           Growing up Jackson was a boy who caused much mayhem. Always wanting to fight anyone who looked at him the wrong way, and did not care who you were. Jackson once got into a bar fight with a seventy five year old man. As years passed Jackson became better behaved and became a lawyer at age twenty one. Although he was a good lawyer he was best at war. Jackson was a war hero which is what helped him get his positions in government and elected president. When Jackson was elected into office he wanted to make the States more "democratic". However Jackson did not think to include the natives even though they were sharing their land with the americans and he also didn't think to involve the black in this new democracy. If he wanted to make America more democratic that would mean he would have to listen to all the people in America including the black and natives. In addition to not letting the blacks have a say in government Jackson was also one of the biggest slave owners in the south. Many people who were not fond of jackson said he was more like a monarch because he would only pretend to listen to the people but actually do what he wanted to do.              Jackson probably would not admit it but he was a big supporter of the patronage and the spoil systems. One example of is that Jackson a man named Swartwout the job of secretary of state just because he was an early supporter. Meanwhile Van Buren was way more qualified for the job than Swartwout and Swartwout had a criminal past for stealing. Eventually Swartwout did end up stealing from the United States and Jackson had to live with his immoral decision. Jackson made the wrong decision by hiring someone just because they supported him throughout his campaign especially because the man was a criminal.
          Jackson did not only treat the rules of government with disrespect but others with disrespect for example the natives. The natives tried their best to live with the Americans. They even adopted many european ways such a fashion and agriculture, but that was not enough for Jackson he wanted them gone. The natives put up a good fight and the supreme court even sided with the natives telling Jackson to stop trying to take control of the natives land. Jackson however ignore the court and forced the natives out of their homes with nothing but the clothes on their back. The natives had no choice but to go west and try to find new land. Their voyage is known as the trail of tears and more the 4,000 natives died on this journey due to disease such as smallpox.
           In conclusion I do not think that Andrew Jackson should be rewarded for his immorality and cruelness. I think that their are many other american heros that do not have negative impacts and could display positivity, courage, and hope to many americans that should replace Jackson on the twenty dollar bill for years to come.

Revolutions of 1830 & 1848

1. The Revolutions of 1830 and 1848 took place in order to gain democracy. Many of the countries wanted simple rights that were not going to be met with a king as ruler. These rights included the right to vote and freedom of speech. In class we were split up into groups of three or four and each were given one specific revolution. We were told to describe the revolution and explain why it was successful or unsuccessful. My group had the privilege of studying the Polish Revolution of 1830.
https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/polish-revolution/26855333/?s=QyshQE&ref=app this is the link to my tutorial.

2.For the project we were supposed to answer the question "Were the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848 really failures as historians have concluded or should they receive some credit for progress in the struggle toward greater democracy?" I said that the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848 were a success even though many countries didn't receive the independence they wanted. For example the Polish Revolution and the French Revolution of 1848. In the Polish Revolution of 1830 many Poles wanted independence for Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The Poles were not happy with the laws and restrictions against the Poles and they were ready to take a stand for democracy, but when the Russian forces started to invade the Poles could not keep up and lost the Revolution. The French Revolution of 1848 was also a failure because after Louis Phillippe became king he did write a constitution, but as soon as the country faced economic struggles he took those rights away from the people. The people of France were not happy with Phillippes decision  and he fled. After he fled the people of French elected Napoleon as President. Napoleon made good decisions for France but as years passed Napoleon took more control and eventually named himself emperor. The Revolution of 1848 was unsuccessful because France did not gain a democracy. Even though both of these revolutions were unsuccessful they were still a step toward the struggle of democracy because the people of Poland and France know what they did well and not so well during the revolution, so if they work of their weaknesses they will come back stronger and more experienced than they were before. For some Revolutions the countries did gain democracy for example the French Revolution of 1830. Charles X ruled as an absolute monarchy and the people of France wanted more rights. When they started to dislike Charles X he fled because he was overthrown by the country. Louis Phillipe then became ruler of France and wrote a constitution. The people of France were very happy with the results of the Revolution because they were successful.

http://forquignon.com/history/global/france/1830and1848/index.htm

In class on Friday each person was given three pieces of chocolate except for two people, they were given ten pieces. We were then told to play rock paper scissors with everyone in the class and if you lost then you would have to give your opponent a piece of your chocolate. Also when you ran out of all of your chocolates you had to take a seat. I did not like this at all because those who started with ten were harder to eliminate. I also didn't like it because I was eliminated very quickly and didn't like sitting down without any chocolates as I watched people gain more. At the end we were told to give all of our chocolates back and then we were all given three chocolates each and asked if we were to play again would you play. I said that I would not play because I have really bad luck and would rather end up with three chocolates than no chocolates. This activity showed us what communism and socialism was. Communism would be when we were all given three pieces of chocolate because we were all equal. Socialism would be when some people were given three and some were given ten.

Karl Marx believed that the best way to help the poor was to have the government control how much everyone has. He thought that we should have a Utopian society where everyone had the same amount of money and everything was equal. Karl Marx felt like a communist society was the best society. Adam Smith on the other hand thought that society with work itself out. Smith theory was called the invisible hand. It was mainly focused on socialism. If you were to start everyone off unequal with some people having more and some people having less the invisible hand of society with make everything equal helping the people who have less really have more.

In my opinion the idea of socialism is the best because the government steps in to distribute and make sure that everyone has something to start with. Then they get out of the picture and let the people of the community settle everything else out. I think this is best because the government has just the right amount of contribution. The government isn't making sure that everyone is always equal but they are making sure that everyone starts equal and then it is the peoples choice what they do with their own money.

Child Labor... It Is Still Here

During our discussion on child labor I brought up many major points. One of those points was how my outlook was on child labor before I researched the topic. In the discussion I said how I thought that child labor wasn't really existing anymore. I just figured it was a thing of the past. As I began to research I found out that it is not common but still very popular in today's world. Another point I brought up was that I didn't think child labor happened in America, and as I was researching I found out that it did happen in many agricultural fields. In these fields the children were being exposed to pesticides which would then make their skin burn after being exposed to the sun for long hours. When the question was asked would you buy products if you knew they were produced by child labor was asked I answered, that i know finding products without child labor will be hard, but I am going to give it my best effort. I just don't see how any product could be worth more than the lives of children. I don't want to be apart of nor support the act of child labor. 

While listening to others in the group I was forced to really think about some things. Someone brought up the question, if your family was really poor and needed the money would you volunteer yourself for child labor. This made me really think because I know my family would not want me putting myself in danger for them, but I don't think it would be much of a decision if my family needed the money I absolutely would volunteer myself. Someone also brought up a good point and said that children should have a say in child labor. Many of those rely on child labor to get money and food on the table, so maybe they want it to continue and then their are others who are being harmed and want it to stop but can not say anything because they are just children. I thought this was a good point because the adults aren't the ones having to do the labor so they should let the kids decide if it is something they want to continue. Lastly, I was just shocked when someone started talking about how that in many part of the west children are forced to go under water and shake up the reefs and scare the fish out with the potential of getting eaten by sharks, bitten by poisonous snakes or barracuda, or dying because of the low water temperatures or lack of oxygen to the brian. This made me really put into view how awful child labor really is. I could just think about how terrified those children were each time they entered the water. 

Overall I think my group did a really good job. Everyone was staying engaged in the conversation and bringing up many different points of views for each topic. I also think that we were very well prepared for the discussion by having to read the articles and having summaries on each one. I also really liked that we were able to have time to ask our own questions because it brought up a lot of debate. For example the question if you would buy products if you knew they were produced by child labor. Half of the group said they would while the other group said they wouldn't. Hearing everyones opinions really made you think and reconsider the question. One thing I wish that happened was that the discussion get more into depth. It was mostly people giving points, but I wanted to really get into the conversation and I don't think we quit did that I think we were getting there. I also wish we had more time to discuss each topic. It would have given us more time to get into depth. Lastly I feel as though if we had more people in each group it would have made the conversations more interesting because there would be more opinions. 

Statistics Chart Coal Mining Industry

Brianne Abrams                                                                             9/10/14

History 10  

http://www.chartgo.com/get.do?id=52e86a0c9a

Over the years 1851-1881 Britain’s coal mining industry has drastically changed in the number of employed children. I see that the number of female employees under the age fifteen decrease about five hundred people every fifteen years. I also see the the number of male employees age 15-20 increased 15,000 people every fifteen years. This could mean that the coal mining industry thought that the males were more useful to them so they hired more of them as the year passed, and the females under fifteen couldn't really work in the mines so they unemployed of some of them as the years went one. The last observation I made was that in 1881 the coal mining industry had 123,900 emplyees more than any of the previous years. This could mean that the industry had expanded significantly allowing the industry to employ more and more people.