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Darkness and Light: Lincoln's Depression and Leadership

This course will explore Abraham Lincoln’s life and how his experience of melancholy (a name for depression in the 19th century) influenced his leadership and legacy. We will explore societal attitudes toward mental health in the 19th century and today. Finally, we will consider the impact of Lincoln’s melancholy on several of his leadership traits (e.g., empathy, resilience, and visionary thinking). A key text will be Joshua Wolf Shenk’s Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness.

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