Extra Credit Questions

[David Lockmiller]

I didn't realize that we were judging parenting skills compared to saving democracy -- silly me...

Good point, Laurie. But who do you think would be the better judge of Mr. Lincoln's parenting skills in the form of results, those who lived with and observed Tad Lincoln at the time or those making an assessment over 150 years later?

Previously, I made the following post:

Eva, do you see any difference between your assessment of Tad's character and Elizabeth Keckley's assessment of Tad's character?

You wrote: "I think Tad was well aware his behavior and actions often were not those of a good (behaving) boy, and that he made "(ab)use" of his "protected status."

Elizabeth Keckley wrote: "Tad had been petted by his father, but petting could not spoil such a manly nature as his. He seemed to realize that he was the son of a President – to realize it in its loftiest and noblest sense."

Elizabeth Keckley used the nurse's "quoted words," in part, to prove her assessment of Tad's character. You used only the same nurse's "quoted words" from Elizabeth Keckley's writing to prove your assessment of Tad's character.