Hadrian and Abraham Lincoln

Left: Bust of Hadrian in Military Gear, 117-118 CE; Right: Photograph of Abraham Lincoln, ca. 1860-1865 (National Archives)

This past month my book group read Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I haven't had a chance to read the book (I've been on the library's waiting list for weeks!), but I have enjoyed following the discussion on our book group blog. Someone brought up the interesting point that a young eleven year-old girl, Grace Bedell, was the person who convinced Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. In October 1860, Bedell wrote this letter to Lincoln:

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 11 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 yet got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you 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 husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try to 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 direct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chautauqua County New York.

I must not write any more answer this letter right off Good bye

Grace Bedell

Lincoln responded to this little girl's letter a few days later (you can read his response HERE). Although he expressed some hesitation at growing "whiskers," within a month Lincoln began to sport a beard. About six months later, Lincoln traveled to the speak in Westfield, New York and asked to meet Grace. When she was pulled from the crowd and brought forward, he pointed out to her that he had been growing whiskers at her suggestion.

I think this is a really interesting story to consider, especially since Abraham Lincoln was the first American president to ever have a beard. The ancient Roman senators and early emperors didn't have beards - which makes me wonder if there was some Neoclassical trend in the 18th and early 19th centuries that either consciously or subconsciously connected American presidents back to the Romans. Maybe the beardless trend was a good way for the first several presidents to visually-align themselves with classical ideals? Anyhow, the first Roman emperor to bring the beard back into style was Hadrian. There are some interesting parallels between Lincoln and Hadrian too, and not just the beard: Hadrian helped to make the Roman legal code more humane, which in turn ended the torture of ancient Roman slaves.