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1830
1839-05-11: Ontario passes “An Act to Authorise the Erection of an Asylum within this Province for the Reception of Insane and Lunatic Person.”
1860
1865: First proto-eugenics articles by Francis Galton in MacMillan's Magazine
1866-02-20: Gregor Mendel publishes his paper, “Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden”
1867: Ugly Laws
1867: Canadian Constitution Act gives federal parliament legislative authority over "Indians, and Lands reserved for Indians"
1869: Galton publishes Hereditary Genius
1870
1870: Canadian Residential Schools in operation
1871: Charles Darwin publishes The Descent of Man

"The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With," in The United Farmers of Alberta, June 1, 1927

"The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With," in The United Farmers of Alberta, June 1, 1927

June 1, 1927. The United Farmers of Alberta published an article titled “The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With”. The article intended to inform the public on exactly what ‘feebleminded’ means, in reference to the timely discussions and debates on the sterilization of the feebleminded. The three grades/levels of feeblemindedness are identified and described from lowest to highest, being the idiot, imbecile and moron. The criteria for each grade were outlined, with the most detail for morons, who were considered the most dangerous grade. The question of what measures could be taken to prevent an increase of feeblemindedness was proposed and elaborated on.

This article can be found online in the Peel Collection here.

-Laura Shaw

  • German, M. R. O. (1927, June 1). The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With. The United Farmers of Alberta, p. 22.

"The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With," in The United Farmers of Alberta, June 1, 1927

"The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With," in The United Farmers of Alberta, June 1, 1927

June 1, 1927. The United Farmers of Alberta published an article titled “The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With”. The article intended to inform the public on exactly what ‘feebleminded’ means, in reference to the timely discussions and debates on the sterilization of the feebleminded. The three grades/levels of feeblemindedness are identified and described from lowest to highest, being the idiot, imbecile and moron. The criteria for each grade were outlined, with the most detail for morons, who were considered the most dangerous grade. The question of what measures could be taken to prevent an increase of feeblemindedness was proposed and elaborated on.

This article can be found online in the Peel Collection here.

-Laura Shaw

  • German, M. R. O. (1927, June 1). The Problem of the Feeble Minded: A Growing Menace Which Must be Dealt With. The United Farmers of Alberta, p. 22.