It recently donned on me how far we have come as a Country. Not only in engineering and other discoveries and ingenious inventions , but our values and struggles have developed as well.
To live in the age Abraham Lincoln lived, you wouldn't be surprised to witness a slave auction in the South or hear of the unjustness to slaves brought on by their "Masters" or "Owners". In the mid to late 19th century, the U.S was in a dire struggle to remain Unionized. People of the Southern states couldn't bare to imagine a life where blacks were able to work a job that didn't serve to benefit a white man, let alone be given the same rights as them. The Confederacy wouldn't stand to see a nation where blacks and whites were equal. But in today's nation, we have reached a far greater enemy to fear.
Our age is not free of racism or other prejudices, but today's society has vastly matured. Before the abolition of slavery, racism was as natural to a person as breathing. But today, to be racist is to be ignorant. As a country we have moved beyond the struggle of race and with time has brought a broader range of obstacles.
With the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S started its counter strike on the War on Terrorism. The U.S is now such a strong force, such a dominating figure in the world in various ways, we now pose a threat to others due to our success. To think that over a century ago our ancestors were fighting one another, it makes us realize how this world changes everyday. My brother and I always laugh about how much we would hate living in a time with no cars or basic electricity but when I really think about it, a century from now, this world will be that much more developed. A 100 years from now, people will be looking back at 2011 and saying how they can't imagine living than...
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Friday, November 4, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Curse of the First Lady
Her name was Mary Todd Lincoln.
She appeared to be your typical first lady: she competed with the other wives of the social and political elite, remained a loyal and dotting wife to her husband the President and raised her children to fit in with Washington's society. But behind the veil that separated the Washington Mary Todd from the true Mary Todd, you'll find that she wasn't your average first lady: tragedy would soon strike the Lincoln family that would follow Mary through the rest of her life. When the Lincoln family entered the White House, they were a happy family of 5. The Lincoln children- Tad, Willie and Robert- grew up in a very loving household with considerably "easy going" parents for the time. Willie was deemed a young Abraham Lincoln at a young age with his kind face and loving manners and was the apple of his mother's eye. It was Willie's early death that got the ball rolling for Mary Todd Lincoln's streak of turmoil.
As Mary Todd and President Lincoln were sitting through a production of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre in D.C, John Wilkes Booth entered their box and shot the President at point blank range. Mary Todd, witness to all, left the theatre a widow, donning a dress sprayed with the blood of her late husband. Mary was resistant in leaving the White House but eventually found herself settling in Chicago with her son Tad as Robert was making a life for himself as a lawyer. In her efforts of making a new life for herself, Mary found herself again in the midst of turmoil when the Great Chicago Fire hit leaving her and Tad in a city of destruction.
She appeared to be your typical first lady: she competed with the other wives of the social and political elite, remained a loyal and dotting wife to her husband the President and raised her children to fit in with Washington's society. But behind the veil that separated the Washington Mary Todd from the true Mary Todd, you'll find that she wasn't your average first lady: tragedy would soon strike the Lincoln family that would follow Mary through the rest of her life. When the Lincoln family entered the White House, they were a happy family of 5. The Lincoln children- Tad, Willie and Robert- grew up in a very loving household with considerably "easy going" parents for the time. Willie was deemed a young Abraham Lincoln at a young age with his kind face and loving manners and was the apple of his mother's eye. It was Willie's early death that got the ball rolling for Mary Todd Lincoln's streak of turmoil. The Lincoln family was extremely disheartened after young Willie's death and tragedy struck again as the Civil War was drawing to a close.
As Mary Todd and President Lincoln were sitting through a production of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre in D.C, John Wilkes Booth entered their box and shot the President at point blank range. Mary Todd, witness to all, left the theatre a widow, donning a dress sprayed with the blood of her late husband. Mary was resistant in leaving the White House but eventually found herself settling in Chicago with her son Tad as Robert was making a life for himself as a lawyer. In her efforts of making a new life for herself, Mary found herself again in the midst of turmoil when the Great Chicago Fire hit leaving her and Tad in a city of destruction.Various scandals later, including her battle with Congress to receive more money, Mary found herself moving abroad to make a new name for herself with Tad. But once again, Mary had to suffer through the death of another child as Tad became severely ill and died with his mother by his bedside.
Many years later with countless more scandals and a failed relationship with her son, Mary Todd was admitted into an insane asylum by her own son Robert.
Mary ended getting out of the asylum and patched things over with her only living son shortly before her death years later. Whether she was truly insane or extremely clever, history will always remember her as one of the more creative First Ladys.
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