The Wife of President Lincoln

It has been said that “Behind every man, is a great woman.”. Abraham Lincoln was a great man, but who was the woman that stood behind him? According to biographer Jean Harvey Baker “ Mary Lincoln ranks among the most detested public women in American history.”( http://www.mtlhouse.org/history.html)  Mary Todd Lincoln was known as being insane, depressed, and hopeless. This former first lady was known as a depressed and crazy women, but what was her life like before her husband and son’s death? Mary was a perfectly normal person, and had every right to feel the way she felt after her husband and sons deaths. I Feel like it is important to know Lincoln's wife because how could such a powerful man decide to marry such a woman?

The Hunt for the Identity of Mary Todd Lincoln

I started off by using the internet and searching for Mary Todd Lincoln. Then I went to search in the Library, and found a book called “The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln”. This book provided some key information and primary sources. The book was filled with past letters written by Lincoln to his wife. A problem that I ran into was finding enough information to answer my “RTQ” questions. I wanted to make sure that I had full answers and for the most part, the answers were surface level, and not as deep and descriptive as I wanted. I overcame this obstacle by looking deeper in the book that I checked out, and also searching online for more information. Before I wrote this paper, I assumed that Mary Todd was crazy and psychotic after her husband's death. I thought that she became mentally ill and no one wanted anything to do with her. But it turns out that I was completely wrong. Mary Todd had every right to be depressed and mentally unstable. It would make sense that she would feel that way, especially when she witnessed her husband getting shot in front of her. The help that I had along the way were my teachers.  

A normal Life

Mary Todd was born in Lexington, Kentucky,  December 13, 1818. She was the fourth of seven children and had three brothers and three sisters, Elizabeth Todd Edwards (1813-1888), Frances "Fanny" Todd Wallace (1815-1899), Levi O. Todd (1817-1865), Robert P. Todd (1820-1822), Ann Todd Smith (1824-1891) and George Rogers Clark Todd (1825-1900). She was 5’2”, had blue eyes and reddish-brown hair. Her father Robert Smith Todd was a merchant, lawyer and officer in the War of 1812. Her mother Eliza Ann Parker was born 1794 and married Robert Todd in 1812, November 26.  Mary Todd was born into a normal family, and had a regular life. She had no form of mental illness and had no record of being abnormal from everyone else.

She went to Shelby Female Academy, from 1826-1832. Later the school was known as Dr. Ward's Academy where she studied grammar, geography, arithmetic, poetry, and literature. Mary read daily and nightly, she loved to read.  She excelled in school and loved to learn.  “Far in advance over other girls in education; she had a retentive memory and mind that enabled her to grasp and learn the lesson she was required to learn” (Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography  By Jean Harvey Baker) Mary was a great student, and loved to learn new things. She was one of the smartest in her class. Then she went to Madame Mentelle's Boarding School from 1832-1837 and learned to speak and write French, and learned penmanship, dancing and singing.

With her schooling finished, in 1839 Mary moved to Springfield so she could live with her sister, Elizabeth Todd Edwards. While in Springfield Mary and her future husband Abraham Lincoln moved in the same social circle and met at a dance at her sister's home in Springfield, Illinois. They had an "on-again, off-again courtship." Abe Proposed to her and loved her very muchand having doubts about his love for Mary, Abe called off their wedding. Abe's backing out of the wedding they had planned for January 1, 1841 was difficult for both of them.  Finally on 1842, November 4  when she was 23 years old she and Abe were married in in the front parlor of the home of Mary Todd's sister Elizabeth and her husband Ninian Edwards, Springfield, Illinois.  By all indications, the Lincolns were in love.  As Abe said about Mary, "My wife is as handsome as when she was a girl, and I a poor nobody then, fell in love with her, and what is more, I have”. Mary was a very lovable woman and had a home in Abe’s heart. If anything she is an amazing person, and not a psycho. Considering that Abe called off the wedding, then feels like this, shows how normal of a person she is.

For the first two years of their marriage, the Lincolns lived at the Globe Tavern in Springfield, Illinois. In 1844, they purchased their first and only home at Eight and Jackson Streets in Springfield. They had four sons; Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846-1850), William "Willie" Wallace Lincoln (1850-1862), Thomas "Tad" Lincoln (1853-1871). 

During the early 1880s, Mary Lincoln was confined to the Springfield, Illinois residence of her sister Elizabeth Edwards. On July 16, 1882, she collapsed at her sister's home and lapsed into a coma. She died at age 63. She was interred in the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield alongside her husband. Mary Todd Lincoln went through so much losing her husband to an assassin and also losing her son. Wouldn’t that make you depressed too?

                                                         Citations 

        Baker, Jean H. Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography. New York: Norton, 1987.  

-This is a secondary source of  Mary Todd Lincoln and some of the letters that she wrote to Abraham Lincoln. I used this to give more information about Mary and Abe's Relationship

"History." Mary Todd Lincoln House. Accessed May 29, 2015.

http://www.mtlhouse.org/history.html.  

-This is a book, a secondary source showing the power and the letters written back and fourth from Abraham to his wife.

"First Lady Biography: Mary Lincoln." Mary Lincoln Biography. Accessed May 29, 2015.  

Stritroff, Sheri. "Issues and Problems in Mary and Abraham Lincoln's Marriage." About. 2015. Accessed May 29, 2015. http://marriage.about.com/od/presidentialmarriages/a/abelincoln_2.htm.  

Who is Abdul Rahman, the Prince Among Slaves?

                        http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2008/0802/360_prince_slaves_0201.jpg


                                                             Who is Abdul Rahman?

     Abdul was a young prince who was living in the beautiful valleys and mountains of Futa Jallon, Africa. He was raised learning many languages from teachers, and wise elders who lived with him. As a young prince, he was taught how to read, write, and do the things a prince he would soon become, would need to know.

                                                           Captured and Enslaved

     One day, while Abdul and his men were walking out in the woods; he was captured by a rival tribe. He and his men were dragged on a ship, and headed to America. The ship was cramped, with many slaves. They were stacked on boards and had no space from each other. When the slaves arrived, the were auctioned. Rahman was sold to a man named Thomas Foster. Foster forced Rahman to have his hair cut, and stripped of his identity. Rahman was given the ironic name "Prince" by his slave owner, and started working for him right away. Rahman was looked up by all of Fosters slaves, soon he would be wed to another slave, and have 8 children.

                                                           A day to Remember 

    While working at a market on a Sunday afternoon, Rahman was spotted by John cox. A man who he helped recover from a sickness. John cox wanted to help Rahman become the free man he once was a while ago, and to return home. Cox visited Foster, but Foster had no price for his slave's freedom. Through all of the pleading and begging, made Foster want to keep "Prince" even more.

                                                             Coming Home

    When Thomas Foster finally came to his senses and was willing to let his Prince go home; he set rules in place. If Rahman left, then that would mean that his children would need to leave also. So when He left, Rahman promised all of Foster's slaves that they would be free one day. So with that promise, Rahman talked to John Quincy Adams and tried to compromise with him. Adams refused to buy out Fosters slaves and didn't want anything to do with it. Rahman's story ends with the question of: Was Rahman successful or not? I believe that Rahman was successful in the fact that he could prove that he wasn't a slave, he was a Prince.





















Prince Among Slaves. Dir. Bill Duke & Andrea Kalin. PBS. 2008 

I believe that Andrew Jackson should NOT be on the 20$ bill. There are many reasons why he shouldn't be considered a hero, or even a good president. Jackson destroyed the bank of the United states. Jackson hated the bank before his presidency because as a wealthy land and slave owner he had lost money due to its ugly policies. Jackson also not only hired friends, but thieves. All in all, I believe that Andrew Jackson should not be on the 20$ bill. 

France Successful or unsuccessful.

 In this unit, we have been exploring the positives and negatives of the many revolutions between the time periods of 1830 and 1848. We've talked about  Belgium 1840, the Frankfurt Assembly, The French Revolution of 1830, and 1848, Hungary 1848 and finally the Polish Revolution of 1830. What were the positives and negatives of the French Revolution of 1848?               http://www.edline.net/pages/Reading_HS/Classes/1415_12612205/3___19th_Century_Revolutions/Revolutions_of_1830___1848_Vid/Video_Tutorials

            During the French Revolution of 1848 started, France was a mess. Food shortage unemployment and economic depression were the main causes of such outbreak in the streets. Louis
Philippe was a man who only cared about the rich, and didn't want to help the poor and needy. The people of France began to riot, and demanded for fair pay, and to stop payment spikes. Even though the people got rid of their ruler, there were still many problems after. So was France a success or a big failure. France was successful in bringing Louis Philippe down from his throne, and finally being heard as a nation, but later France ran into other problems, regarding their government.

         

 

     Today in class our teacher Ms. Gleason passed us out Hershey chocolate kisses. Some of the students received more than others. Then we were instructed to play rock paper scissors, the winner would win the the chocolate that the looser had. The students with more kisses to start, obviously won the game. This was frustrating because the kids with only three kisses in reality had no chance of winning this game. 

    Marx gave us a theory of society and told us how society works.the form of the productive system, is the most important determinant of all other aspects of the society, such as its social institutions and ideas, such as the system of law, of morality and education. On the other hand, Smith believed in a system called the invisible hand, which would benefit the poor.Adam Smith to describe his belief that individuals seeking their economic self-interest actually benefit society more than they would if they tried to benefit society directly. Therefore targeting those who cant afford more things then others, focusing on the poor and needy. 

    In my opinion I believe that Marx's theory makes more sense and has more of an overall effect. Even if  Smith's theory of helping the poor, you couldn't benefit from something if you don't have any money to start. All in all Marx's theory would benefit for a more long term change. 

Socratic seminar Feedback

     In today's class, we discussed many facts, information and other questions about Child Labor today. 

     One of the three points I brought up in the discussion was why child labor? Why not adult labor? Most of the machines are used for small children fingers, such as small cigarettes, and picking small berries from plants. Another question I had was: Why would these children risk their life for work? Well, most of their families don't have money, and if they don't have a family, the orphan will work for as little to money at all. One of the last points I brought to the seminar was: Where are most of these children working? Most of the kids are working in fields out in the Midwest, but otherwise in foreign country's. 

     Other key points brought up by other students that I found interesting left me thinking. For instance the question: who would want to work for little to no money? To be brief, most children's parents can't get the money on their own so they need help. Another comment was: would you buy products made from child labor? I wouldn't.. Because without paying the company the company then fails. But if the children really needed the money, I would buy because they need a profit. One last point that hit me was when a student brought up how if we are working at such a young age (15-16 years old) is it considered child labor? I'd say no for a couple reasons. In reality, most of us, in Reading MA, especially have enough money to survive. I believe that child labor is described for those only who are poor. 

     Overall, I think that the discussion was on topic and a great success. Our group discused topics clearly and to the point. Also many of the students all had somthing to say, leading the seminar to be less then a seminar, and more like a conversation. To improve the seminars overall experience, I would have everyone talk. Even if not everyone talked, it would have been good to here everyone. Also, I think that we should have more time to talk to get our point across. Most of the time, other students would get cut off by others considering our time constraint. To conclude, the seminar was a great success and should be done again!

Industrial city inspectors report

City Inspectors Report

This report dated 1840 has been provided for the urban planning committees of various cities and England. My name is David, and as a mid level city inspector i trust that you will use this information within to determine appropriate needs in urban planning for your manipulative. My report has been through as I have used all sources available to me and to have work to guide you through my own analysis and critical thinking to a full description of the issues facing our cities.

    Some of the Impact from the impact of industrialization was on life and work in the cities was positive. From the Cotton mill, John Jones expressed his feelings for the factory. “Everyone is happy” and “The mills are great, along with the beautiful scenic castles” (Doc B). Along with W.C. Taylor, “People aren't affected” at the Manufacturing districts Lancashire. (Doc E). Throughout the city of Manchester these two factories had the most positive remarks.

    According to my inspections, the three other factories had negative reports. In the British factory described in (Doc A), it is very smokey and hard to breathe. As well as the factories in documents (C and D), the factories are not safe and cause harm to the workers. The factory (Doc C) is described as foggy and very dirty air. Factory (Doc D.) shows the harm which is done to the workers. Many children and men with distorted limbs and dark eyes. Bad back posture and very dangerous machines throughout. Overall, factories (C and D) have negative reports and must be changed.

    Overall, based on the sources provided, I think that the industrialization had more of a negative impact on living and working. Through the factories, only a few exceptions were allowed. Besides the OK working conditions and the OK surrounding machines, not much was impressive. Document D, is what led me to this conclusion. People and especially young children should not be working in overly dangerous areas. It is not ok for children at the age of 8 to already start to have back problems and wrinkles under their eyes. Overall, the Industrialization period was the opposite of a success.