Mary Todd Lincoln and Varina Davis Howell

Not unlike their husbands, Mary Todd Lincoln andinsane, and her lavish entertainments at the White
Varina Davis Howell had much in common. BothHouse during wartime made others perceive her
were first ladies of countries besieged by war.as frivolous.
Both women grew up in prosperous, slave-owningThe death of her son Willie in 1862 and the
families. Both were well-educated, betterassassination of Lincoln in 1865 were blows from
educated, in fact, than most women of the day.which Mary Todd Lincoln never fully recovered.
Both were often ridiculed and intensely disliked byHer mental and physical health declined drastically.
those who worked closely with their husbands.At one point, she was confined to an asylum. She
Although the Civil War divided them, Mary Todddied in 1882, having outlived all her children but
Lincoln and Varina Davis Howell were more alikeone, broken by the losses she'd suffered.
than different.Varina Howell Davis
Mary Todd LincolnBorn in 1826 on her family's prosperous Mississippi
Mary Todd Lincoln was born in Lexington,plantation, Varina Howell, like Mary Todd Lincoln,
Kentucky in 1813 to Robert Todd, a well-to-doenjoyed an education that many women of the
shopkeeper and state senator who was eminenttime were denied. Educated by a private tutor,
in Lexington. Her father, uncharacteristically forthen at an exclusive finishing school in Philadelphia,
the time, insisted that Mary have an education;Varina grew up with an interest in politics and
consequently, eight year-old Mary was sent toliterature alike.
Shelby Female Academy, and went on toWhile home from school for Christmas, Varina
complete her education at Madame Victoriemet Jefferson Davis. Davis, a widower who was
Mentelle's Select Academy for Young Ladies, near36 to Varina's 17, began to court Varina, a
her home in Lexington.courtship her parents strongly opposed, both due
After finishing her education, Mary went to Illinoisto the age difference and to Davis' political beliefs
to live with her sister, Elizabeth, the wife of a- he was a Democrat, the Howells were Whigs.
prominent Springfield citizen. Because of the socialDespite her parents opposition, Varina and Davis
standing of her sister, Mary was introduced intomarried in 1845. They had six children. Davis, then
society in Illinois, where she enjoyed the status ofSecretary of War, spent much time in
a young belle. Two of the beaus who courted herWashington, and Varina joined him there, where
in Illinois were Stephen A. Douglas and Abrahamshe gained a reputation as a wonderful hostess
Lincoln.while also assisting her husband in his political
It was Lincoln who won Mary's heart, and after aaspirations.
tortuous engagement, opposed by her family andWhen Davis was elected President of the
broken off at least once, Mary and AbrahamConfederate States of America, he and Varina
Lincoln finally married in 1842.moved from Mississippi to Richmond, Virginia, the
Mary's life as the wife of a poor country lawyerConfederate capitol. Her influence over Davis was
would have been in sharp contrast to hersuch that some of his commanders and cabinet
upbringing; the Lincolns' first home as newlywedsministers not only feared and resented her, but
was an $8 a week room in a tavern. However,found that being in her good stead was not only
despite the privations, the Lincolns were happy,useful but essential.
and had four sons together - Robert Todd, bornLike Mary Todd Lincoln, Varina Howell Davis found
in 1843, Edward Baker, born in 1846, Williamherself the subject of scrutiny during the war.
Wallace, born in 1850, and Thomas, known asShe, too, was criticized for entertaining at the
Tad, in 1853. She would lose two of these sons,Confederate White House during the was - some
Eddie and Willie, in childhood.criticized her for entertaining too much, others
Mary Todd Lincoln was as much, or morecontended she did not entertain enough. Her
politically ambitious for her husband as he was forfamily's northern roots - her grandfather had been
himself. In addition to keeping up with the politicala several-term governor of New Jersey - caused
news of the day, discussing politics with him - andher loyalty to be called into question, and the fact
influencing many of his views - she was convincedthat she openly addressed gossip caused her to
that he would someday be president.be labeled as ill-bred.
She supported her husband in his position as aAfter the war, the Davis' fortunes declined
member of the House of Representatives, andforthwith. Jefferson Davis was imprisoned for a
when he ran for president, used her connectionsspell (Varina actually joined him there for a time -
and education to dispel the notion that she andnot because of any wrongdoing on her part, but
her husband were backwoods ignorants, a popularto be near him), and Varina worked tirelessly to
notion at a time when few presidents came fromhave him released and have her family's rights
the "west."restored under Reconstruction duress. She
Mary took her position as first lady in anything butsupported herself by writing her memoirs and
a welcoming climate. Many thought that Mary waspieces for periodicals after her husband's death in
a spy for the South, despite the fact that she1889. She died in 1905, having outlived all but one
herself was a strong supporter of both the Unionof her children, still bitter about her family's
and abolition of slavery. Her mercurialtreatment after the war.
temperament convinced many that she was