EducationApril 13, 2026

Mary Todd Lincoln: Life, Loss, and Later Trials

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Key Vocabulary

First Lady/ˌfɜːrst ˈleɪdi/

The wife of the president of a country.

"She was the First Lady during the war."

asylum/əˈsaɪləm/

A place for people with mental illness to be cared for.

"She was sent to a private asylum."

pension/ˈpɛnʃən/

A regular payment given to someone, often by the government.

"She received a government pension."

Listening

Mary Todd Lincoln: Life, Loss, and Later Trials

Mary Todd Lincoln was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865. She was born December 13, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky. She married Abraham Lincoln on November 4, 1842. She had sons including William "Willie" Lincoln and Thomas "Tad" Lincoln.

Willie died in the White House on February 20, 1862. After many family losses and struggles, Mary faced a public legal case in 1875 and was committed to a private asylum in Batavia, Illinois. Later she lived with her sister and received a government pension of $3,000 a year in 1870. She died July 16, 1882, in Springfield, Illinois.

101 words

Quiz

1. When was Mary Todd Lincoln born?

2. Who was Mary Todd Lincoln's husband?

3. Where did Willie die?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you remember a time when you had to care for a family member? What happened?

Have you ever felt very sad after losing someone? How did you cope?

What do you think about families making hard legal choices to protect someone?