Thursday, December 11, 2008

Mrs. Lincoln turns 190


Lots of hoopla is planned for the upcoming 200th birthday of the most celebrated President in American history, Abraham Lincoln. But, while we’ve been busy planning a party for Abe, his missus is about to have a birthday of her own. Mary Todd Lincoln turns 190 on Saturday, Dec. 13. Please join me in saying “Happy Birthday, Mrs. Lincoln.”

If you’re in Lexington on Saturday
If you’re going to be in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday, you can join in the celebration at the Mary Todd Lincoln House. See their website for more information.

A shelf full of Mary Lincoln books

If you can’t make it to her party, you can read about Mrs. Lincoln. A number of scholars through the years have written about her - from Ruth Painter Randall and Carl Sandburg’s early works to the eye-opening work of Jason Emerson and James S. Brust. In January, you’ll be able to get yet another view of Mrs. Lincoln’s life when Catherine Clinton’s new book comes out.

In between, a number of other brilliant Lincoln scholars have written about the First Lady and shared their perspectives on her through scholarly articles, symposium presentations and documentary films.

To learn more, check out some of these Mary Lincoln books:


Please join me in using the Lincoln Bicentennial as an opportunity to learn about our 16th President, his family and his legacy. There’s no better time than now.

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