The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow, as Revealed by Her Own Letters

Based on nearly two dozen intimate letters written between Mary Lincoln and her close friend Myra Bradwell, The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow, as Revealed by Her Own Letters, was written in 1927 but was not published until 2005. This sympathetic manuscript by Bradwell's granddaughter defends Mary Lincoln's conduct and sanity, arguing that she was the victim of an overzealous son. The manuscript has been enhanced with an introduction and annotations by historian Jason Emerson, providing a unique perspective of Mrs. Lincoln's post-White House years.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2023
Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press

Based on nearly two dozen intimate letters written between Mary Lincoln and her close friend Myra Bradwell, primarily during the former's 1875 incarceration in an insane asylum, The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow, as Revealed by Her Own Letters was written in 1927 but barred from timely publication by the Lincoln family. By the 1920s, most accounts of Mrs. Lincoln focused on her negative qualities and dismissed her as crazy. At the behest of her mother, who wished to vindicate Mary Lincoln in the public eye by printing the private correspondence, Bradwell's granddaughter Myra Helmer Pritchard wrote this distinctly sympathetic manuscript. Pritchard fervently defends Mrs. Lincoln's conduct and sanity, arguing that she was not insane but rather the victim of an overzealous son who had his mother committed.

Fortunately, the Lincoln family's lawyer stored copies in a trunk, where historian Jason Emerson discovered them in 2005. While leaving the manuscript intact, Emerson has enhanced it with an introduction and detailed annotations. He fills in factual gaps, provides background on names, places, and dates, and analyzes Pritchard's interpretations, making clear where she was right and where her passion to protect Mrs. Lincoln led to less than meticulous research and incorrect conclusions. This volume features an easy-to-follow format that showcases Pritchard's text on the left-hand pages and Emerson's insightful annotations on the right-hand pages.

Following one of the most revered and reviled, famous and infamous of the First Ladies, this book provides a unique perspective of Mrs. Lincoln's post-White House years, with an emphasis on her commitment to a sanitarium. Emerson's contributions make this volume a valuable addition to the literature on Mary Lincoln and her legacy.

Weight: 278g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780809339242