In his review of a biography of Mary Todd Lincoln by author Jean H. Baker, associate professor of history, Dr. Lloyd Johnson, captured the complex personality of the wife of America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Johnson spoke at the first Lunch and Learn program of the semester, Wednesday, Sept. 5, sponsored by the Department of Government, History and Justice.Ambitious, articulate and often cantankerous, Mary Todd Lincoln has frequently been dismissed by history as morose and mentally ill, but Baker’s biography presents an entirely different portrait of her, Johnson explained. She was an educated intellectual who loved politics so much that she would only answer the door to visitors who were there for that purpose; an unaccomplished cook who cleverly disguised her shortcoming by serving her guests plenty of corn liquor before dinner; and a socially adept hostess who loved to throw parties at the White House. But her life was marred by tragedy, including the death of three sons and Lincoln’s assassination.”She constantly grieved over the death of her sons and consulted mediums and spiritualists while she still lived in the White House,” said Johnson. “This practice was criticized by Lincoln’s colleagues and the country.”After Lincoln’s assassination, her eldest son Robert had Mrs. Lincoln committed to an insane asylum, but with the help of a female attorney she was able to obtain her release. Mary Todd Lincoln died in 1882 at the age of 63, estranged from her family members. Johnson’s review of the Mary Todd Lincoln was first presented at the Buies Creek Women’s Book Club on May 3, 2007.Dr. Lloyd Johnson is the author of a book on Welsh settlers in the South, “The Frontier in the Colonial South: South Carolina Backcountry, 1736-1800,” and has made numerous presentations on his research in Wales, Britain and the U.S. He has also appeared in the BBC documentary, “Roots in Wales.” In addition he has published entries in the “Encyclopedia of North Carolina History,” the “African-American Encyclopedia of History,” and the “Encyclopedia of South Carolina History.” He has been a book review contributor for scholarly publications, including the “Journal of Southern History,” “North Carolina Historical Review,” the “William & Mary Quarterly,” “Baptist History and Heritage,” and the “Georgia Historical Quarterly” His article on Welsh in the Carolinas was published in “Western Mail,” a national newspaper of Cardiff, Wales.Campbell University’s Lunch and Learn program features a different lecturer every other week.
Campbell’s Lunch and Learn kicks off with controversial first lady