Date of Award

2024

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

Faculty Advisor

Isern, Thomas

Description

The early twenty-first century saw the emergence of the eugenics movement in the United States, which culminated in the sterilization of people with mental or physical disabilities. State institutions across the country were weaponized against these citizens due to the perception that they were “unfit” to be parents. Recent scholarship on the topic has sought to uncover this history. This study seeks to uncover this past in both North and South Dakota as well as offer an alternative avenue for examining the topic with Canton Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians. Both states provide instances that confirm the current scholarship on the topic as well as push against it. The Canton Asylum offers a new avenue for historians to examine how eugenics influence medicine and minority communities. Ultimately, the eugenic past of both states continues to be reflected in both the physical landscape and minds of their citizens to this day.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/33934

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