Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[kerry]

Robert wasn't really described as shy until adulthood - he did seem to have a certain reserve in that he wasn't big on press attention at any point, but all the rumors have him being a little wild until adulthood. I don't know if any of the stories are true, but there's the one about him stealing the pipe, the one about him taking Tad's knife in exchange for candy, the one about him hanging the dogs, the one about him flipping the carriage, the one about him skipping school, the one about him being wild on the train to Lexington, being wild at the boardinghouse when Lincoln was in Congress, getting lost, etc. Then there's whatever adventures he got in trouble for at Exeter, and something about him writing on sofas in college? In college he seemed to be sociable and likeable but nothing crazy - everyone seemed to like him and he seemed active in activities, but he definitely wasn't looking for attention for being a Lincoln. Some people mention that he and Mary pulled pranks on each other and did a lot of activities like traveling together. Those are the stories that survive, but clearly very few compared to the younger brothers.

Tad and Willie seemed a little more sheltered, so their wildness was centered right at home, whereas Robert seemed more likely to venture out into typical adolescent trouble. But they all seem to have been fundamentally goodhearted people who didn't actually need traditional discipline in order to turn out well. Being raised in a loving, curious environment seemed to be enough. I think Robert's later issues were very much related to the strange and traumatic circumstances of Lincoln's assassination and his attendant responsibilities, and I think it affected him more than many historians admitted. He took a narrow view of life and obsessively followed the rules in order to gain a sense of stability and approval. Given the more risky/open-minded viewpoints of his parents, it can seem disappointing that he didn't take their example further. But it's also only fair to allow him his personality, which was unlike his parents' in that regard. He was in a tough situation with a lot of pressure.