In thinking about Abraham Lincoln, it is easy to focus on the public figure–the president, the decisions, and the place he holds in history. But the more I study, the more I am drawn to the personal side of his life–the parts that are less certain, and often more difficult to gauge.
Lincoln experienced the loss of not one, but two sons. Edward died as a young child, and later Willie’s death during his presidency was a devastating blow. They were part of the life he carried forward. His relationship with his wife and her responses to the loss of their children were also part of the difficult life he led.
There are documented circumstances in his family background that add another layer of complexity. His grandmother, Lucy Hanks, bore two daughters outside of marriage, who were also used the surname of Hanks. Lucy was formally charged with fornication, which was a legal offense at the time. Her parents took responsibility for raising the children, and Lucy went on to marry and the charges were then dropped. These are recorded facts, but they also point to something of great concern in Lincoln’s life.
Lincoln himself spoke to William Herndon about the questions surrounding his ancestry and asked Herndon to keep it a secret until after he died. Lincoln suggested to Herndon that his grandfather may have been a man of some standing, a ‘nobleman.’ Whether true or not, it shows that Lincoln lived with some uncertainty about his origins.
That combination–personal loss and uncertain beginnings–makes the figure we know from history feel more human.
In writing about him, I find myself thinking not only about what he did, but about what it may have felt like to carry grief, questions and the weight of both public and private life at the same time. History gives us the outcome. But the life itself was lived without that clarity. He had no way to know if the past would come back to haunt him and deprive him of all he had achieved.
Current projects;
- My book: revising Chapter 10
- Edward Bryant: continuing to review stories for the next publication.
It is often the personal details, both known and uncertain, that bring us closest to the people who lived through history.
Thanks for reading and walking alongside me.
The View From The Imaginarium 