In Reckless Hands: Skinner v. Oklahoma and the Near-Triumph of American Eugenics

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Law, Mental Health, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book In Reckless Hands: Skinner v. Oklahoma and the Near-Triumph of American Eugenics by Victoria F. Nourse, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Victoria F. Nourse ISBN: 9780393069648
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: July 17, 2008
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Victoria F. Nourse
ISBN: 9780393069648
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: July 17, 2008
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

The disturbing, forgotten history of America’s experiment with eugenics.

In the 1920s and 1930s, thousands of men and women were sterilized at asylums and prisons across America. Believing that criminality and mental illness were inherited, state legislatures passed laws calling for the sterilization of “habitual criminals” and the “feebleminded.” But in 1936, inmates at Oklahoma’s McAlester prison refused to cooperate; a man named Jack Skinner was the first to come to trial. A colorful and heroic cast of characters—from the inmates themselves to their devoted, self-taught lawyer—would fight the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Only after Americans learned the extent of another large-scale eugenics project—in Nazi Germany—would the inmates triumph. Combining engrossing narrative with sharp legal analysis, Victoria F. Nourse explains the consequences of this landmark decision, still vital today—and reveals the stories of these forgotten men and women who fought for human dignity and the basic right to have a family.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The disturbing, forgotten history of America’s experiment with eugenics.

In the 1920s and 1930s, thousands of men and women were sterilized at asylums and prisons across America. Believing that criminality and mental illness were inherited, state legislatures passed laws calling for the sterilization of “habitual criminals” and the “feebleminded.” But in 1936, inmates at Oklahoma’s McAlester prison refused to cooperate; a man named Jack Skinner was the first to come to trial. A colorful and heroic cast of characters—from the inmates themselves to their devoted, self-taught lawyer—would fight the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Only after Americans learned the extent of another large-scale eugenics project—in Nazi Germany—would the inmates triumph. Combining engrossing narrative with sharp legal analysis, Victoria F. Nourse explains the consequences of this landmark decision, still vital today—and reveals the stories of these forgotten men and women who fought for human dignity and the basic right to have a family.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Eavesdropping: A Memoir of Blindness and Listening by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Therapy with Older Clients: Key Strategies for Success by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The King and Queen of Malibu: The True Story of the Battle for Paradise by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book American Slavery, American Freedom by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Children Who Fail at School But Succeed at Life: Lessons from Lives Well-Lived by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book A Sleepwalk on the Severn by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Body Sense: The Science and Practice of Embodied Self-Awareness (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The Reflective Parent: How to Do Less and Relate More with Your Kids by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Contents May Have Shifted: A Novel by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books) by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The Big Red Book of Modern Chinese Literature: Writings from the Mainland in the Long Twentieth Century by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes by Victoria F. Nourse
Cover of the book Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine by Victoria F. Nourse
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy