She Had A Spectacular Fall
Brilliant and competitive, Kate Chase had lofty political aspirations. But as a woman of a particular era, society barred her from politics. Chase had only one choice. She hung her dreams on her father’s shoulders. As her father suffered one political defeat after another, Chase had to watch helplessly as her political future dissolved before her very eyes. But even so, Chase’s spectacular fall from the top was just getting started.
Forms part of Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Wikimedia Commons
1. She Came From Tragedy
Kate Chase was born on August 13, 1840, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her dad was politician Salmon P Chase, and he was already on wife number two. Dad’s first wife had passed one year after giving birth to a daughter who had also passed. And believe it or not, even more tragedy loomed on the horizon for this little family.
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2. She Lost Her Mom
Like her father’s first wife, Kate’s mother also passed young. Kate was only with her mother for five years before losing her to consumption. Luckily, Chase did manage to break the trend and lived into adulthood. With Mom out of the picture, Chase looked for a replacement.
Luckily for her, Dad was right there.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
3. She Was Close To Her Father
Now without his second wife, Kate's father became her sole caregiver. The two had a close bond that was more than just a typical father and daughter relationship. So much so that when her father married his third wife, Chase wasn’t about to give up her dad easily.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
4. She Was A Rebel
Maybe it is no surprise that Kate Chase did not get along with her father’s third wife. After all, Chase and her father were close, and Sarah Bella Dunlop Ludlow was not going to get in the way of that. Chase soon started acting out, and her dad had to take drastic measures.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
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5. He Groomed Her
Chase’s father saw no alternative but to send the rebellious Chase off to school. Chase studied at the Haines School in New York City, immersing herself in subjects like how to speak properly and how to have polite manners. She also studied music, history, and languages. But as it turned out, Dad had an ulterior motive.
He was grooming his daughter for a future in politics.
6. He Was Cold
While off at school, Kate Chase and her father exchanged letters. But this correspondence was not a weekly warm-and-fuzzy letter about how much he missed her. Nope, Dad was correcting her grammar and offering advice. These letters came across as cold, but this didn't seem to faze Chase. She idolized her father.
And as such, Chase was ready to take her rightful place in the family home.
Universal History Archive, Getty Images
7. She Took Control
In 1852, Chase’s father lost his third wife, also to consumption. So with wife number three out of the way, Chase took control over her father’s social life. She vetted his friends and even went through his correspondence. Sometimes she would even resort to being rude to get rid of an unwanted guest. In other words, Chase was not going to let anyone get between her and her father ever again.
8. They Were A Team
Surprisingly, Chase’s father didn't mind the interference provided by his daughter. In fact, he welcomed it. About his daughter’s control, Salmon P Chase once said, “But for … the feelings of Katie … who knows what I might not have been tempted to the consenting”. Chase was more than a doting daughter.
These two had become a team, and they had a plan.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
9. She Replaced His Wife
Chase’s father was soon the Governor of Ohio, and Chase stepped up as the hostess of the household. The wife of the Governor usually did this job, but Chase took the role and ran with it. Chase was a natural, and Dad’s associates couldn’t help but notice.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
10. She Looked Good
Politician Carl Schurz praised Chase’s character and looks. Physically, he described her as “well formed”, with “vivacious hazel eyes” and “waving, gold-brown hair”. He also liked the way she wasn’t afraid of participating in political discussions. With all this going for her, it's no surprise that Chase broke a lot of hearts.
But eventually, something would break Chase’s heart.
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11. Her Dream Was Shattered
In 1860, Kate Chase watched on with excitement as her father sought the Republican presidential nomination. Sadly, she didn’t count on her father losing out to a man named Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln went on to become president, Chase’s life changed forever.
Mathew Benjamin Brady, Wikimedia Commons
12. She Was The Hostess With The Mostest
In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln made Chase’s father the Secretary of the Treasury. This meant a move to Washington, and a new residence. You might think that living in Washington would humble Chase into shyness. But no, she arrived and got right down to work.
Nothing or nobody would stand in her way.
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13. She Got the Number Four Spot
Kate Chase began throwing parties in Washington for her father almost immediately. The parties became more extravagant and also quite popular. She was only 20 years old, and they ranked her as number four in the official society. Clearly, Chase was no ordinary daughter of a politician.
But Chase soon realized that she had a rival.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
14. She Had A Battle
Chase had to face off with the First Lady of the White House, Mary Lincoln. Party after party put these two hostesses at odds with each other. It seemed that no one would ever win until Lincoln tragically lost her son. Mary was in mourning, and Chase became the victor of the party battles.
With her competition in the dust, Chase became a force to be reckoned with.
15. She Was A Belle
Washington was quickly falling in love with Kate Chase. Not only was she beautiful, but she also had a “keen mind, quick and forceful”. She was skilled at both political discourse and small talk, and she was the envy of the elite of Washington. They called her the “Belle of the North”.
But not everyone was a fan.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
16. She Didn’t Please Everyone
When it came to people not on “Team Chase”, it was mostly women. The thing was, women found her arrogant. While men were more Chase’s thing, a problem existed there too. A lot of men got creeped out by one of Chase’s quirks. You see, she only had eyes for her father.
But Chase had more important things to do than worry about her haters.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
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17. She Had An Opinion
This was a dark time in American history as states battled each other on the issue of slavery. Kate Chase didn’t shy away from the conflict and visited battle camps. She also made friends with Union generals and offered her opinion on what America was going through. Chase was standing up for her own opinions, and this was rare for women at this time.
As you might imagine, finding a husband who could handle the outspoken Chase would be a job and a half.
Screenshot from Lincoln, NBC (1988), Enhanced
18. She Turned Heads
Despite, or because of, Chase’s outspoken personality, she certainly had her share of male attention. Men like politicians Carl Schurz, John Hay, and James Garfield had all fallen under Chase’s spell. When she attended the ceremony to dedicate the Oliver Hazard Perry Monument, she met and fell in love with a man named William Sprague IV.
Sprague certainly wasn't the most obvious choice for a husband.
Popular Graphic Arts, Wikimedia Commons
19. She Made A Surprising Choice
Kate Chase had broken many young men’s hearts, so there was a lot of excitement over who she would finally choose as her husband. When she became engaged to William Sprague IV, some people were clearly surprised. After all, Sprague was not well-educated, a small man, and most considered him not very attractive.
But Sprague had one very important thing going for him.
Mathew Benjamin Brady, Wikimedia Commons, Modified
20. She Needed Money
Sprague was rich. Super rich. Now, you might wonder why a young woman connected to a well-established politician would need a rich husband. The thing was, Chase’s father wasn't actually rolling in dough because he was a poorly paid politician. As the Treasury Secretary, he was close to money, but he didn't earn much.
But this wasn’t about greed. Chase had a very specific need for Sprague’s money.
Taken 1861-ish, and thus public domain, Wikimedia Commons
21. She Did It For Dad
Chase’s father, Salmon P Chase, had serious ambitions of becoming the President of the United States. Running a campaign for the presidency cost a lot of money, and many believed that Chase married Sprague for this reason only. It’s hard to believe that she would marry just for her father’s campaign.
But there was something else going on.
22. She Had Her Eye On the Prize
Chase’s father was a three-time widower, and he had no intention of marrying again. Chase could see that if her father became the president, she would be in a unique position. She would be an acting First Lady. At this time, this was as close to the top spot that a woman could achieve in politics. Of course, a lot of this is speculation.
But what we know for sure is that in 1863 Chase went ahead and married Sprague.
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23. It Was A Huge Affair
Only 50 people attended the wedding ceremony of Kate Chase and Sprague, but 500 arrived for the reception, making it the “wedding of the decade”. President Lincoln himself was at the wedding, but his wife, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, sent her regrets. Apparently she was not a fan of Chase or her father.
At her wedding, Chase got something that few brides could ever dream of getting.
24. They Were Playing Her Song
While most brides enter their reception to a song they like, most don’t get what Chase got. When she walked into her reception room, the US Marine Band was playing a song that a composer had written just for her. What a way to make a bride feel special.
Her wedding gift was also a stunner.
The Phonogram, ed. Virginia McRae, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Got A Fabulous Topper
Chase’s groom had a lot of money, and that money bought an impressive gift. As a wedding present to his beloved, Sprague sprung for a tiara that sported both diamonds and pearls. Reportedly, this headpiece was worth $5700, which would be a staggering $150,000 today.
Sadly, after this extravagant wedding present, the marriage went straight downhill.
Elina Leon, Shutterstock, Enhanced
26. He Wasn’t Quite Enough
From the outside, this looked like a picture-perfect marriage. Kate Chase was an attractive and intelligent young woman, and her husband, while lacking in the looks department, was from a rich and respected family. But Chase had her ridiculously high standards, and it was becoming clear that Sprague was not really up to the mark.
Soon after the wedding, their marriage quickly unravelled.
Screenshot from Death by Lightning, Netflix (2025)
27. They Quarreled
One of the constant quarrels between Chase and her new husband was about money. Sure, Sprague was rolling in the dough, but he still complained about his wife's spending. This gave Chase the opportunity to complain about her husband’s drinking problem. There was also an issue with Sprague’s fortune.
Screenshot from Death by Lightning, Netflix (2025)
28. They Were Losing Their Fortune
Sure, Chase’s spending was putting a dent in Sprague’s millions, but Sprague was also running down the fortune. He had a habit of investing in business ventures that critics considered “poorly conceived”. If Chase had indeed married him for his money, she may have been wasting her time.
So Chase decided to turn her focus back to dear old dad.
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29. They Lived Separate Lives
Kate Chase continued spending much of her time in Washington helping her father with his political ambitions. Since she didn't really enjoy being with her husband, Chase spent a lot of time in the capital helping her father. Sprague stayed in Rhode Island and worked for the family business.
It seemed like a not-so-perfect arrangement for a married couple. But Sprague still had one duty to perform.
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30. He Did His Duty
Supposedly, the main reason for Chase marrying Sprague was to get money for her father’s presidential campaign. And in In 1864 he did just that, funding Salmon P Chase’s run for the presidential nomination. Sadly, Chase failed to win. But luckily, a surprise was in store for Chase and her father.
31. She Wasn’t Happy
Chase’s father had failed in his bid to be president, but Lincoln still had something for Chase. He appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. While many saw this as a prestigious post, Chase saw right through it. She reportedly feared the appointment might put her father’s presidential ambitions on the shelf.
As such, it was time for Chase to move her focus back to her husband.
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32. She Fascinated The Nation
In 1865, Kate Chase and Sprague had a son they named Willie. The public still had a fascination with Chase, and this birth drew national attention. The baby didn’t change things, as the couple still lived mostly separate lives. Chase spent her time in Europe, in Washington, and in the mansion she and her husband had in Rhode Island.
Next, a national tragedy would throw Chase for a loop.
33. She Faced A New Lady
In 1865, a tragedy occurred when John Wilkes Booth heartlessly ended Abraham Lincoln’s life. Chase suffered a brief moment when she wasn’t sure about her political future. Luckily, the new president was Andrew Johnson, and his wife Eliza, was no match for Chase. Chase could continue on as the number one hostess in Washington.
But Johnson’s term as president would soon face a huge obstacle. And it would seriously damage Chase’s marriage.
John Chester Buttre, engraver., Wikimedia Commons
34. He Voted Against Her
In 1868, Johnson faced an impeachment trial, and Chase’s father was presiding over it. Chase believed that if the impeachment failed, it would help her father’s future run for the presidency. When her husband voted in favor of the impeachment, it was another nail in this marriage’s coffin.
But n the end, the impeachment did fail. Chase would have another opportunity to fulfill her dream of being First Lady.
Mathew Benjamin Brady / Levin Corbin Handy, Wikimedia Commons
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35. She Was The Boss
In 1868, Chase’s father once again attempted to win a nomination for the presidency. This time he tried as a Democrat. It was Chase herself who ran the campaign, and she did it from their hotel on Fifth Avenue. Chase was clearly in her element. But one very important place was out of bounds.
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36. She Suffered As A Woman
Even though it was Kate Chase who was running her father’s campaign, her gender made this difficult. Chase involved herself in the mostly male-dominated “back-room maneuvering", but the rules barred women from the convention floor. Sadly, Chase failed to get her father the nomination.
Chase knew exactly who to blame.
37. She Pointed A Finger
When the Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour instead of Chase’s father, Chase knew who to point the finger at. She was sure that a collection of New York politicians had formed an alliance against her dad. At the head of this alliance was Samuel Tilden. Chase was livid, and she marked Tilden for future punishment.
Four years later, Chase got another chance at being First Lady.
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38. She Got Crushed
In 1872, Kate Chase had to watch one more time as her father, this time as a member of the Liberal Republican Party, failed to get the nomination. This was another crushed opportunity to fulfill her dream of being the First Lady. When, a year later, her father passed due to a stroke, things became clear. Chase would never be the First Lady.
But Chase had more heartache to face.
39. They Lost A Fortune
The same year that Chase lost her father, the Panic of 1873 struck. This was an economic crisis that adversely affected many parts of the world. Chase felt its impact when her husband’s empire almost completely collapsed. Worse still, some had accused Sprague of some underhanded cotton trading.
This was the beginning of the end for Chase.
Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons
40. She Got Caught
Along with her husband’s poor investments, Sprague was also guilty of cheating on his wife. Apparently, there were several other women he was running around with. Kate Chase also got involved with someone outside her marriage. This was Roscoe Conkling, who was a married New York Senator.
Conkling had something that Chase’s husband couldn’t provide.
John F. Jarvis after Mathew B. Brady, Wikimedia Commons
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41. She Found Her Equal
In Conkling, Chase found a man who was her equal in politics and intelligence. In fact, Conkling went to Chase for her opinion on many matters. This gave Chase something that few women at this time got: a voice in American politics. Chase was not above using her influence for her own benefit.
Charles A. Dana., Wikimedia Commons
42. She Got Her Revenge
Remember, back in 1868, Chase had blamed Samuel Tilden for her father’s loss of the Democratic nomination. As such, Kate was later said to have gotten a measure of revenge when Conkling played an influential role in resolving the disputed 1876 election, which ultimately went to Hayes.
But in the end, their illicit, political love affair ended in scandal.
Frank Fowler, Wikimedia Commons
43. Her Life Was In Danger
In 1879, Chase was at her summer house enjoying alone time with her secret boyfriend Conkling, when her husband walked in the door. An enraged Sprague had two intentions. Throw his wife out a window and shoot Conkling. Luckily, he didn’t manage to do either. But this marriage was over.
44. They Split Up
At this time, divorce was something almost unheard of in America and considered social taboo. But this marriage had to end. When Chase and Sprague got their divorce in 1882, they had four children: three girls and a boy. Chase handed over the son to Sprague, took the girls, and went back to using the name Chase.
You might be thinking “go girl” for this bold move. But America was a different place back then.
Mathew Benjamin Brady, Wikimedia Commons
45. She Fell From Grace
Of course, all of the secrets came out when Chase got her divorce. Her affair caused the greatest scandal. Many saw her fling with the married Conkling as a shocking scandal. Until this moment, Americans had looked up to Chase, but now she didn’t seem that special after all.
This would be a spectacular fall from grace.
Screenshot from Death by Lightning, Netflix (2025)
46. She Faced A Final Tragedy
As she was spiraling downward, Chase faced a staggering tragedy. In 1890, her son Willie Sprague took his own life in Seattle, Washington. He was just 25 years old at this time. Chase still had her three daughters, but she could not deal with the loss of her son.
She went to a very dark place.
Screenshot from Death by Lightning, Netflix (2025)
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47. She Lived In Rubble
Already living with her daughters at her father’s Edgewood estate, Kate became increasingly reclusive after Willie’s passing. The once elaborate mansion was now a crumbling ruin, but it was all Chase had. One of her daughters had a mental disability, so Chase spent a lot of her time helping her.
But still, Chase had to bring food to the table.
Screenshot from Death by Lightning, Netflix (2025)
48. She Did Whatever She Could
Chase literally only had the land she lived on, so she turned to the soil to make a living. She grew and harvested vegetables, and raised chickens. Each day she swallowed her pride and loaded up her “one-horse wagon”. The former “Belle of the North” took her wares to the street or sold them door-to-door.
Compared to her fabulous lifestyle as a Washington hostess, this was a low that Chase could never have imagined.
© Anil Oztas, Wikimedia Commons
49. They Forgot Her
In 1899, Chase passed due to Bright’s disease. She was just 58 years old and living a life of poverty. At her funeral, there were only two or three mourners, and they were her closest family members. There was one silver lining: they buried her next to her father.
It seemed that everyone had forgotten the woman known as the “Belle of the North”. Well, not everyone.
50. She Was Almost A Queen
Despite her small funeral, it turned out that the media did not let Chase pass without notice. The Washington Post called her “the most brilliant woman of her day”. The Enquirer went even further and said that Chase “came closer to being Queen than any American woman has".
Mathew Benjamin Brady, Wikimedia Commons
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