In 1875 Robert Todd Lincoln caused his mother, Mary Todd Lincoln, to be committed to an insane asylum. Based on newly discovered manuscript mate... read full description
reviews
Oct 01, 2011
Cornmaven
rated it: 
Very scholarly work about a fascinating and complex woman in history. Mary Todd Lincoln's insanity trial is one of continued mystery and intrigue,and this book sheds new light on it from a legal, cultural, and personal perspective. Robert Todd Lincoln's grandson allowed historians to go into his grandfather's summer home in Vermont, and they found a whole file of documents pertaining to MTL and the trial. Much of the court record was destroyed at some point, so this is a fantastic find.
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Apr 20, 2011
Katherine
rated it: 
Very interesting read. In the past I thought Mary Todd Lincoln had been unfairly committed to a mental health facilty in Batavia. This book using original documents show this not to be the case. Mary Todd Lincoln was clearly mentally ill -- most likely she was biopolar. She received a full trial with legal representation before being committed. I was plesantly suprised to learn that Illinois had very progresive laws with respect to protecting the rights of the mentally ill. Then as know it remai
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May 07, 2009
christina
rated it:
I discovered this book at Robert Todd Lincoln's summer house, Hildene, where he had apparently stored the complete file of his mother's insanity trial in a safe until his death. As the preface points out, it's surprising that there even was a trail for Mary Todd Lincoln. But the documentation of it is one of the strangest historical records that I've ever encountered. It's short, vivid, and cries out for a modern interpretation. "Mary went crazy" is just a thin slice of the story.
May 09, 2009
Ed
rated it: 
Interesting presentation from a painful period in MTL's life. The letters reprinted here offer some insights into her understandably precarious state of mind during a most difficult period. Of course her son Robert burned many of the letters, but at least these survived the fire.
Mar 21, 2011
Margo
rated it:
Perhaps 3.5 would be better. The book does a great job explaining why Robert Lincoln resorted to an insanity file which resulted in Mary Todd Lincoln's short stay in Batavia. I was much more sympathetic to him after reading the book.
Feb 14, 2009
christina
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I learned of this book on a recent tour of Hildene, the one - time home of Mary Todd and Abe Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln. When Hildene became a museum in the 1970's, papers were found in Robert Todd's safe that proved his attempts to have his mother committed were, rather than cruel, acts of a deeply caring and desperate son. An interesting story, but told in a dry, academic manner. Best for the history buff. NOt exactly easy reading.
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May 13, 2009
Catherine
rated it: 
A detailed (and pretty dry) account of the file Robert Todd Lincoln compiled, concerning the commitment of his mother to, and eventual release from, insane asylum. The file includes correspondence among family members and court documents. RTL's grandson passed it along to the authors shortly before his death in the 1980s.
Sep 05, 2010
Dymphna
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This book is written from sources that have fairly recently come to light. The author debunks the common misconception that Mary Todd Lincoln's insanity trial was a travesty of justice, proving instead that it was among the most forward thinking policies of its kind.
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