Mary Lincoln 1818–1882

Born Lexington, Kentucky First Lady 1861–1865

Raised in a wealthy Kentucky slave-owning family, Mary Ann Todd Lincoln actively voiced her political opinions throughout her life. But as a woman, she could not pursue office herself. These stifled ambitions may have led to her marital alliance with Abraham Lincoln, who benefitted from the social polishing that her elite background could offer him. Her focus on class position is evidenced in the many carte-de-visite photographs of her in fashionable costumes, which were an expensive luxury.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution