But it was a time of terrible grief for the nation in Civil War and the boys provided comic relief. Some criticized the Lincolns for allowing their boys to run wild in the White House. They also played with their menagerie of pets including goats, horses, cats and dogs. They routinely disrupted important meetings, played tricks on visitors and White House staff. Tad and Willie were pranksters, but with their signature charisma they got away with outrageous behavior. Image: White House Historical Association.īy the time they lived in the White House (March, 1861-April, 1865) the eldest son, Robert, was attending Harvard College. On Sundays, the boys amused themselves by pulling leather-bound law books off the shelves. One of their famous tricks was the use of a pole to knock the hats of passerby. “Willie was a miniature Abe Lincoln, minus the severe upbringing, using all of his wit and manipulation to provoke merriment, while the younger Tad was the precocious, fearless instigator, always leading the way and counting on his disarming childishness to soften the heart of any angry adult disciplinarian or critic.” In his book All the Presidents’ Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America’s First Families, Doug Wead writes:
They took joy in their children’s shenanigans. Both Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln generally gave their children a wide berth when it came to discipline.
#Abraham lincoln and tad lincoln full#
He was also intelligent, creative, and full of mischief that left him with little time for academics. He was hyperactive and easily distracted. Tad shouldered his share of physical challenges, with a cleft palate that gave him a lisp and dental issues that left him unable to eat solid food.
Well before turkey pardons, Tad (1853-1871) and his brother William (1851-1862) were notorious pranksters in their hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Tad Lincoln Was Always A Rambunctious Trailblazer Turkey Pardons: Tad and Willie Lincoln with cousin Lockwood Todd.
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