It is no secret that Mary Todd Lincoln is one of the least popular first ladies in American history. She was considered a shrew, a spendthrift, and her own son had her declared insane. The truth behind Mary Todd Lincoln’s lies in the fact that she was unable to conform to the feminine expectations of her times. Well-educated and filled with opinions, she defied conventions and incurred the wrath of the public who hated her for it.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s life ran the gamut from Southern aristocrat, first lady, to a lonely old woman who was shunned by those who knew her. Not for one moment, however, was it a dull life.
