The Darkness That Made Him Great: How Struggle Forged A President

We often think of depression as a roadblock to greatness — but what if it can also be a forge? This episode of Bahr’s History Hits connects modern conversations about mental health to Abraham Lincoln’s lifelong battle with melancholy. Drawing on Lincoln’s Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk, Michael Bahr shows how Lincoln’s suffering fueled his empathy, sharpened his judgment, and gave him the moral resilience to guide the nation through the Civil War.