The Trials Of Mrs Lincoln

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818?82) was a politically ambitious, volatile, and sharp-tongued woman, a shopaholic, and an embarrassment to her son and to the powerful men who sought to control the Lincoln legacy for their own political supremacy. Slandered by former Lincoln cronies and Republican operatives, such as William Herndon, Ward Hill Lamon, and Thurlow Weed; disliked by her son?s wife, the former Mary Harlan; plagued by debts, her pension grant having been denied by Congress; conspired against by her son, Robert, along with Supreme Court justice David Davis, Leonard Swett, John Todd Stuart, Isaac N. Arnold, and others, she had literally no one to turn to. This account of her final years, based on documentary evidence, sets the record straight and restores the reputation of one of the most maligned women in American political history.

Recounts the life of Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband's assassination

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-82) was a politically ambitious, volatile, and sharp-tongued woman, a shopaholic, and an embarrassment to her son and to the powerful men who sought to control the Lincoln legacy for their own political supremacy. Slandered by former Lincoln cronies and Republican operatives; disliked by her son¿s wife, the former Mary Harlan; plagued by debts, her pension grant having been denied by Congress; conspired against by her son, Robert, along with several Supreme Court justices, and others, she had literally no one to turn to. This account of her final years sets the record straight and restores the reputation of one of the most maligned women in American political history. Photos.

First published in 1932, this was the first thoroughly researched biography of Mary Lincoln ever written, and it remains the most balanced and complete work on this controversial First Lady. Author W. A. Evans challenges the disparaging views of Mary Lincoln that were generally accepted at the time, offering a comprehensive and informed look at a woman whose physical and mental health problems have often been misconstrued or overlooked by other biographers. Evans conducted extensive research, interviewing Mrs. Lincoln’s family members, seeking advice and assistance from numerous Lincoln scholars and historians, scouring thousands of pages of contemporary newspapers and primary resources, reviewing correspondence Mary wrote during her stay at Bellevue Place sanitarium, and consulting with several medical experts. The result of all this research is an objective and detailed portrait of Mrs. Lincoln and her influence on her husband that still has a great deal of historical value for readers today. A new foreword by Jason Emerson, author of The Madness of Mary Lincoln, provides biographical information on Evans and background on the origins of the book and its reception and influence. Finally back in print, this classic biography is essential reading for all with an interest in the Lincoln family.

Circumstances which led to the sanity trial of Mary Todd Lincoln instigated by her son Robert Todd Lincoln, the trial itself, and its aftermath.

THE STORY: Impulsive, imperious and foolish in money matters, Mary Todd Lincoln was beset by a series of unhappy events in the years following her husband's tragic assassination. Disturbed by still persistent rumors that she, as a Southerner, had h