On this day in history, November 4, 1842, Abraham Lincoln marries Mary Todd
WASHINGTON, DC: On this day in history, November 4, 1842, the remarkable love story of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd began as they exchanged their vows in a modest ceremony at her sister's residence in Springfield, Illinois.
This union would eventually witness tumultuous times, as the couple navigated the challenging waters of American politics during one of the nation's most critical periods.
Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln's unlikely romance
Mary Anne Todd, affectionately known as Molly, hailed from a prominent Kentucky family, basking in the privileges of wealth and a top-tier education.
Her upbringing included prestigious all-girls' schools that honed her talents in cultural studies and arts. It was within this refined milieu that she developed a keen interest in politics, thanks to her father's association with influential political figures.
According to History.com, in 1840, destiny intervened to bring Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln together. At 21, she met the 31-year-old Lincoln, a struggling lawyer at the time. Despite her family's reservations about his financial struggles and limited political prospects, Mary fell in love with the tall, kind, and somewhat awkward Lincoln, leading her to accept his proposal.
However, their engagement hit an unexpected obstacle in early 1841 when Lincoln abruptly ended it. Their separation endured until the autumn of 1842 when they decided to rekindle their relationship, with some accounts suggesting a secret reunion a year earlier.
Regardless, they wasted no time in formalizing their commitment, sealing their love in marriage on November 4.
Mary Todd played crucial role in Lincoln's anti-slavery crusade
While Abraham Lincoln is widely celebrated for his stance against slavery, it is important to acknowledge that Mary Todd was an even more fervent abolitionist.
She played an active role in supporting her husband's political journey, which saw him rise from the Illinois legislature to become one of the nation's most charismatic orators advocating for the abolition of slavery.
As his influence grew, so did the animosity of pro-slavery interests in the South. Early in his career, Lincoln began receiving death threats from Southern supporters, and Mary Todd was branded a traitor to her southern Kentucky roots.
During the Civil War, Mary Todd experienced deep anguish and isolation, compounded by the fact that most of her male family members fought on the side of the Confederacy.
To make matters more challenging, she faced relentless criticism in newspapers and social circles for her perceived influence on her husband's political appointments. Some went as far as blaming her for Lincoln's declining health, attributing his gaunt frame and hollow cheeks to her supposed undue influence.
However, these physical changes were more likely the result of Lincoln's struggle with Marfan's disease and the immense burden of leading a nation at war with itself.
Mary Todd's struggles and battle with depression and anxiety
Throughout their marriage, Lincoln observed with concern as his beloved wife grappled with various illnesses and erratic behavior, which were likely triggered by the tragic loss of their 11-year-old son Willie, in 1862.
In addition, a head injury sustained in a carriage accident in 1863 left her battling migraines and added to her emotional burden. Biographers and scholars suggest that she also battled severe depression and anxiety, a condition that may have afflicted Lincoln as well.
Tragically, the darkest chapter in their love story unfolded on April 14, 1865, when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while sitting next to Mary Todd at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. With the death of her son and husband, Mary Todd found solace in spiritualism, believing that the living could communicate with the departed.
After Lincoln's assassination, Mary Todd had to petition the Congress for a widow's pension. The death of her third son, Tad in 1871 drove her to the brink of insanity. This led her son Robert to have her institutionalized after two suicide attempts.
Subsequently, she was released and put under the care of her sister Elizabeth. She spent her remaining years in Springfield, Illinois, where her husband and son were laid to rest.
Mary Todd died in 1882 at the age of 63, marking the conclusion of a poignant and tumultuous journey that paralleled the trials and tribulations of a nation torn apart by civil war.