Episode 033 · Out Nov 6, 2026
Lincoln's beard was an 11-year-old's idea
On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president – with no ballots for him in ten Southern states and only about 40% of the vote. Weeks earlier, 11-year-old Grace Bedell had written to him: grow whiskers, "your face is so thin", and the ladies will tease their husbands into voting for you. He wondered if people would call it a "silly affectation" – then grew one anyway. In February 1861 his train stopped in her town, and he asked to meet her.
Sources
Every claim in the video was checked against these sources. Where they disagree, the video words it carefully; legends are marked as legends.
In short: Wikipedia "Grace Bedell", "1860 United States presidential election", "Abraham Lincoln"; letters of Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln, Oct 1860 (Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online); New York World, Feb 19, 1861.
- Wikipedia: Grace Bedell en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: Abraham Lincoln en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: 1860 United States presidential election en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: Confederate States of America en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: Women's suffrage in the United States en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: United States five-dollar bill en.wikipedia.org
- abrahamlincolnonline.abrahamlincolnonline.org abrahamlincolnonline.abrahamlincolnonline.org
- digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org
- Abe lincolns whiskers theappendix.net
- All the ladies like whiskers lettersofnote.com
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