Madness of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln
Directions: Prepare a 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced paper for ONE of the following five prompts. Please indicate which prompt you are responding to on the paper. You may use your class textbooks, lectures, and the PowerPoint presentations to complete the paper but if you incorporate any quotations or close paraphrases from the books, make sure to appropriately cite them in parentheses by either title or author’s last name (for example, Architecture of Madness, 41). No out-of-class sources are needed to complete the paper and out-of-class sources are not recommended for this assignment. Should you choose to include outside sources please cite them in the paper and attach a bibliography. Please do your own work and abide by our course academic honesty policy (see page 10 of the course syllabus).
You may submit the Summary Paper early if you wish.
I. Prepare a response for ONE of the following:
1. Prepare an essay in which you explore how The Civil War intersects with the study of psychiatric and intellectual disability. Also, discuss the “madness” of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. How did the Great War (World War I) lead to an altered approach toward disabled veterans? Comment on the mental issues soldiers faced in the ‘first modern war’ (World War I) and describe how government legislation emphasized rehabilitation.
2. Offer an essay in which you describe the rise of psychiatry and the evolution of treatments for mental disabilities during the early to mid-twentieth century. Describe how institutionalization was the ‘norm’ for individuals with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities through about 1960 and give examples of some of the procedures or treatments administered to patients in these institutions during this time. Why was there a movement toward deinstitutionalization for individuals with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities by the 1970s? Include insights from the course readings to enhance your essay.
3. Write an essay in which you describe “madness” in the age of “Mutually Assured Destruction,” from roughly 1941-1964. How did the American national experience in World War II and the onset of the Cold War influence Americans’ mental health in the atomic age? As you craft your essay, discuss daily life, popular culture, and important pieces of legislation.
4. Prepare an essay in which you assess the “anti-psychiatry” or “psychiatric survivors” movement in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. How did this movement overlap with the push to deinstitutionalize intellectually disabled individuals during this time? Which authors/writings influenced the “anti-psychiatry” or “psychiatric survivors” movement and what important legal cases drove the push for deinstitutionalization?
5. Reflect on the irony and tragedy of corrective facilities as the “new asylums.” Why could it be argued that with use of prisons as the “new asylums” mental health care in the United States has come full circle back to patterns established before industrialization? Include insights from the PBS Frontline documentary The New Asylums and Craig Haney’s article “’Madness’ and Penal Confinement: Some Observations on Mental Illness and Prison Pain” as you craft your essay.
HISTORY OF MADNESS
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* Introduction
The study of psychiatric and intellectual disability was significantly impacted by the Civil War and World War I, two major conflicts in American history. These wars gave rise to new mental health challenges that required innovative approaches to treatment and rehabilitation. The essay will explore the intersection of these wars with the study of mental health, including the harsh treatment of soldiers with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities during the Civil War and the altered approach towards disabled veterans after World War I. Additionally, the mental health issues of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln will be discussed, along with the importance of continued research into the field.
* The Civil War and Psychiatric/Intellectual Disability
Soldiers who suffered from psychiatric and intellectual disabilities during the Civil War faced significant difficulties unique to their circumstances. Historical records show that there was a lack of understanding and insufficient resources available for individuals with such conditions during that time (Freedman & Ferri, 2017). Unfortunately, soldiers who experienced these disabilities were often stigmatized as "weak" or "cowardly" and subjected to harsh treatment, including discharge from the military or placement in asylums (Freedman and Ferri 2017, 46). Additionally, the medical system was not equipped to adequately address these conditions, resulting in further mistreatment and neglect (Freedman and Ferri, 2017 44).[Freedman, Justin, and Beth A. Ferri. "Locating the problem within Race, learning disabilities, and science." Teachers College Record 119, no. 5 (2017): 1–28.] [Freedman, Justin, and Beth A. Ferri. "Locating the problem within Race, learning disabilities, and science." Teachers College Record 119, no. 5 (2017): 1–28.] [Freedman, Justin, and Beth A. Ferri. "Locating the problem within Race, learning disabilities, and science." Teachers College Record 119, no. 5 (2017): 1–28.]
The Civil War profoundly impacted the treatment of psychiatric and intellectual disabilities. It exposed the urgent need for more effective mental health care, prompting the development of innovative treatments and the establishment of specialized institutions (Blumenthal, 2018). Nevertheless, progress was gradual, and it was not until the 20th century that significant strides were made in this field (Biancone, 2021). The enduring legacy of the Civil War's impact on mental health care underscores the significance of ongoing research and advocacy efforts (Blumenthal, 2018).[Blumenthal, Rachel A. "Mary Todd Lincoln, Elizabeth Keckley, and America's Psychiatric Republic." Literature and Medicine 36, no. 1 (2018): 27–55.] [Biancone, Bella. "Mary Todd Lincoln: Duty and Depression." 2021.] [Blumenthal, Rachel A. "Mary Todd Lincoln, Elizabeth Keckley, and America's Psychiatric Republic." Literature and Medicine 36, no. 1 (2018): 27–55.]
* Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s “Madness”
Historians have long debated Abraham Lincoln's mental well-being. Freedman and Ferri (2017) Some scholars speculate Lincoln could have experienced depression or bipolar disorder, while others suggest he may have had an anxiety disorder. Lincoln himself acknowledged feeling melancholy at times, attributing it to various reasons such as personal bereavement and political demands. According to Blumenthal (2018), Lincoln's mental state was potentially affected by the stress of leading the country through the Civil War and coping with the tragic loss of his son Willie.[Freedman, Justin, and Beth A. Ferri. "Locating the problem within Race, learning disabilities, and science." Teachers College Record 119, no. 5 (2017): 1–28.] [Blumenthal, Rachel A. "Mary Todd Lincoln, Elizabeth Keckley, and America's Psychiatric Republic." Literature and Medicine 36, no. 1 (2018): 27–55.]