Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[Eva Elisabeth]

One point that impressed me (which I had never read about) was the fact that many "marriages" of the lower- and middle-classes were not signed, sealed, and delivered with the permission of the church.

I would think most lacked the money for a decent wedding?! (Isn't it the same today, quite a lot only get married at the registry office without the additional church wedding, despite the church wedding actually doesn't even officially count by law?!)

The reason I posted this under Ann Rutledge, however, is that we had one elderly gentleman in the audience who wanted to convince everyone that Ann was the true love of Lincoln's life and that Mary Todd was a shrew.

I would suspect that the gentleman could not have imagined Mary (but Ann) as a spouse for himself. Well, if I had had a true love in my life no other afterwards could come up to I would probably have not married at all. Or do all these critics think Abraham Lincoln suffered from last-minute panic and additionally or similar? Why should he have married Mary "according to" the critics? Weakness of mind and will? Money and Todd name? (I think he once clearly commented on the Todd name.)