Eva, I can't say for sure but I would be
very surprised if the Sewards used corporal punishment on their children, particularly fragile Fanny.
I think I remember reading that Herndon hit his children with a strap? Was it here on this Forum?
And Mary and AL did occasionally spank Robert when he was small. I think he ran away from home often.
Eva, that's a GREAT point about whether or not the strain in the Lincoln marriage adversely affected their children. I've never read any evidence that it did.(other than perhaps young Robert running away) The Lincoln children were never described as depressed and withdrawn as would have probably been the case if their home was a warzone. Quite the contrary...they were boisterous and completely uninhibited by all accounts.
But according to Michael Burlingame (A. Lincoln: A Life) Lincoln's dreadful relationship with Mary impacted his ability to bond with his sons.
Go figure, eh?
Sons and parents
