The Historian's World

[L Verge]

(10-01-2019 08:29 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Laurie, your post made me think of Mary Lincoln, her views on women's suffrage, and how thinking has changed since the mid-19th century.

What if there were a poll which asked Americans this question: "Did Mary Lincoln think women should have the right to vote?" My guess is Americans would overwhelmingly say "yes."

According to Jean Baker, this would be wrong. In her Mary Lincoln biography she wrote:

"Female abolitionists and suffragists gained no respect from her (Mary Lincoln); she believed them unwomanly creatures. She had no interest in obtaining the vote, intending instead to influence her husband."

That statement bothers me because I have always understood that Mary gained a solid political background as a young girl at the knees of both her father and Henry Clay. I thought it irritated her greatly when, as a grown woman, she was ignored or looked down on by our "senior statesmen" upon arriving in Washington City.