15. Mary Had To Fight Congress For Her Widow’s Pension
Abraham Lincoln died without a written will, which means that Mary’s financial situation continued to deteriorate over the following years. For years, Mary repeatedly moved so her creditors would not find her. She even moved to England in an attempt to escape her creditors.
From 1865 until 1870, Mary fought Congress on whether she should receive a widow’s pension or not. This was something Congress had done before, and she felt it was owed to her because her husband died during his presidency. Even though Congress despised Mary, they finally agreed in 1870.
