7 Abraham Lincoln 7adulthood. During the White House years, Mary, who was
emotionally unstable, became deeply disturbed by the
death of son Willie at age 11 (she was offi cially declared
insane in 1875).
The Road to the Presidency
Lincoln served as a Whig member of the Illinois State
Assembly four times from 1834 to 1840. Although he
demonstrated that he opposed slavery, he was no aboli-
tionist. With his “spot resolutions” during his single term
in Congress from 1847 to 1849, Lincoln challenged
President James K. Polk’s claim that the Mexican-
Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfi eld, Illinois. © James P. Rowan