On February 5, 1784, a baby girl named Nancy was born in what was then called Hampshire County, VA. Not a lot of information survives about Nancy’s childhood. There was some uncertainty about who her father was. Her mother could not properly care for her in her early years. Her maternal grandparents took over raising her until the age of 9. At some point, she moved with her grandparents and aunts and uncles to Kentucky. After the death of her grandfather, Nancy went to live with her mother, Lucy, who had recently been married and moved to Kentucky. However, after Lucy’s sister Elizabeth got married, Nancy went to live with her aunt and uncle.
In spite of her unusual childhood, Nancy managed to learn to read by using the Bible, and she developed a love for reading and education. She also learned all of the traditional skills expected of a young woman of her time and place. She became an excellent seamstress.
In due time, she met a young man by the name of Thomas. They married on June 12, 1806. Within the next six years, they had three children, a daughter and two sons; the youngest son died in infancy. Thomas did not much care for book-learning. He felt it was much more important to be able to make a living off of the land and with your hands. He worked hard at farming, cabinetmaking, and carpentry. He expected his son to work along with him and did not see much point in either of his children having a formal education.
Nancy, however, taught both of her children as much as she could. It is said that her son inherited much of his strong yet sweet and sympathetic personality from her. She also instilled within him a lifelong love of reading and learning everything that he could.
In 1816, the family moved to the southern area of what would soon become the state of Indiana. Two years later, on October 5, 1818, Nancy died of what is believed to be “milk sickness”. This illness was caused by drinking the milk of cows that had eaten a plant with a potent poison which passed through the milk. (There is some speculation that she may have died of consumption or cancer.) Her nine-year-old son helped his father make her coffin.
Many years later, her son, speaking of his “angel mother”, said, “God bless my mother; all that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her.”
Nancy Hanks Lincoln definitely gave the world a great man.
Alfred’s History of America 
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a great lady of American history. Definitely never heard of her or her story before now. I probably know a handful of important/vital ladies in American history. I think the ladies and their stories are critical in learning ALL American history.
Well written, included many facts, and kept my interest. I hope you have future books with Alfred in telling about the unknown ladies of our history!
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Thank you! I have always had an interest in women’s history. One year I read through every woman’s biography in the Marquette library. We are working on a few more books, including one about First Ladies.
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