On this day in 1860, a little girl wrote to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln on the subject of growing a beard. Her letter is said to be the reason for his change from a clean-shaven face to the whiskery chin that became a signature part of Lincoln’s look.
Bedell’s letter to Lincoln:
And Lincoln’s letter back to Bedell:
Apparently Lincoln’s reservations about a beard being a “silly affectation” did not set him back too much. He grew the whiskers, as Bedell suggested, and had a full beard within a month.
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