Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
A Tale of Two "Villages": VINELAND AND SKILLMAN, NJ: The unknown story of New Jersey's major role in promoting eugenics theory which indirectly led to

A Tale of Two "Villages": VINELAND AND SKILLMAN, NJ: The unknown story of New Jersey's major role in promoting eugenics theory which indirectly led to

Nevins, Michael

Paperback

General World History

Publisher Price: $12.95

ISBN10: 1440142610
ISBN13: 9781440142611
Publisher: iUniverse
Published: Jun 9 2009
Pages: 116
Weight: 0.40
Height: 0.28 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Early in the 20th century New Jersey was one of the first states to segregate mentally ill patients in state-run institutions. Administrators and scientists at the Vineland Training School and Skillman Village for Epileptics did research which validated the theory that feeblemindedness was inherited, untreatable and associated with anti-social behavior. A statute passed in 1911 that permitted involuntary sterilizations of people with chronic mental disorders and epilepsy was overturned two years later by the state's Supreme Court. Nevertheless, New Jersey eugenicists continued to promote similar legislation in the misguided belief that they were benefiting society. The American example was used to justify racist policies initiated in Nazi Germany where what began with coerced sterilizations of the unfit evolved to mercy killing and then to genocide. Although forced sterilizations were not performed in New Jersey, in other states more than 65,000 Americans were sterilized against their will. Perhaps this Tale of Two Villages will provide an object lesson about how well-meaning but flawed science could become politicized, perverted and lead to shameful outcomes.

I read the entire book in one sitting - that's how transfixed I was by this amazing and fascinating story.

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