Part Three: On The Pilgrimage Road Summary and Analysis

Lincoln took a break from politics to focus on his law firm, and on February 1, 1850, his son Eddie died. Both Lincoln and Mary were devastated, and Mary turned to religion for help. In July, President Zachary Taylor died, and Millard Fillmore took over the office. These events further fueled Lincoln's obsessive pondering about death. On December 5, 1850, Mary gave birth to another boy named William Wallace. Thomas Lincoln died on January 17, 1851. Lincoln never reconciled with his father, and did not attend the funeral.

On April 4, 1853, the Lincolns had another son named Thomas, or "Tad." The Lincolns were permissive with their children and never raised a hand to them, and neighbors thought the children ill-behaved. Lincoln was closer to his younger boys than the oldest, Robert Todd, which somewhat mirrored Lincoln's estranged relationship...