Lincoln’s upbringing was indeed the “annals of the poor.”
But How Poor?
They were definitely not rich, but two generations prior to Abraham Lincoln’s arrival, the Lincoln’s were comfortably fixed, and well regarded by their peers and neighbors. Originally from Virginia, Lincoln’s grandfather (also named Abraham) had moved to Kentucky in the 1780s, and owned substantial property.
Grandfather Abraham was murdered in an Indian raid. Thomas Lincoln, the father of the Great Emancipator, was only eight, and an eye-witness to his father’s murder. His quick-witted 15-year-old brother Mordecai shot the Native before he could harm the youngster.
But the family’s financial situation was complicated due to the law of entail and primogeniture, happily rescinded by later generations of Americans. What it meant was that family property was inherited entirely by the oldest son (i.e. primo-genitive, “first born.”) That meant all of it. That is the entail par. If a man wished to “gift” his other children, he usually found other means: an education, living-gifts of land, dowries to daughters, etc. The practice (eons old, by the way) was meant to keep the great-family money intact – rather than having it watered down by generations of large families.
Thus grandfather Abraham’s property: land, house, livestock and possessions all went to Mordecai, his eldest son. The two younger Lincoln brothers now had to work for their livings. Thomas, the youngest, had little formal schooling – but he had learned carpentry, considered a trade to provide a good living. And when he married, he could afford to buy a good sized tract of land. But land was one of the cheapest of all commodities.
Complications. Always Complications.
We can’t pick our relatives. Some we love, some we can’t stand. Most fall somewhere in the middle. There are those who say Tom Lincoln was illiterate – barely able to scrawl a signature. Others say nay: He had a decent signature. Some insist his carpentry skills were very good, with skilled flourishes. Others say his carpentry was purely basic.
Suffice it to say that his son Abraham had a rough upbringing and meager education. While he learned to fell trees and split rails, he was never a carpenter. And his education was all self-taught, with little thanks to his father’s encouragement. According to some lore, Tom Lincoln was a harsh parent, not given to affection. It was his step-mother, Sarah Bush Johnston, who married the widowed Tom Lincoln when AL was around nine, who encouraged young Abe to value learning of all kinds. She would later say that they “understood” each other.
Tom Lincoln forged a stronger bond with his stepson, John Johnston. They understood each other: hunting, fishing, good-ol’-boy pastimes. Bottom line, Abe and his father had little in common. Perhaps the only thing in common was the ability to tell a good story! Tom Lincoln was a popular local raconteur. Abe Lincoln’s way with a good and apropos yarn became legendary.
Abe Moves On…
When Abraham Lincoln reached his majority, he was no longer bound (whether by law or tradition or family tie) to live and work under his father’s roof and rule. He hired himself out on a riverboat down the Mississippi, gaining not only experience, but more knowledge of the world than he had known before. And knowledge of himself.
A year later, when he settled in New Salem, IL, a comfortable distance from his family, the seeds of his riverboat experiences took root. He made friends. He took on responsibilities. He read everything he could get his hands on. When the opportunity to “read law” was presented, he leapt at the chance. It was no doubt difficult – but he did it. And found himself elected to the State Legislature, and associated with a higher level of peers than he had known before.
It was a long struggle for financial security, and perhaps even longer for social acceptance in “polite society.” But he did it.
Father and Grandfather
When Lincoln moved to Springfield, the new capital of Illinois, he was nearly thirty, with a decade of living on his own. His law practice was a slog financially, although his reputation as an attorney was always commendable. Nevertheless, despite outstanding debts from his days in New Salem, he managed to keep an eye on his aging parents – and even purchased some land, so they would always have a home. His step-family lived nearby, which may have eased AL’s mind. But their personal contact was remote, and likely deliberate.
Lincoln married “up,” as the saying goes, at age 33. Mary Todd, a Kentucky belle, educated and socially experienced, was well connected to the governing powers in the new Illinois capital. Lincoln likely believed she was far out of his league, as did most of “societal” Springfield, but Miss T. obviously sensed qualities to admire in her lanky companion.
They married and had four children. Lincoln, riding the circuit of central Illinois courthouses during the first decade of his marriage, had a couple of rare occasions to visit his parents. Perhaps it was a courtesy call. Perhaps to check up on their welfare. He cared – but it was a mild care, rather than devotion. He never brought his wife or children to meet their Lincoln grandparents. Nor did he ever invite Tom and Sarah Lincoln to visit them in Springfield.
When Tom Lincoln was on his deathbed, his son did not visit. Their previous contacts had been strained, and AL did not expect any improvement.
Nevertheless, unlike his own father, Abraham Lincoln was an affectionate and lenient parent. He made time to enjoy his children when he could.
And he named his youngest son Thomas (Tad), in memory of his deceased father.
Sources:
Sources:
Donald, David – Lincoln – Simon & Schuster, 1995
Nicolay, John G. – A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln – The Century Co., 1902
Pryor, Elizabeth Brown – Six Encounters with Lincoln – Penguin Books, 2017
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