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The Insanity File: The Case of Mary Todd Lincoln, by Mark E. Neely Jr., R. Gerald McMurtry
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In 1875 Robert Todd Lincoln caused his mother, Mary Todd Lincoln, to be committed to an insane asylum. Based on newly discovered manuscript materials, this book seeks to explain how and why.
In these documents—marked by Robert Todd Lincoln as the "MTL Insanity File"—exists the only definitive record of the tragic story of Mary Todd Lincoln’s insanity trial. The book that results from these letters and documents addresses several areas of controversy in the life of the widow of Abraham Lincoln: the extent of her illness, the fairness of her trial, and the motives of those who had her committed for treatment. Related issues include the status of women under the law as well as the legal and medical treatment of insanity.
Speculating on the reasons for her mental condition, the authors note that Mrs. Lincoln suffered an extraordinary amount of tragedy in a relatively few years. Three of her four sons died very young, and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. After the death of her son Willie she maintained a darkly rigorous mourning for nearly three years, prompting the president to warn her that excessive woe might force him to send her to "that large white house on the hill yonder," the government hospital for the insane.
Mrs. Lincoln also suffered anxiety about money, charting an exceptionally erratic financial course. She had spent lavishly during her husband’s presidency and at his death found herself deeply in debt. She had purchased trunkfuls of drapes to hang over phantom windows. 84 pairs of kid gloves in less than a month, and $3,200 worth of jewelry in the three months preceding Lincoln’s assassination. She followed the same erratic course for the rest of her life, creating in herself a tremendous anxiety. She occasionally feared that people were trying to kill her, and in 1873 she told her doctor that an Indian spirit was removing wires from her eyes and bones from her cheeks.
Her son assembled an army of lawyers and medical experts who would swear in court that Mrs. Lincoln was insane. The jury found her insane and in need of treatment in an asylum. Whether the verdict was correct or not, the trial made Mary Lincoln desperate. Within hours of the verdict she would attempt suicide. In a few months she would contemplate murder. Since then every aspect of the trial has been criticized—from the defense attorney to the laws in force at the time. Neely and McMurtry deal with the trial, the commitment of Mary Todd Lincoln, her release, and her second trial. An appendix features letters and fragments by Mrs. Lincoln from the "Insanity File." The book is illustrated by 25 photographs.
- Sales Rank: #103844 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Southern Illinois University Press
- Published on: 1993-03-31
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.25" h x .80" w x 6.00" l, .82 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 224 pages
Features
- Used Book in Good Condition
Review
"[This book] combines the discipline of historical writing with the forward march of a detective story. And it is painstakingly fair to both the pathetic Mary and the tortured Robert. Filled with confident insight and careful documentation, this book must already be considered as an essential addition to the Lincoln bookshelf." —Harold Holzer, Chicago Tribune
"One of the saddest stories in the Lincoln family saga unfolds in detail for the first time in The Insanity File—the 1875 jury trial to declare Mary Todd Lincoln insane and the role played in it by Robert Todd Lincoln, her firstborn and only surviving son."—Herbert Mitgang, New York Times Book Review
"Neely and McMurtry had to acquaint themselves with the principals in the case, study the judicial procedures and medical practices prevailing in the 1870s, piece together from here and there items of information relating to the trial, and trace historical controversies that have unfolded through the years. Their sensitive and thorough research has led them to the conclusion that Mrs. Lincoln was treated fairly, that human considerations and civil justice did not work to Mrs. Lincoln’s disadvantage."—Myron A. Marty, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"A fair-minded, comprehensive account based on new documents. Unlike their predecessors, Neely and McMurtry have placed Mary Lincoln’s trial within the legal, social, and medical context of the times. So viewed, what happened to Mary Lincoln was governed as much by procedures and collective attitudes as by personal motivations."—Jean Baker, American Historical Review
About the Author
Mark E. Neely, Jr., professor of history at Saint Louis University, is the author of The Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia and the Pulitzer Prize winning The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties.
R. Gerald McMurtry headed the department of Lincolniana at Lincoln Memorial University and was editor of the Lincoln Herald from 1937 to 1956, when he became director of the Lincoln National Life Foundation (now the Louis A. Warren Lincoln Library and Museum).
Most helpful customer reviews
48 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
M.T.L. -- eccentric or ill?
By A. E Rothert
This book does not definitively answer the question whether the involuntary commitment of Mary Todd Lincoln subsequent to the assassination of her husband was just. It does portray Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of MTL, who initiated the proceedings, in a light more favorable than any previous biography to analyize the event.
As a person who works in the area of mental health law in the State of Illinois, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource in understanding the history of mental health law as it has evolved in this state. That said, there are instances in which legal terms are misused or misinterpreted by the authors, which leaves some question as to the authoriativeness of the opinions they express.
This is largely a work of history. As such, it animates the colorful characters involved in the insanity trial and the developments in the years prior. This is far more interesting any fiction I have read, and its historical basis makes it helpful in considering how we treat family members and the mentally ill today.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Pass on this.
By Kindle Customer
I learned a little about law but that is about it. Confusing and not very informative.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Could have been written better
By D. Marquez
After reading the very entertaining "Mary" which I couldn't put down, I wanted to read more into the insanity case. The first few chapters of this book were tedious to get through at best; the authors were very well versed in the historical characters who made up the court and its proceedings, and went on (and on) to tell us about their educations and background, as well as the history of having one committed through jury trial, etc.
This reads as a history book in this regard (unlike the book "Mary") and I scanned over some of it to get to what I really wanted to know. The ending chapters contain actual letters written from MTL to her daughter-in-law which are most entertaining.
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