| Idiocy and the law in colonial New England. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 11340960 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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A review of the laws and records of the courts of colonial New England indicate some ways the early settlers thought about and responded to idiocy. Early Massachusetts laws extended certain rights to idiots: They authorized the transfer of property, exonerated idiots who committed capital crimes, and extended relief to idiots who were impoverished. There is no documentation of the implementation of these laws nor is there direct reference to idiocy in court proceedings. Nevertheless, the court records identify certain individuals with incompetence and atypical behavior suggestive of idiocy. Most of the colonial laws as well as the colonists' ways of thinking about idiocy originated in English common law and custom. The New England colonial laws and records of the courts offer insights into contemporary issues regarding mental retardation. |
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Authors:
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P Wickham |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Historical Article; Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Mental retardation Volume: 39 ISSN: 0047-6765 ISO Abbreviation: Ment Retard Publication Date: 2001 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2001-05-08 Completed Date: 2001-06-07 Revised Date: 2004-11-17 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 18640670R Medline TA: Ment Retard Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 104-13 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Dowling College, USA. |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Criminal Law
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history* Female History, 17th Century History, 18th Century Humans Legislation, Medical / history Male Massachusetts Mental Competency / legislation & jurisprudence* Mentally Disabled Persons / history*, legislation & jurisprudence New England Poverty / history, legislation & jurisprudence |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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