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On November 4, 1842, Abraham Lincoln, a young Illinois lawyer with modest financial means and growing political ambitions, married Mary Todd at the Springfield home of her sister, Elizabeth Edwards. Born into a prosperous Kentucky family, Mary was well educated, socially accomplished, and deeply interested in politics. She met Lincoln in Springfield in 1839, and despite differences in their backgrounds and concerns among some relatives about his prospects, the couple developed a strong attachment. Their courtship was complicated by a broken engagement and a period of separation, but they eventually reconciled and married in a small ceremony. Their marriage produced four sons: Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas, better known as Tad.

Mary became an enthusiastic supporter of Lincoln's political career, particularly his opposition to the expansion of slavery. However, her Kentucky connections created painful divisions during the Civil War, when several members of her family supported the Confederacy. As First Lady, she endured intense public criticism over her spending, social activities, and perceived political influence. Personal tragedies added to her difficulties, including the deaths of sons Edward in 1850 and Willie in 1862. She also experienced recurring headaches and emotional distress, which worsened following a carriage accident in 1863. On April 14, 1865, Mary was sitting beside President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington when John Wilkes Booth shot him. Lincoln died the following morning, leaving his wife devastated.

Following her husband's assassination, Mary Lincoln struggled with grief, financial insecurity, and declining emotional well-being. Congress eventually granted her a widow's pension, but the death of her youngest son, Tad, in 1871 brought further heartbreak. In 1875, her surviving son Robert initiated legal proceedings that resulted in her temporary confinement in a private psychiatric institution. She was released later that year and subsequently regained her legal independence. Mary spent time traveling in Europe before returning to Springfield, Illinois, where she lived with her sister Elizabeth. She died on July 16, 1882, leaving a complicated legacy shaped by political controversy, extraordinary personal losses, and her place beside one of America's most consequential presidents.