Mary Todd Lincoln's faux pas (plural), worse, and much worse

[BettyO]

Very well said, Joe!

I'm coming in late to this very interesting discussion and I'm of the very same opinion. These folk lived 150 years ago. Unless something was written down in a diary/journal by individuals, it's near impossible to pin down what they thought/said in a particular circumstance. People seem to avoid or miss the fact that the 19th Century held different values than do current times. People were different - yes, they were still people, but values and morals were strikingly different and a lot of modern writers/researchers/historians sometimes miss that.

It's extremely difficult to write when very little is recorded or written.