Lincoln the Father – With the birth of their first son, Robert, on August 1, 1843, the Lincoln’s took a different approach to parenting than Abraham had experienced with his own father. While Lincoln’s youth had been dominated by hard work, sacrifice, and poverty, he wanted his children to be “happy and unrestrained by parental tyranny.” The births of Edward in 1846, William in 1850, and Thomas in 1853 increased the family’s joy. Yet, devastating grief would come in 1850 with the loss of Edward and later William in 1862. Mary and Robert would experience even more loss with the assassination of Abraham in 1865 and death of Thomas in 1871.