Who wanted a lock of Lincoln's hair and why?

• A. A nurse asked for a lock to keep as a memory.
• B. Mary Jane Welles to keep as a keepsake.
• C. Mary Todd Lincoln to remember him.
• D. A journalist for a story.

Answer: (B)

People often form personal keepsakes from famous figures, using a lock of hair as a tangible memory of someone seen as significant. In the story, Mary Jane Welles asked for a lock of Lincoln’s hair to keep as a keepsake—a private, physical reminder of the president after his death. This motive—to preserve a personal memory—fits best with why someone would seek a lock of hair. The other options describe different motives or people (a journalist seeking a story, Mary Todd Lincoln having her own memory, or a generic nurse) and don’t match the specific person and purpose given in the account.