Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[Linda Anderson]

I found an interesting article titled "The Role of the First Lady and the Media: A Preliminary Case Study of New York Times Coverage of Mary Todd Lincoln, 1861-1865" by Katherine E. Roberts in The Civil War and the Press.

"Mary Todd Lincoln basically broke every 'rule' expected of 19th-century ladies, especially First Ladies who, as their husbands represented the nation, were presumed to represent American womanhood. Because of her political interests and spending habits, she was seen as lacking the proper self-control of the pious female. Much criticism came from men who 'preferred females of incontestable docility and who were shocked at this one's interest in the public world.' (42) Women's lives were assumed to belong to a realm entirely outside of politics, and the involvement of First Ladies in such matters enjoins the two domains of public and private life - which could dramatically alter ideas about gender roles." p. 425.

You can read most of the article in Google Books. It starts on p. 419.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Y2KUTBv...ln&f=false