A great man.
An ugly man.
Gifted speaker.
Unelectable today.
Complex.
Melancholy.
Witty.
Tragic.
Wise.
Brave.
Resolute.
Brilliant.
Faithful.
A loving father.
Difficult marriage.
Recovering racist.
Emancipator.
Misunderstood.
Detested.
Beloved.
Savior of the United States.
God alone understands
the complexity of his mind, the difficulty of his task,
and the enormity of his accomplishments.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln.
And thank you.
Above: a young Abraham Lincoln, tussled as usual.
Above: a young Mary Todd Lincoln
Above: Robert Lincoln, the Lincolns' firstborn, was 22 years old
at the time of his father's assassination.
Above: Eddy Lincoln, their second son, died at age 4 of tuberculosis.
Above: Willie Lincoln, third born, died shortly after his 11th birthday.
Above: Tad Lincoln, fourth son, aged 12 at the time of his father's death, died at aged 18.
Above: President Lincoln and his son Tad
Above: Lincoln with Allan Pinkerton and Major General John Alexander McClernand at Antietam.
Above: The Ford Theater
Left: Abraham Lincoln in his stovepipe hat.
Right: Mary Todd Lincoln
12 comments:
Ah, well, no wonder Little Guy insisted there was no school today. His teacher TOLD him it was a special day today! I read a biography of Mary Todd Lincoln. What a sad story! However, being the carnally minded woman that I am, the thing that stood out most for me was the shock and surprise that all the men felt when they undressed Lincoln after he had been shot (they were looking for possible wounds) and saw how utterly perfectly beautiful and muscular he was. "A perfect man" was the phrase used, I believe.
I've always been a fan of tall, thin dudes with messy hair!
My favorite president, by far. I got to teach a selection from the Russell Freedman photobiography of him every year and I loved it. The best part was how his personal effects were boxed and donated to the Library of Congress with a "Do not open" warning on it. When it was finally opened in the 1970s, it revealed some fascinating things about the man. My favorite thing they found was a five dollar bill with Jefferson Davis's face on it in his wallet. It kind of tickles me to think of him sitting on it with a grim sense of satisfaction.
I have a special connection with this guy. No, not because I have a large wart on my face...because it was my birthday!
Cool! Happy Belated!
My mom's b-day is the 12th too. It always amused us that we got the day off from school but mom had to work on her birthday. My mother's birthday, a national holiday!
MJ, tell me more about the Russell Freedman photobiography.
I think he was a great man too. Your post and these comments make me want to read more about him.
What a great post! I absolutely lOVE Lincoln.
What a wonderful tribute to a great president.
Hmm...
Sometimes I think historical figures are looked back on like fictional characters, because it has been so long since they were living. The information and beautiful pictures and comments remind us all that these were real people with real lives. I enjoyed this blog very much. Thank you.
An awesome biography of Lincoln is - "Lincoln the Unknown" by Dale Carnegie. I couldn't put it down.
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