They say that the house is haunted. Ridiculous, you say? No educated person believes in ghosts! Before you utterly dismiss the claims, however, you would do well to consider the credentials of […]
The Ghosts That Haunt the White House
The Contagious Insanity of the Lincoln Assassination
It wasn’t that long ago that people believed mental illness behaved like the common cold. One of the reasons for the establishment of mental asylums was to quarantine the insane, thus protecting […]
The Tragic Tale of a Badly Battered Husband
Sadly, he was a battered husband. There just isn’t any other way to describe it. Mary was highly abusive toward her husband, both emotionally and physically.
Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 2
The role of first lady is ambiguous. It is not an elected position, and the Constitution is silent on the issue. By custom, the first lady is the official hostess of White […]
Abraham Lincoln and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Really Bad Blind Date
Even history’s greatest people can be subject to less-than-stellar love lives. It was 1842 when Abraham Lincoln tied the knot with Mary Todd, a woman whose ambition unquestionably helped propel him into […]
Hope for a Nation Seen in the Holding of a Hat
March 4, 1861, dawned in Washington, D.C. It was Inauguration Day. Despite the importance of the day and the fact that it had been on the calendar for a long time, there […]
Abraham Lincoln: Animal Lover-in-Chief
Entire libraries could be filled with books about President Abraham Lincoln. Historians have rightfully praised his vision, intellect, humor, courage, and determination. Any study into the life of this extraordinary man would […]
When the Lincolns Turned Down an Invitation to a Party
Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln received many invitations to parties during their lives. They also had to decline many an invitation. When they declined the invitation to one particular party, however, they […]
Lincoln’s Dog Followed Him Even in Death
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) knew the value of a faithful friend. Maybe that’s why he acquired a yellow mixed-breed dog in 1855 when he lived in Springfield, Illinois. The future President named the […]
2 D’s, or Not 2 D’s…
President Abraham Lincoln liked to joke about the well-to-do background of his wife’s family. “The Todds spell their name with two d’s, which is pretty impressive, considering one d is good enough […]
Surprise Witness
In the early days of the Civil War, rumors began to circulate that the Confederacy had a highly-placed spy within the US government — none other than the First Lady, herself, Mary […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 