The Madness of Mary Lincoln

By Jason Emerson

Book Overview

WINNER, Russell P. Strange Memorial Book of the Year Award from the Illinois State Historical Society, 2007
University Press Books for Public and Secondary Schools 2013 edition

In 2005, historian Jason Emerson discovered a steamer trunk formerly owned by Robert Todd Lincoln's lawyer and stowed in an attic for forty years. The trunk contained a rare find: twenty-five letters pertaining to Mary Todd Lincoln's life and insanity case, letters assumed long destroyed by the Lincoln family. Mary wrote twenty of the letters herself, more than half from the insane asylum to which her son Robert had her committed, and many in the months and years after.

The Madness of Mary Lincoln is the first examination of Mary Lincoln's mental illness based on the lost letters, and the first new interpretation of the insanity case in twenty years. This compelling story of the purported insanity of one of America's most tragic first ladies provides new and previously unpublished materials, including the psychiatric diagnosis of Mary's mental illness and her lost will.

Emerson charts Mary Lincoln's mental illness throughout her life and describes how a predisposition to psychiatric illness and a life of mental and emotional trauma led to her commitment to the asylum. The first to state unequivocally that Mary Lincoln suffered from bipolar disorder, Emerson offers a psychiatric perspective on the insanity case based on consultations with psychiatrist experts.

This book reveals Abraham Lincoln's understanding of his wife's mental illness and the degree to which he helped keep her stable. It also traces Mary's life after her husband's assassination, including her severe depression and physical ailments, the harsh public criticism she endured, the Old Clothes Scandal, and the death of her son Tad.

The Madness of Mary Lincoln is the story not only of Mary, but also of Robert. It details how he dealt with his mother's increasing irrationality and why it embarrassed his Victorian sensibilities; it explains the reasons he had his mother committed, his response to her suicide attempt, and her plot to murder him. It also shows why and how he ultimately agreed to her release from the asylum eight months early, and what their relationship was like until Mary's death.

This historical page-turner provides readers for the first time with the lost letters that historians had been in search of for eighty years.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809330105
• ISBN13: 9780809330102
• Release Date: May 2012
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Great historial read

I had just finished reading "Stealing Lincoln's Body" and became interested to read further into Mary Todd's life. This book is extremely well written and opened my eyes to the many facets of Mary Lincoln. This is generally not a genera of books I would typically read. That having been said, I believe this is an excellent insite into Mrs. Lincoln.

Important work on MTL

Based partially on newly discovered Mary Lincoln letters, the work is a "must have" for those interested in the Mary Lincoln saga. It offers information I've never read before. The book is well written and quite captivating.

madnes of mary lincon

the book is chock full of information about the lady but also about her lesser know role as a mother and wife. it is concise and has many unknown facts about her personal life and her social life. for people who enjoy learning the "off" parts of our countries history and it's players, this is a good read.

Madness of Mary Lincoln

This was an incredibly well researched work. New material gave the feeling that the reader was part of the rollercoaster life of Mary Lincoln.

Mary Todd Lincoln's Illnesses

A very balanced and carefully researched work into the controversial subject of Mary Todd Lincoln's behavior. Mrs. Lincoln was judged insane by an Illinois court, at which she could not legally testify. She was taken to the courtroom by a Chicago sheriff at the request of her son, Robert Todd Lincoln. After some months and the help of some friends, she was released to her sister in Springfield, Illinois. Well documented with numerous footnotes and a bibliography. Highly recommended for those interested in women's history, the Lincolns, and the Civil War.