Abraham Lincoln is one of the most
well-known presidents to date. When you think of Abraham Lincoln, you probably
picture him with a beard, but why did he have a beard and how did that beard
affect his presidency? Lincoln may have
been influenced to grow his beard from an unlikely source, an eleven year old
girl from New York named Grace Bedell.
The letter from Grace to Lincoln can be seen below along with the
transcript of the letter for easier reading.
Letter from Grace Bedell to Abraham Lincoln
Transcript of the letter from Grace Bedell:
N Y
Westfield Chatauque Co
Oct 15. 1860
Hon A B Lincoln
Dear Sir
My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin's. I am a little girl only eleven years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am if so give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have got 4 brother's and part of them will vote for you any way and if you will let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is a going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try and get every one to vote for you that I can I think that rail fence around your picture makes it look very pretty I have got a little baby sister she is nine weeks old and is just as cunning as can be. When you direct your letter dir[e]ct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chatauque County New York
I must not write any more answer this letter right off
Good bye
Grace Bedell
As can be seen in the
underlined portion of the letter, Grace, although only being eleven, thinks
that a beard would make Lincoln’s face look less thin and at the same time she says that many
women like whiskers. Both of these
combined, Grace believes will help Lincoln become president. Lincoln's reply to Grace’s letter follows:
Transcript
for Lincoln’s response to Grace:
October 19, 1860
Springfield, Illinois
Miss. Grace Bedell
My dear little Miss.
Your very agreeable letter of the 15th. is received.
I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three
sons -- one seventeen, one nine, and one seven, years of age. They, with their
mother, constitute my whole family.
As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people
would call it a piece of silly affection if I were to begin it now? Your very
sincere well-wisher
A. Lincoln
Lincoln’s response shows that
Lincoln may be a little weary of growing a beard on account to never having one
and that changing his appearing in the middle of running for president may be
looked upon weirdly by the people of the United States. Lincoln did take the time to greet Grace
Bedell in person while on his inaugural journey. This letter may or may not
have had a great influence on his growth of whiskers, but Grace was not the
only person to observe that Lincoln’s face had characteristics that were not
always favorable, such as having a skinny face.
Following is two picture of Lincoln, the first being the last beardless
photo of Lincoln, the second being a photo of Lincoln ten days before he met
Grace Bedell in person. You can see that
the beard does help to make Lincoln’s face look more “full".
On May 19th, 1860, reporters and artists flocked
around Lincoln. During this time,
seventeen new photographs were produced of Lincoln. The artists soon found out that there was not
much that they could do to improve Lincoln’s appearance. A group of New York Republicans even stated
that Lincoln “would be much improved in appearance, provided you would
cultivate whiskers and wear standing collars.”
The Charleston Mercury (a newspaper) was appalled to find that Lincoln
was “a horrid-looking wretch… sooty and scroundrelly in aspect; a cross between
the nutmeg dealer, the horse-swapper, and the night man.” Another observation of Lincoln from a
Georgian described him as
“His cheekbones were high and his
visage was rough,
Like a middling of bacon, all
wrinkled and tough;
His nose was as long and as ugly and
big
As the snout of a half-starved
Illinois pig;
He was long in the legs and long in
the face,
A Longfellow born of a long-legged
race….” (Guelzo 246-247).
Lincoln was probably not just influenced by Grace Bedell’s letter, but by many people, from many areas of society and of many ages. Knowledge of Lincoln’s appearance did not just affect the people of the United States. Photos and paintings of Lincoln that were to be sent overseas were edited to change his appearance. An English engraver, D. J. Pound, who was producing an image of Lincoln for the British public, gave Lincoln an aristocratic appearance. He gave Lincoln rosy cheeks, softened the harsh lines in his face, and abbreviated his mouth (Carwardine 48).
Once foreign (French) artists heard of Lincoln’s new beard, they were eager to use the new images of Lincoln over the older beardless ones (Boritt 164). Artists also started superimposing beards onto prints of Lincoln after news of his beard was heard because images did not exist yet (Borrit 63).
Lincoln’s appearance surely had an
effect on his presidency because many people did not like his original beardless
appearance. The beard covered up much of
his facial flaws which may have increased people’s liking of Lincoln.
