How Mary Todd Lincoln Became a National Villain

She was the wife of America's most beloved president. She held his hand the moment a bullet entered his skull. She buried three of her four children before they reached adulthood. And somehow, despite all of that tragedy, Mary Todd Lincoln became one of the most hated women in American history.

Before the assassination, newspapers accused her of being a Confederate spy because her brothers fought for the South. They mocked her spending, her parties, her grief. After Abraham Lincoln died, things only got worse. She tried to sell her clothes and was humiliated in the press. Her closest confidante published her private letters without permission. Her own son had her committed to an insane asylum. And when she finally escaped, she spent her remaining years in exile, alone, and convinced the world had abandoned her.

This is the story of a woman who was damned no matter what she did. Mourn her Confederate brothers and she was a traitor. Refuse to mourn and she was heartless. Spend money decorating the White House and she was frivolous. Beg for a pension and she was greedy. Mary Todd Lincoln could never win. The question is whether she was a victim of impossible circumstances or the architect of her own destruction. The answer, like most things in history, is complicated.

To see the Titanic story of Madeleine Astor mentioned at the end of this video, click here: