By Cristina Dimova and Isabelle Duval
The newspaper articles you find in your research may contain offensive and harmful language and content. The Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project digitizes historical newspapers to preserve the historical record, and as a result, these newspapers reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views. Through resources such as our topic guides, CDNP seeks to contextualize the historical content you might find while searching the newspapers digitized through our project.
Introduction
The history of schools and institutions for people with disabilities reflects prevailing societal attitudes about disabilities. In colonial America, people with disabilities were considered second-class citizens, and it was commonly believed that mental and physical disabilities had theological or supernatural causes. People with disabilities and their families experienced isolation, exploitation, and sometimes death through direct means—violence against people with disabilities—or indirect means—not being able to fully support themselves without community help.
Two very different movements in the eighteenth century influenced how people with disabilities were treated. During the age of Enlightenment—a movement that shifted science away from the supernatural and grounded it in the scientific knowledge of that time—scientists, doctors, and philosophers developed biological explanations of mental and physical disabilities in individuals and believed that human intervention could cure illnesses. “Human intellect (the ability to reason) was argued to be the essence of humanness, and philosophers believed if one of the senses was lost, knowledge must also be lost” (Spaulding and Pratt 2015). Philosophers believed that folks with disabilities were missing a “key” sense that the larger society had, without which they were considered to be no longer human and of low intelligence. In colonial America, circa 1795, the Second Great Awakening, a Protestant revival, sought to improve the lives of disabled people because they saw self-improvement and the progression of society as a way to be closer to God. Although the two movements clashed on opinions revolving around spirituality, both believed that removing disabled individuals from the larger culture would improve society and the disability community. During the 1750s to 1850s, asylums and schools specifically for people with disabilities began to open across the United States.
The history of care for people with disabilities in Connecticut started with citizens influenced by the Second Great Awakening. In 1817, a traveling minister named Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded the first school for people with disabilities, the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons (now known as the American School for the Deaf). As the Connecticut Asylum was considered to be sufficient in caring for people with disabilities, more asylums and schools continue to establish themselves within the state.
The Connecticut School for Imbeciles was founded in 1858, by Dr. Henry M. Knight, who was heavily influenced by the Second Great Awakening. Although a private institution, the school received state funding through subsidies for low-income children. Knight’s son and successor Dr. George H. Knight was a leading voice in favor of eugenics and segregation of people with disabilities, supported by Connecticut state laws banning marriage and legalizing forced sterilization. In 1915, the school’s name was changed to the Connecticut Training School for the Feeble-Minded.
The Mansfield State Training School and Hospital, which combined the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics and the Connecticut Training School for the Feeble-Minded, became the state’s biggest mental health institution in 1917. This custodial institution served men and women of all ages.
Newspapers at the time reported on the events and discussions in the state that led to the establishment of the Mansfield State Training School; news of its ongoing operations, including facility improvements, staffing changes, and occupational activities of its residents; and discussions about the perceived need for another institution like Mansfield during the 1930s due to its expanding resident population. Newspapers also reported on the deaths of Mansfield residents, particularly during the 1918 influenza epidemic. The newspapers do not highlight marginalized voices; often, the discourse surrounding the care and treatments for people with disabilities was taken up by able-bodied voices, and these newspapers are no exception.
How to Search this Topic in Historic CT Newspapers on Chronicling America
Open the Library of Congress Chronicling America collection, click on the “Advanced Search Tab, and select “Connecticut” in the “Select State(s)” box. Enter the search terms below in the boxes labeled “with all of the words” or “with the phrase.” A proximity search is also available by using the box labeled “with the words:…..within 5 words of each other” – this will ensure your search terms are located close together on the page. Once you’ve entered all search information, click “Search.”
Please note: To find newspaper content for your research, you may need to search for historical terminology that was used in the past to describe people with disabilities, and which is offensive, ableist, and not in use today. For more information about historical terminology used to describe disability, consult “The Words We Used: The Evolution of Language.” To learn about inclusive description of topics related to disability, consult the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s Disability Language Style Guide and “Nineteenth-Century Depictions of Disabilities and Modern Metadata: A Consideration of Material in the P. T. Barnum Digital Collection” by Meghan R. Rinn.
Suggested Search Terms
- Mansfield Training School
- Connecticut Colony for Epileptics
- Connecticut Training School for the Feeble Minded
- Henry M. Knight
- George H. Knight
- Southbury Training School
- Feeble-minded care (within 5 words): Eugenicists used this term for a specific psychiatric classification of high-functioning mental illness.
- Mental defective care (within 10 words): This term was used to categorize people with disabilities as well as those who demonstrated behavior considered to be “deviant.”
- Epileptics care (within 5 words)
Sample Search Results
“Meriden Man Elected President,” Norwich Bulletin, May 3, 1916, page 7, col 5. Chronicling America: Historic America Newspapers. Lib. Of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1916-05-03/ed-1/seq-7/>
“Actual Consolidation,” Norwich Bulletin, May 15, 1917, page 8, col 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1917-05-15/ed-1/seq-8/>
“Dismissed Because of Disloyal Utterances,” Norwich Bulletin, January 31, 1918, page 1, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1918-01-31/ed-1/seq-1/>
“Lakeville Patients Will Be Moved To Mansfield,” Norwich Bulletin, July 6, 1918, page 5, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1918-07-06/ed-1/seq-5/>
“Holcomb Charges Unabsorbed Aliens with Slacking and Terms Them as an Industrial Menace, While Advocating the Policy of Complete Americanization,” The Bridgeport Times, January 8, 1919, page 9, col 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92051227/1919-01-08/ed-1/seq-9/>
“The Senate: Matters from the calendar,” Norwich bulletin, March 13, 1919, page 6, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1919-03-13/ed-1/seq-6>
“Willimantic,” Norwich Bulletin, June 5, 1919, page 2, col 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1919-06-05/ed-1/seq-2/>
“Immigrant Flood Adds to Burden of State Institution,” The Connecticut Labor News, February 25, 1921, page 1, col 6. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92051283/1921-02-25/ed-1/seq-1/>
“Feeble-minded Increasing in State,” New Britain Daily Herald, July 5, 1928, page 13, col 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1928-07-05/ed-1/seq-13/>
“State To Distribute 20,000 Pheasant Eggs,” The Waterbury Democrat, May 22, 1933, page 9, col. 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1933-05-22/ed-1/seq-9/>
“Therapy Exposition Set for Wednesday,” The Waterbury Democrat, January 29, 1934, page 9, col 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-01-29/ed-1/seq-9/>
Deaths Reported
“Willimantic,” Norwich bulletin, October 5, 1918, page 2, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1918-10-05/ed-1/seq-2/>
“Willimantic,” Norwich bulletin, October 18, 1918, page 2, col 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1918-10-18/ed-1/seq-2/>
“Willimantic,” Norwich bulletin, October 28, 1918, page 2, col 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1918-10-28/ed-1/seq-2/>
“Willimantic,” Norwich bulletin, January 9, 1919, page 2, col. 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1919-01-09/ed-1/seq-2/>
“Willimantic,” Norwich bulletin, February 5, 1920, page 8, col 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.<https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1920-02-05/ed-1/seq-8/>
“Deaths,” New Britain herald, August 11, 1923, page 11, col 5. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.<https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1923-08-11/ed-1/seq-11/>
Overcrowding and the Need for a New Institution
“Here, There and Everywhere,” The Waterbury Democrat, January 16, 1933, page 6, col 6. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1933-01-16/ed-1/seq-6/>
“Locate New Mental Hospital Near City,” The Waterbury Democrat, March 1, 1933, page 5, col 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1933-03-01/ed-1/seq-5/>
“New Institution is Badly Needed,” The Waterbury Democrat, May 4, 1933, page 3, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1933-05-04/ed-1/seq-3/>
“The Mentally Defective,” The Waterbury Democrat, May 27, 1933, page 3, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1933-05-27/ed-1/seq-3/>
“Back to Serfdom,” The Waterbury Democrat, January 30, 1934, page 6, col 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-01-30/ed-1/seq-6/>
“New State Hospital for Children Sought,” The Waterbury Democrat, January 31, 1934, page 3, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-01-31/ed-1/seq-3/>
“Agencies Back of New School,” The Waterbury Democrat, March 20, 1934, page 1, col 5. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-03-20/ed-1/seq-1/>
“That Was Quick Action,” The Waterbury Democrat, April 20, 1934, page 8, col 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-04-20/ed-1/seq-8/>
Funding
“Must Spend More Than $200,000,” Norwich Bulletin, October 4, 1915, page 7, col 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1915-10-04/ed-1/seq-7/>
“Final Adjournment of Legislature,” Norwich Bulletin, May 18, 1917, page 6, col 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1917-05-18/ed-1/seq-6/>
“Town Tax Will Show Big Increase,” Norwich Bulletin, August 1, 1921, page 5, col 4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1921-08-01/ed-1/seq-5/>
“8,850,000 Asked in New Buildings Survey for State,” New Britain Herald, January 14, 1927, page 27, col 5. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1927-01-14/ed-1/seq-1/>
Bibliography
Articles
Chakravarty, Tina. “Medicalisation of Mental Disorder: Shifting Epistemologies and Beyond.” Sociological Bulletin 60, no. 2 (2011): 266-86. Accessed July 21, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23620920.
Goodheart, Lawrence B. “Rethinking Mental Retardation: Education and Eugenics in Connecticut, 1818-1917.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 59, no. 1 (January 2004): 90-111.
Spaulding, Lucinda S., and Sharon M. Pratt. “Article 7: A Review and Analysis of the History of Special Education and Disability Advocacy in the United States.” American Educational History Journal 42, no. 1-2 (2015): 91+.
Books
Rembis, Michael A., Catherine Jean Kudlick, and Kim E. Nielsen. The Oxford Handbook of Disability History. Oxford University Press, 2018.
Finding Aids
Mansfield Training School Records. Connecticut State Archives Finding Aids. https://cslarchives.ctstatelibrary.org/repositories/2/resources/351.
Reports
Furbish, Lawrence K. “Current Status of Changes to Mansfield and Southbury Training Schools and Long Lane School.” OLR Research Report, 1998. https://www.cga.ct.gov/PS98/rpt%5Colr%5Chtm/98-R-0154.htm.
Websites
The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. “Parallels In Time: A History of Developmental Disabilities.” https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/index.html.