Nancy Lincoln

Nancy Hanks Lincoln (1784-1818) was the mother of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Born in present-day Mineral County, West Virginia (then part of Virginia), she remains a largely enigmatic figure due to limited documented information about her life.

While the details of her early life and parentage are somewhat debated among historians, most accept her as the daughter of Lucy Hanks. Nancy migrated with her family to Kentucky during her youth. She married Thomas Lincoln in 1806 in Washington County, Kentucky. Together, they had three children: Sarah (1807-1828), Abraham (1809-1865), and Thomas Jr. (1812-1812), who died in infancy.

The family faced numerous hardships, including land disputes and economic struggles, leading them to relocate to Indiana in 1816. Two years later, in 1818, Nancy succumbed to milk sickness, a poisoning caused by consuming milk from cows that had eaten white snakeroot. She died at the age of 34 and was buried near Little Pigeon Creek, Indiana.

Her death deeply affected young Abraham, and while his stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln, provided a nurturing environment, Nancy's memory remained significant in Abraham Lincoln's life and subsequent writings. She is often portrayed as a figure of strength and piety, shaping the moral character of the future president. Her story has become an important part of the Lincoln legend and continues to be studied and reinterpreted by historians.