The Lincoln Family

It is in Abraham Lincoln’s home on 8^th & Jackson streets that Abraham Lincoln raised a family, saw three of his children born, and one of them pass away. A house is not a home without a family, and this was certainly true of the Lincoln Home. In this house, Abraham Lincoln lived here with his wife, Mary Todd, and his sons--Robert, Edward (“Eddie”), William (“Willie”), and Thomas (“Tad”). Learn more about the Lincoln Family in the resources below!

 

Mary Lincoln, 1846

Library of Congress

Mary Lincoln

Intelligent, ambitious, and often misunderstood, Mary Lincoln remains one of the most famous first ladies today. Learn more about Mary and her relationship with the 16th president:

• The Lincolns' Courtship & Marriage

• Mary's Loyalty to the Union

• The Lincoln Wedding Ring

• Mary Lincoln's Insanity File

 

Robert Todd Lincoln, 1862

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln was the first-born son of Abraham and Mary Lincoln.
Born in 1843, he was the only child of the Lincolns to reach adulthood and grew to lead a successful career in law, business, and government.
Although never as famous as his father, Robert Lincoln left his own mark on the country.

 

Edward Baker "Eddie" Lincoln

The Lincolns' second child, Eddie, was born in 1846 but sadly only lived a few years before passing away in the Lincoln Home.
Because he passed away at a young age, little is known about Eddie, but his death still had a profound impact on the future president of the United States.

 

Willie Lincoln, ca. 1861

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

William Wallace "Willie" Lincoln

The third son of the Lincoln family, Willie was born in December of 1850. Willie was known as a intelligent and mature child, although he still got in his share of pranks with his younger brother, Tad. Willie died in the White House at age 11, causing much grief for the Lincoln family.

 

Tad Lincoln, ca. 1861

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Thomas "Tad" Lincoln

The youngest of the Lincoln children, Tad Lincoln was born in 1853. Tad was the most wild and mischieveous of the Lincoln children, bringing both fun and mayhem to the Lincoln Home and later the White House. He would pass away at the age of eighteen, several years after his father's death.

 

Mariah Vance worked in the Lincoln Home for 10 years, the longest of any hired help in the Lincoln Home

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Hired Staff

In addition to Abraham, Mary, and the children, sometimes individuals who were hired to help with chores and tasks around the house also lived in the Lincoln Home. These individuals, often young women, are known as the "hired girls." These girls did everything from cooking, cleaning, and serving to childcare and laundry.

 

Fido, the Lincoln's faithful dog

NPS

Family Pets

Abraham Lincoln's love of animals was famous during his lifetime and was known by many firends to adore animals and treat them kindly. It is no surprise then that were quite a few animals in the Lincoln household, from dogs to cats to horses.

 

Thomas Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's father

Library of Congress

Abraham Lincoln's Parents

Abraham Lincoln was born as the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. His mother passed away when he was very young, and his father remarried to Sarah Bush Johnson, who although she was not his birth mother, developed a very close relationship with Lincoln. Learn more about Abraham Lincoln's parents:

• Thomas Lincoln (Father)

• Nancy Hanks Lincoln (Mother)

• Sarah Bush Lincoln (Stepmother)