| The marriage of Patrick Henry and Sarah Shelton in | | | | her own protection, she was confined to a large |
| 1754 certainly got off to a good start. Her parents | | | | cellar room which, no doubt, worsened her condition |
| provided them both with a fine dowry including a | | | | although her family ensured that it was as |
| 600-acre tobacco farm in Virginia called Pine Slash, a | | | | comfortable as possible. |
| house, and six slaves. Patrick's early attempt at | | | | Sarah eventually died in 1775 without ever having |
| becoming a gentleman farmer ended due to a | | | | recovered her sanity and she was buried in an |
| disastrous drought in Virginia and a fire in 1757 that | | | | unmarked grave on the plantation. Her death hit her |
| destroyed their house. Patrick sold the slaves and | | | | husband hard and when he made his famous "Give |
| used the profits to open a store which also failed. | | | | me liberty or give me death" one month later, it was |
| Despite these setbacks, his self-taught law skills and | | | | likely that the memory of his dead wife made it |
| talent for oratory earned him public attention and | | | | especially poignant. He would later remarry and his |
| launched him on a political career. Patrick later | | | | stature as a politician would ensure him a permanent |
| purchased a new plantation and all seemed to be | | | | place in U.S. history but there is little to mark Sarah's |
| well, except... | | | | life except as a footnote in her husband's biography. |
| By 1771 and after the birth of her sixth child, Sarah's | | | | For generations after Sarah's death, families with |
| mental health had deteriorated rapidly. Diagnosis on | | | | mentally ill members would be forced to make the |
| the basis of historical accounts is always a tricky | | | | same harsh choices that her family did. Spontaneous |
| business and the exact nature of her illness is open | | | | recovery from mental illness rarely occurred, |
| to debate (post-partum depression is one possibility) | | | | especially in the cramped, underserved hospital |
| What is not in debate is that Sarah was no longer | | | | settings that most mental patients were forced to |
| able to care for herself or her children. For families | | | | endure. It wasn't until the late twentieth century that |
| with mentally ill members, there were few options in | | | | effective treatment would make hospitals into |
| those days. While the colony of Virginia had a lunatic | | | | something more than a place to warehouse those |
| asylum in operation, the standard of care for inmates | | | | considered too insane to be accommodated in |
| left much to be desired. Treatment was nonexistent | | | | society. While the stigma of mental illness continues |
| and it was primarily a place where the mentally ill | | | | and downsizing of psychiatric services means that |
| could be held against their will (and out of sight). | | | | too many of the mentally ill are wandering the |
| Placing Sarah in such an institution was not an option | | | | streets,we've hopefully moved somewhat beyond |
| for Sarah's family and she would spend the rest of | | | | the era of madwomen locked in cellars. At least, in |
| her life being cared for on the family plantation. For | | | | this part of the world. |