#marytoddlincoln

Can you imagine sending your brother, father, grandparent, or friend off to war? The American Civil War, the bloodiest battle in American history, determined what nation we would become. Would we become the largest holder of slaves in the New World, or would we abide by our Declaration of Independence where all men were created with an equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? I think you know how the story ends, but at what cost? Approximately 750,000 lives were lost by the end of the war. During the time after the war, many grief-stricken families turned to a wide spectrum of coping mechanisms. One of them was Spiritualism. Spiritualism, at the time, had 8 million believers in both the United States and Europe. Americans sought comfort in performing séances knowing there was a better life for their loved ones beyond the grave. Believe it or not, Mary Todd Lincoln was one of those forlorn Americans.

At this point, Mary had lost her son Edward in 1850 due to tuberculosis and Willie (her favorite son) in 1862 taken by typhoid fever. She could not overcome the anguish and suffering she felt knowing another son was taken by death. Shortly after his passing, the First Lady was introduced to the Laurie family who were a group of well-known mediums at the time. Thus, diving into the “Spirit World”. Below is a photograph of Mary taken in the year 1862 just after Willie’s death.

Mrs. Lincoln started hosting her own séances in the Red Room of the White House. President Lincoln was in attendance for a few of them in order to support her. She performed as many as 8 séances in the Red Room. Here are pictures taken of the room just after the Lincoln’s versus what it looks like today.

Circa 1869

Circa 2000

Mary Todd Lincoln claimed to have seen both Edward and Willie during her out-of-body experiences. She even believed seeing their spirits at the end of her bed at night, smiling. This brought her great comfort and relief. Due to social pressures, Mrs. Lincoln was forced to take a step back from her Spiritualism practices after several months. Below is a sketched image from Nettie Colburn Maynard’s (a trance medium) 1891 memoir, Was Abraham Lincoln a Spiritualist?

Although Spiritualism can be hard to digest for some people, it was a growing practice throughout the 19^th century. Works published on Spiritualism at the time became gateways to the future practice of communicating with the deceased. Much like for Mrs. Lincoln, séances took away the fear of death especially during a time of war. Below is a painting of the Battle of Fort Donelson, and a photo of Abraham Lincoln with General McClellan taken in 1862.

Today, many historians and critics condemn Mary Todd Lincoln for her beliefs and contact with the “Spirit World”. But the truth is, we all turn to anything we can to seek comfort during trying times. Spiritualism played a pivotal role during the 19^th century, and it gave Americans the chance to say goodbye to the loved ones who fought in the war.