Summary of Chapter Four of TEAM OF RIVALS

In December of 1847, the Lincoln family moved to Washington for the opening of the congressional session. Since the Lincolns couldn't find any place to stay in Washington, they decided to stay at Mrs. Sprigg's boarding house, which is now where the current Library of Congress is. Lincoln, with nothing else to do, took up bowling with some other people at Mrs. Sprigg's boarding house, even though he was incredibly clumsy. Others who bowled with him said that if Lincoln won or lost, he would still be happy about it (and not because he was listening to 'Happy').

Chase, Lincoln and Seward all wanted to ban slavery from entering the newly claimed land from Mexico, however, Bates believed something a little different. He supported the Wilmot Provisco, which meant that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in said territories aquired from Mexico," but for practical reasons rather than moral. Bates believed that "if southerners brought their slaves into the west in large numbers, he feared the migration of whites would come to a halt, thereby receding growth and progress in that region."

In June of 1848, Lincoln joined other whig in Philadelphia to nominate the Mexican war hero General Zachary Taylor for president. Seward was not happy about that.

A Buffalo delegate asked Bates to be a candidate for vice president, but he turned it down. Later, the Buffalo Convention nominated Martin Van Buren president and Charles Francis Adams vice president.

When voting time came around, the Whigs triumphed and Zachary Taylor became president.

On February 1, 1850, Lincoln's three year old son Eddie died from tuberculosis. After that, Mary went into such a deep depression that she rarely ever ate, and when she did, Abraham had to pretty much shove it down her mouth, because he was the only one who could coax force her into eating.

Once Abraham took up law practice again, he became less interested in politics. While Lincoln's political ambition slowed down, Seward and Chase's gained momentum. By the end of the 1840's, Chase and Seward were closer to the summit of their political power than they've ever been, and Bates was a respected national figure.