gwen: welcome to the mary todd lincoln house. we have the distinction of being the first historic site in the nation to honor a first lady. this is the girlhood home of mary todd went on to marry one of our greatest presidents abraham lincoln. mary todd was born in lexington in 1818, the fourth of seven children. unfortunately, when she was just six years old, her mother died after complications during the birth of her seventh child. she passed away after childbirth. a year and a half later, robert, who had been scouting for a second wife to help care for his large young family, he remarried a woman named betsy humphrey and she became stepmother to the six young todd children who were alive at that time. and in addition to caring for them and raising them, she had more. nine children of her own in 14 years. this house is almost 5500 square feet. it is a two-story brick home. it is quite large but was originally built as an inn not a private residence. so it is appropriate that it has a large space. we are now in mary todd lincoln

when mary todd was 21 years old, that was of age. de the choice to leave lexington and live with a sister who had served as a second mother figure to mary and some of her other siblings. the motivation for doing so is unknown, but there's a lot of speculation around it. speculated motivated by the desire to get away, then home life was difficult and might have held her toward springfield. it is noteworthy that mary todd was not the only sister. when they live with their older sister, they did the social scene going through all the parties and political gatherings. all of those sisters found husbands and were married in springfield and made their homes with their husbands. it is possible one of the motivation was the opportunity that the west provided. we are in the guest bedroom of the home. it's the largest bedroom in the house and is intended to have the most impressive furniture and wallpaper. it is common in that area. you want to have the most impressive furnishing for your guests. thus important guests were abraham and mary linc

it was in this home, and in this room that mary todd learned those skills under the tutelage of her stepmother, betsy todd. mary todd's relationship with her stepmother is sometimes remembered as tense, there's a lot of drama for trade around it. sometimes, her stepmother is rubber -- remembered as strict a strict disciplinary. there is also a take on her that perhaps she didn't have genuine affection for her stepchildren and favored her own children more. within the todd family, among the siblings, they didn't notice the distinction between her stepmother, when she married robert todd to become the stepmother of six young children, she certainly would've known the responsibility she was taking on. and she had a very large household and a large number of children, nine children of her own in 14 years, she was experiencing a lot of physical stress due to the endless cycle of having children, and managing a large household. the room wherein right now in right now is actually the family parlor, the informal area of the home where the adults and children spend time together. we have in the room, t

she has been stereotyped in a way that mary todd lincoln had been stereotyped.t does not show the courage and incredible guts she had. i just wish america understood. if i could tell them one thing about lucy hayes, it is that i find it stunningly haunting how much violence she saw up close during the war. in surgery and out. not only in ohio hospitals, but going to her husband's camps where her brother was a surgeon. she was in and out of the operating room. she did post operative care. she saw people without anesthetics suffering in horiffic ways. when four soldiers, two of whom were wounded and two of whom were significantly ill, missed their train to chicago, she opened her back parlor to her house so they could stay. it makes perfect sense to me that she had those stripes on. i would be convinced that is the least she owed that man. for what she knew he went through. >> on the note about violence -- >> there was a report a bullet went through their parlor window in columbus before they came to the white house. there was no secret service. they took it as it

she's been stereotyped in a way that mary todd lincoln was stereotyped. and it doesn't show the courage and the incredible guts she had. i mean, i just wish america understood -- if i could tell them one thing about lucy hayes that i find stunningly haunting is how much violence she saw up close during the war, in surgery and out. i mean, not only in ohio hospitals, but going to her husband's camps, where her brother, joe, was a surgeon. you know, she went in and out of the operating room. she did post-operative care. she saw people, you know without anesthetics suffering in horrific ways. when four soldiers, two of whom were wounded, two of whom were significantly ill, were late and missed their train to chicago, she opened what she called her back parlor in her house so that they could stay. you know, her -- it makes perfect sense to me that she sewed that sergeant's stripes on. you know, i would absolutely be convinced that that's the least that she owed that man for what she knew that he went through. ms. swain: on the note about violence, telemedicin

she's been stereo typed in a way that mary todd lincoln was stereo tippede. and it doesn't show the courage and the incredible guts she had. i mean, i just wish america understood. if i could tell them one thing about lucy that i find stunningly haunting is how much violence she saw up close during the war. in surgery and out. not only in i could tell ohio hospitals but going to her hub band's camps where her brother joe was a surgeon. she went in and out of the operating rooms. she did well, they wanted to memorialize the decision not to serve alcohol in the white house. and lucy was not post operatives care. she saw people without anesthetics suffering. when four soldiers two of whom were wounded two of whom were significantly ill were late and mizzed their train to chicago, she opened what she called her back par legislator at her house so that they could stay. it makes perfect sense to me that she sewed that sergeants' stripes on. i would be absolutely convinced that that's the least she owed that man for what she knew he went through. >> on the subject o

one of whom was mary todd. mary became the wife of abraham lincoln. bert todd, after eliza died married elizabeth humphreys. elizabeth humphreys is the great-granddaughter of john and elizabeth patton preston of virginia. those are the progenitors of the preston family that is going to play a role in the civil war in kentucky as well as virginia. it is interesting that in the center shaft underneath which elizabeth humphreys todd is buried, she has on her stone "in memory of my boys, samuel todd, david todd, alexander todd, all confederate soldiers." host: our cities tour this week we travel to lexington, kentucky . you can check out the tour online at c-span.org\ cities tour. we want to welcome leo shane. we have seen horrific scenes out of chattanooga tennessee. our new debate over the security of military facilities including recruitment centers. what more should be done? guest: that is what the debate is going to be. we have quite a few congressional officials looking at this issue. ash carter has issued a full review of military facilities securit

up until i left to share a room with mary pat, i shared a room with todd the entire time.t was a smooth transition. and my sister and todd are as big a part today is anybody else and they are both here and i love them both. thank you. everyone thinks i am the politician in the family. we did a coin flip when we got married. i got tales. i am the guy who ran but the politician just as good as me is the woman i met all those years ago at the university of delaware, from a family of 10 people. people say why aren't you shy in a crowd and i say you should see the family i have an married into. my wife has been indispensable part of everything i have done with my life over the last 30 years and she is largely responsible for the amazing people you see standing with her. [applause] governor christie: ever since i have been governor i have been happy to use the veto at home. so far, so good. i have not been overridden there either. i am glad they are here today and for andrew and sarah and patrick and bridget, i could not be prouder of four children that -- and then -- than i am

mary kissel is with us the editorial board. like him or not, i think not. he's shaking things up. he is. >> he's the greatest gift of the democrats since toddtuart. he's wrong on his facts. the way he has characterized-- >> oh you're going to be popular. >> he's simply wrong. immigrants are less likely to commit serious crimes or incarcerated than americans, and i've said it before and say it again, look he's taking the media attention away from serious people who are putting forth serious ideas how to reform our immigration system. stuart: but he's shaking things up and making people think and speaking the language of everyday americans-- >> why don't we give coverage to rick perry who dealt with the border issue, to marco rubio who spent months and months and months coming up with a bipartisan solution for recomprehensive immigration reform. that's what we should be talking about. >> these guys don't attract attention. >> it's all about the ratings, not about a serious discussion about immigration. stuart: no it's not. it's about who is capturing the-- >> no, it's appealing to the angle middle not about solving america's problems. >> and