Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[ScholarInTraining]

(01-06-2018 09:14 PM)kerry Wrote:  

(01-06-2018 07:34 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  "And also, maybe after his traumatic life full of funerals of family members, he didn't wish his kids to go through it,"
- Sorry, are you kidding? In those days, especially those of the CW, death was much more daily "family" life. And he died a peaceful, natural dead at a blessed age when it was to expect sooner or later, and his kids weren't young anymore either.

Yes, it was, but that doesn't mean he wasn't personally more affected by it than most. He didn't bring his family to his mother's funeral, and Mary didn't attend Lincoln's or Willie's funeral. The Lincolns clearly stood out as being more affected by it than most in an era of high mortality. While logically his old age would make it easier to take, that doesn't mean that he didn't have a personal irrational aversion to it. Just speculation.

Agreed. And to answer your question, he didn't seem to be an atheist at all. He believed in God - evidenced by quotes and letters and stuff - so I don't get why biographers got to calling him "nonreligious" among other things.

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(01-08-2018 09:34 AM)Gene C Wrote:  I have a bit of a higher opinion of Robert than y'all do. Yes he did inherit a famous last name, had access to a good education and business and political contacts. He did use them to build a wealthy life style, good marriage?, troublesome children. By most standards a success. He did serve in politics as Secretary of War, was well respected in political circles, he may have been able to ride his fathers reputation into the White House, but decided that was not the path in life he wanted to take. I have to respect him for that. He took what life gave him and he didn't squander it away. He received a lot of unwanted public attention due to the antics of his mother. He had many of the same life problems we all have, and he dealt with it the best way he knew how.

In spit of all the money wealth, and power, must of us would not want to have changed places with him.

Well said! He had it hard. And the more I read up on Robert and his family, the more I find myself amazed at what's really true compared to what the world has merely been told over the years.

Even now, his "life", though over for the time being, still isn't going great. He specifically said he wanted to rest with his family, did he not? I get that his wife wanted to do something very special for him, ("our darling", she said), but I'm thinking maybe that was a little bit of a mistake..