Australia and the World Past and Present

Abraham Lincoln is considered by many to be the greatest American President.

It is well known that he suffered from depressive episodes during his life.

His father, Tom Lincoln was a farmer and carpenter.

Abraham’s relationship with his father was sometimes troubled.

Lincoln’s brother had died in Kentucky while young.

In 1816 when Lincoln was 8 his family moved to southern Indiana.

Hi mother died aged 34 when Lincoln was 9.

His dad went back to Kentucky for a number of months. During this time Abe stayed with his 26-year-old cousin.

Lincoln had a sister – Sarah. In 1828 she gave birth to a stillborn baby and died shortly afterwards.

Abe had lost many people who were important to him by a young age.

However this was not abnormal for the times.

Infant mortality was high.

Life expectancy was low.

Simple ailments could quickly become something much more serious.

It does not necessarily follow that Lincoln’s depression was brought on by the loss of cherished family members, but it certainly wouldn’t have helped.

Abe was fond of reading. His dad thought that his son’s academic nature was interfering with work to be done on the farm. There was tension between the two due to this.

It seems that Lincoln was not depressed in his late teens and early twenties.

He moved on to New Salem, Illinois in 1831.

He went into business running a store but this venture would soon fail.

Afterwards he took up the role of postmaster.

It seems that the death of one of his friends had a very big impact on his state of mind. He had met and grown close to Ann Rutledge. She died from fever.

Around this time, Abe experienced his first breakdown.

In 1835 he was displaying weird behaviour. He would talk about suicide and go walking alone in the woods with a gun. His friends were concerned and kept an eye on him.

He was taken in for some weeks by an older couple – Bowling and Nancy Green. They looked after him during this time. Some have suggested that this was essentially a kind of suicide watch.

By 1841, Lincoln was a legislator.

The state was in the grip of a debt crisis and winters were harsh.

About this time, Abe again seemed to go downhill.

He suffered his second major depressive episode.

He had been working intensely and had been studying law like a demon.

Friends removed razors and knives from his room.

This was the second serious episode for Abe in 6 years.

One wonders how Lincoln would fare today.

Huge advances have been made in relation to the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues. Medicine has vastly improved. Much has been done to destigmatise illnesses like depression, yet stigma still exists.

How would Lincoln fare if he ran for President today?

With the same depressive episodes it seems very unlikely he would get very far.

Lincoln’s world was one without radios, televisions, the internet or social media.

Would his intelligence and moral clarity shine through or would he be characterised as a bookworm with a funny beard?

It may be that the President considered the greatest of all time wouldn’t even get out of the starting blocks in today’s political climate.