Synopses & Reviews
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.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Madness of Mary Lincoln is the first examination of Mary Lincolnandrsquo;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story of the purported insanity of one of Americaandrsquo;s most tragic first ladies provides new and previously unpublished materials, including the psychiatric diagnosis of Maryandrsquo;s mental illness and her lost will.
Emerson charts Mary Lincolnandrsquo;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.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; This book reveals Abraham Lincolnandrsquo;s understanding of his wifeandrsquo;s mental illness and the degree to which he helped keep her stable. It also traces Maryandrsquo;s life after her husbandandrsquo;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.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;The Madness of Mary Lincoln is the story not only of Mary, but also of Robert. It details how he dealt with his motherandrsquo;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 Maryandrsquo;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.
Review
and#8220;Jason Emerson's The Madness of Mary Lincoln will become a classic of American history. It has everythingand#8212;a compelling story; a fascinating cast of characters; the thrilling discovery of long-lost documents; shrewd analysis of the people, the period, and the sources; and it's a pleasure to read. Here is a model of the historian's art.and#8221;and#8212;American Spectator
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson has written the definitive work on Mary Todd Lincolnand#8217;s mental health in general and her insanity problems in particular. Written with verve and complete understanding of the subject, The Madness of Mary Lincoln is a masterpiece.and#8221;and#8212;Wayne C. Temple, author of Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet
Review
and#8220;The Madness of Mary Lincoln is precise, documented, and detailed. . . . Every word counts and every word adds up to a riveting and until-now neglected chronicle begging to be told.and#8221;and#8212;Carl Sferrazza Anthony, author of First Ladies
Review
and#8220;A judicious, convincing analysis. . . . Emerson's new evidence demonstrates that Mary Todd Lincoln deserves to be pitied more than censured, but also that she behaved very badly indeed.and#8221;and#8212;Michael Burlingame, author of The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson's heroic efforts to uncover new material on Robert Lincoln have paid off handsomely with this engaging interpretation of Mary Lincolnand#8217;s later years.and#8221;and#8212;Catherine Clinton, author of Fanny Kembleand#8217;s Civil Wars
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson is a very, very good writer and a superior historical detective. This is a most original book, taking new evidence to new heights of sophisticated analysis.and#8221;and#8212;Harold Holzer, author of The Lincoln Family Album
Review
American historians dream of finding a cache of Lincoln letters the w Thomas J. Craughwell
Review
andnbsp;Those of us who have at the same time anguished over what has throughandnbsp;the years been called Mary Lincoln's madness and Abraham's discomfortandnbsp;with having to live with it will be pleased with this volume, the third on the subject through the years. It also explains the behaviorandnbsp;of the only remaining son, Robert Todd, and exonerates him from cruelly committing his mother to an insane sanitarium in Chicago.
andnbsp;Mary, admittedly, was high-strung, driven by pride and conceit, allandnbsp;resulting from what Emerson diagnoses as "depression, of mania, of a relapsing-remitting course, and even of a regular cycle. These areandnbsp;consistent with Bipolar Disorder" (188). There is evidence of "serious psychiatric illness in Mary Lincoln's family," and she was, "at times, clearly psychotic" (189). These new conclusions come by Emerson through examination of a steamer trunk formerly owned by Robert Todd Lincoln's lawyer and stowed in an attic for forty years, which contained twenty-five letters, twenty of which were written by Mary herself, the others about her. Emerson looks upon this trunk and these letters as a priceless treasure-trove, and so will all of us who are interested in Abraham, Mary, Robert, medicine in general and the treatment of those mentally ill during the last of the nineteenth century.
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Review
"At long last the definitive work on Mrs. Abraham Lincoln's oft discussed mental state has been published based on recently discovered 25 long lost letters by her and associates from the asylum where she had to be incarcerated and from elsewhere. Actually the letters were with the descendants of the Lincoln family attorney. With the help of officials at Hildene, the Robert Todd Lincoln Vermont estate of the President's son, independent historian Jason Emerson, formerly of the National Park Service, was able to uncover this treasure trove."andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Review
"...
The Madness of Mary Lincoln will be greatly appreciated by history buffs and serious historians for its thoughtful and detailed look at some of the great personages of the Civil War era. Others will enjoy the glimpses of the past that foster appreciation of how US society arrived at its current condition."
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Review
A Dutiful Son and a Disturbed Mother: New Perspectives on Robert and Mary Todd LincolnUpon Mary Todd Lincoln's death in July 1882, the editor of the Springfield Monitor (Illinois) began the former First Lady's obituary with a simple but powerful statement: "Mary Lincoln was no ordinary woman." She was "princely in her nature" and worthy of the position she held in the White House, but the editor was quick to note the perceived effect of Abraham Lincoln's assassination on her eccentricities. Since that fateful day, "her history has been well known to this country."[1]
While a general history of her activities may have been known to her contemporaries, the scarcity of materials related to her later life has vexed historians for years, especially in regard to what former National Park Service ranger Jason Emerson refers to as her "Institutionalization Episode" (p. 63). In the first published compilation of Mary's letters by Justin G. Turner and Linda Levitt Turner in 1972, the author of the introduction, Fawn M. Brodie, bemoaned that "there has never been a good clinical study of Mary Lincoln" because the only record of her insanity trial was the court report. She predicted, though, that the letters found in the Turners' edited volume "will surely stimulate a new and more subtle book-length study."[2] Indeed, she was correct. Historians Mark Neely Jr. and R. Gerald McMurty answered the call in 1986 with a study of Mary's insanity trial. It was a timely work based on recently discovered manuscripts found in Robert Todd Lincoln's file room in his Manchester, Vermont, home.[3] In 1987, Mary Jean Baker also used these papers to analyze Mary's condition in her biography of the First Lady.
In spite of these important books, Lincoln scholars continued to bitterly debate the source of her incarceration since the former First Lady's voice remained largely unheard as a result of her eldest son's meticulous quest to destroy or hide his family's private papers. Due to the historical vacuum, historians wondered if her admittance to the asylum was the product of a caring son or if Mary was the victim of her son's male chauvinistic behavior. These debates have plagued Lincoln scholars until 2005 when Emerson tracked down manuscripts owned by the family of Robert's lawyer, Frederic N. Towers. His son, Frederic C. Towers, had recently found them in a steamer trunk in his basement. This landmark discovery shed new light on Mary's insanity, incarceration, her release, and her son's seemingly dishonest intentions. The unpublished letters of Mary and legal documents pertaining to the acquisition of these letters appear in appendices at the end of the monograph.
The Madness of Mary Lincoln begins with an important evaluation of Mary's personality as a young woman, her relationship with Abraham Lincoln, and the tragedy she faced as a mother and wife. Emerson argues that Mary, as a child and young woman, exhibited the characteristics of a dual personality because of her erratic changes in emotion. He cites several of Mary's contemporaries who commented on her behavior, including her cousin Elizabeth Edwards, Lincoln's presidential secretary William O. Stoddard, and William H. Herndon. One, however, might question the use of Herndon's opinions given his and Mary's mutual hatred of each other. By focusing on these early episodes in Mary's life, Emerson revives the argument first posed by Mary's first biographer, W. A. Evans, in 1928 that Mary's "emotionalism ... shaped her personality ... and formed the background for her later hysteria and self-indulgence following the deaths of her husband and children" (p. 10). Emerson also contends that the marriage of Abraham and Mary was not an easy one, but Abraham played a critical role in their relationship as a "restraining influence" (p. 11). Not only did Abraham tolerate her behavior, but his moderating personality tempered her childlike actions when she became too volatile. Emerson maintains that when coupled with her "emotionalism," her son Willie's death and her husband's assassination acted as catalysts for her rapidly degrading mental state.
With the death of the sixteenth president, Robert became the head of the Lincoln family, and in this role, he took primary responsibility for his mother's physical and mental well-being. He did so, Emerson argues, because he was not only devoted to his family, but he was also the "quintessential Victorian-era gentleman" (p. 21). "Duty" and "honor" formed Robert's worldview, which also informed his notions of privacy and commanded his actions as the head of the family (p. 21). It is of little surprise, then, that Robert became increasingly protective of his family and acutely aware of the seriousness of his mother's mental health. In 1867, Robert started to notice that his mother was spending exorbitant sums of money on clothing. Not only was Mary spending money, but she also tried to sell her clothing under a pseudonym to her husband's old political friends because she believed she was poor. The "Old Clothes Scandal of 1867" became a fiasco for Robert and caused him to suspect that she was "'mentally irresponsible'" (p. 28). By 1875, after several incidents, Robert was firmly convinced that his mother's mind had finally broken. He subsequently consulted physicians and such close family friends as U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis and lawyer Leonard Swett on the appropriate course for his mother. They concluded she was insane and that she needed medical care in an institution. Under Illinois law, however, this could only be done through a trial.
Based on the information Emerson gleaned from the "Lost Insanity Files," he takes this opportunity to revise the historical narrative regarding Mary's trial. Unlike previous historians who have criticized Robert for railroading his mother in her insanity trial to acquire her money, Emerson portrays Robert as a dutiful and caring son who only wanted the best for his mother. He hired a Pinkerton detective to guard her and ensure her physical well-being. Additionally, he consulted a total of six physicians to accurately gauge his mother's mental health, all of whom concluded that Mary ought to be committed to a facility for her own personal safety. Emerson also contends that an evaluation of the legal system in which Mary was tried is important to understanding the case as a whole. As early as 1823, Illinois law provided anyone accused of insanity the right to a trial by jury. The law was changed in 1851 and allowed husbands to institutionalize their wives or children without a trial. This sexist legal system was challenged in 1860, and all accused insane were subsequently given the right to a trial by jury. Under this system, Mary's case was heard before a jury of eighteen witnesses, including Mary's son. In a rare display of emotion, Robert cried several times during his testimony and found it very hard to state that his mother was mentally ill. Physicians and others who had direct contact with Mary also testified that she was insane. Based on this testimony, the jury concluded the same and sentenced the former First Lady to institutionalization. Robert was appointed her conservator and managed her finances and property.
Emerson continues to challenge prevailing theories of Mary's "Institutionalization Episode" and the source of her release. Prior to her trip to Bellevue Sanitarium, Mary attempted to commit suicide by obtaining a lethal concoction of medicine, but she was continually foiled by a diligent pharmacist. Emerson maintains that Mary's suicide attempt only demonstrates that she was disturbed, not that she sought to escape the perceived bonds placed on her life by her son. He also disagrees with Baker that her suicide attempt was a "false story planted" by Robert in the newspapers to justify his actions (p. 70). Emerson supports his claim by citing five separate newspapers that carried the story. Emerson also argues that Mary's tenure at Bellevue was not as harsh as the contemporary press or other biographers have portrayed. She had a private suite on the second floor with a bathroom. Her door was locked at night, and her windows had a wire mesh in place to prevent her from committing suicide. Her son visited his mother every week. Mary seemed quite happy from the accounts provided by Robert and the Bellevue Sanitarium staff, but she increasingly longed for contact with the outside world, specifically with Myra Bradwell, one of her Chicago friends. It has been believed by historians that Bradwell planned Mary's release from Bellevue, and based on information found in the lost letters of Mary, she secretly was the architect of her release, which occurred in September 1875. On June 15, 1876, Mary's property was restored to her, and she left for Europe once again.
The concluding chapters of The Madness of Mary Lincoln analyze Mary's life while she was in Europe from 1876 to her death in 1882. These chapters are informative and intriguing as they outline Mary's activities that have remained unknown to historians because of the dearth of materials. Additionally, Emerson also includes a very good chapter outlining the odyssey of papers related to Mary's trial and institutionalization. These papers appear in an appendix at the end of the monograph.
Not only does Emerson clarify many facets of the trial and the institutionalization of Mary, but he also rescues Robert from historical victimization and obscurity in the Lincoln literature. Emerson successfully captures Robert's character and worldview, and even though Robert's actions may appear cold to the modern observer, his familial devotion to his mother was unfailing; his estrangement from his mother caused him much anguish. In a letter that Emerson does not cite, on July 30, 1882, Robert wrote Lucretia Garfield, wife of martyred President James A. Garfield, "I have great satisfaction that a year ago I broke down the personal barrier which her disturbed mind had caused her to raise between us. At last in the end the estrangement had ceased."[4] Clearly, Robert treasured the last year that he shared with his mother.
Emerson's intrepid study of this critical period in Mary's life will be a lasting contribution to the scholarship on the Lincoln family. It will surely stimulate new studies on her life and the Lincoln family, and as scholars, we must be thankful for the discovery of these letters.
Review
"The Madness of Mary Lincoln is a well written and intriguing work. Emersonand#8217;s appendices are a wonderful addition to his study, containing transcriptions of the twenty-five previously unpublished Mary Todd Lincoln letters, the legal documents pertaining to the sale and destruction of the correspondence, and a short essay on the psychiatric illness of Mary Lincoln by Dr. James S. Brust. In all, Jason Emerson should be congratulated for both his detective work and his historical analysis which have culminated in a groundbreaking study on the life of this complex and troubled woman."andnbsp;
Giselle Roberts is a Research Associate in American History at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of The Confederate Belle (University of Missouri Press, 2003) and the editor of The Correspondence of Sarah Morgan and Francis Warrington Dawson (University of Georgia Press and the Southern Texts Society, 2004).
Review
Basing his work on recently discovered letters of Mary Todd Lincoln, independent historian Emerson reconstructs the events surrounding her infamous insanity case in 1875. This new evidence, along with the author's examination of other contemporary and scholarly accounts, provides a comprehensive, sympathetic retelling of Mary Lincoln's life in the years following her husband's assassination. Emerson weaves together the social, legal, and psychological factors that shaped Lincoln's lifelong struggle with mental illness as well as how those around her perceived her erratic behavior. In particular, he persuasively argues that Robert Lincoln's decision to commit his mother to an asylum was motivated by deep affection and concern, not the self-serving impulses to which other observers and scholars have alluded. Finally, Emerson's fascinating account of how Lincoln's "insanity" letters were originally lost and then rediscovered offers a useful reminder that what is known about the past can depend as much on sheer luck as on careful detective work. Emerson's concise, engrossing book will be of interest to students and scholars. Summing Up: Recommended.
Review
It's the stuff Hollywood movies are made of: The already mentally unbalanced wife of a president goes mad after his assassination. Her son, fearful that she has become not only incompetent but a danger to herself, has her publicly tried for insanity and committed to an asylum. There, through the connivance of a pair of mysteriously motivated conspirators, she engineers her release and flees to Europe. Finally, she dies in obscurity, nearly forgotten by an embarrassed American public, while her son lives the rest of his life labeled as a son who had his mother committed in order to get his hands on her fortune.
If only it were Hollywood, but the story of Mary Todd Lincoln and Robert Todd Lincoln is all of this and more. Or at least it is more now that author Jason Emerson has shed astonishing new light on a chapter of American history long thought closed. By dint of extraordinary scholarship and sheer luck, Emerson discovered that the entire story of Mary Lincoln's madness was not all that it had long been assumed to be. In 2005 he had discovered twenty-five letters pertaining to Mary's trial and commitment in a long-forgotten trunk that had once belonged to Robert Lincoln's attorney. More than twenty of these had been written by Mary, half from the asylum in which she had been committed. These letters, and other discoveries made by Emerson, reveal a story far more remarkable than what had been recorded by history. And in the process, revealing Robert to be not a heartless villain but the most devoted son any mother might wish for. Few reading this could have or would have endured what he had been forced to go through... yet, ironically, much of the adverse public opinion was the fault of Robert and his own family.
Jason Emerson has put all of this into a book that is not only one of the most original---and important---studies of American history to be published this year, but a book that is as compelling to read as any great psychological mystery or thriller. The book---written in an easy, conversational style that belies its meticulous research---is almost impossible to put down. It's too bad summer is nearly over: I would recommend this book as a vacation companion over any current best-seller.
M. Puskar-Pasewicz - Choice August 2008
Review
and#8220;Jason Emerson's The Madness of Mary Lincoln will become a classic of American history. It has everythingand#8212;a compelling story; a fascinating cast of characters; the thrilling discovery of long-lost documents; shrewd analysis of the people, the period, and the sources; and it's a pleasure to read. Here is a model of the historian's art.and#8221;and#8212;American Spectator
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson has written the definitive work on Mary Todd Lincolnand#8217;s mental health in general and her insanity problems in particular. Written with verve and complete understanding of the subject, The Madness of Mary Lincoln is a masterpiece.and#8221;and#8212;Wayne C. Temple, author of Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet
and#8220;The Madness of Mary Lincoln is precise, documented, and detailed. . . . Every word counts and every word adds up to a riveting and until-now neglected chronicle begging to be told.and#8221;and#8212;Carl Sferrazza Anthony, author of First Ladiesand#160;
and#8220;A judicious, convincing analysis. . . . Emerson's new evidence demonstrates that Mary Todd Lincoln deserves to be pitied more than censured, but also that she behaved very badly indeed.and#8221;and#8212;Michael Burlingame, author of The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson's heroic efforts to uncover new material on Robert Lincoln have paid off handsomely with this engaging interpretation of Mary Lincolnand#8217;s later years.and#8221;and#8212;Catherine Clinton, author of Fanny Kembleand#8217;s Civil Wars
and#160;
and#8220;Jason Emerson is a very, very good writer and a superior historical detective. This is a most original book, taking new evidence to new heights of sophisticated analysis.and#8221;and#8212;Harold Holzer, author of The Lincoln Family Album
Synopsis
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.
Univeristy Press Books for Public and Secondary Schools 2013 edition
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Jason Emerson is an independent historian who lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He has worked as a U.S. National Park Service historical interpreter at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Gettysburg National Military Park, and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and also as a professional journalist and freelance writer. His articles have appeared in American Heritage, American History, and Civil War Times magazines, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Lincoln Herald, Lincoln Forum Bulletin and online at the History News Network (hnn.us). He currently is preparing a biography of Robert T. Lincoln, to be published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2011.