In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States was a rapidly changing society. Many Americans were excited by the new possibilities available through the growing population and economic complexity of the time. Others, however, were not as thrilled with the challenges against the traditional values and institutions, along with social instability, inequality, and uncertainty of the future, brought about during this time. This period was called the Antebellum Era. Marking the time before the Civil War and after the War of 1812, the Antebellum Era called for self discovery and reformations that shaped American society.1
The Antebellum Era was the first of four major reform periods in American history.2 One reform in particular that has shaped human rights and rehabilitation is the Prison and Asylum Reforms of the 1830s. The creation of asylums, for criminals and for the mentally ill, was society’s reaction to the overcrowded and inhumane state that criminals of all varieties—debtors, the mentally ill, and even senile paupers—were automatically sectioned to.3 There were many individuals that took charge in leading this reform; one of these reformers was Dorothea Dix.
Dorothea Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in Hampden, District of Maine, Massachusetts. Growing up, Dix had a very difficult childhood. She rarely saw her father, who was a traveling Methodist preacher and writer of tracts, and her mother was often too ill to give attention to the children. Unhappy at home, Dix moved in with her grandmother at the age of twelve, where academic and social discipline were insisted upon. After two years, she was sent to live with her great aunt, where she found her permanent home. Dix soon after opened a school for small children that became successful. After returning to Boston, she opened a school for girls two years later. During the 1820’s Dix became ill with tuberculosis. While recovering from the illness, she became very interested in Unitarianism and the ideas of William Ellery Channing.4 In 1841, she was asked to teach Sunday School for women at the East Cambridge Jail. Upon her arrival she witnessed the innocent and guilty, young and old, sane and insane individuals crowded into an unsegregated group. There was no distinction between the mentally ill and those convicted of a crime. Dix instantly felt that something needed to be done. Dix sought after the help of other reformers, such as Samuel Gridley Howe and Charles Sumner, to guide her as she embarked on this journey. She began surveying hospitals for the insane in Massachusetts. Most of the mentally ill were living in poorhouses or jails, chained, and subjected to horrendous conditions. Dix met up with some of the most renowned doctors in order to search for a humane alternative treatment. After several months, Dix wrote a petition to the Massachusetts Legislature.5
Dorothea Dix’s petition called for psychiatric hospitals to work to cure diseased minds on a foundation of kindness and respect. The creation of asylums was to help rehabilitate and reform mentally unstable patients. Many of the mentally ill were moved out of the jails and were placed in these asylums. Dix continued to work towards improving the care of the mentally ill, which was her primary focus, as she expanded her efforts to prison reform, which she pursued soon after her work on asylum reform.6 Asylum and Prison reforms, still topics of importance today, have changed drastically from the era of Dorothea Dix’s reforms. Dix’s movement for the creation of asylums sparked the reforms of such institutions across the world, causing wholesale reevaluations of current institutions and the adoption of more appropriate facilities for the betterment and care of the mentally ill. Dix’s vision set noble goals for penitentiaries and mental institutions across the nation, which are still challenges we are trying to live up to today. Dorothea Dix’s reform were part of a larger movement of reform in the Antebellum Era, reforms that included reforming gender roles as well as the major reform movement of the era, abolitionism.
- Alan Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 15 edition (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015), 315. ↵
- The second wave of reform was at the end of the nineteenth century (The Progressive Era); the third wave was the period of the New Deal in the 1930s, and the fourth wave was the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s. ↵
- Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 326. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2016, s.v. “William Ellery Channing,” by James W. Oberly. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, January 2016, s.v. “Dorothea Dix,” by Fred R. Van Hartesveldt. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, September 2013, s.v. “Prison Reform,” by Kathy Warnes. ↵
40 comments
Marissa Gonzalez
This is a well informative article about Dorothea Dix. I learned that she was determined to make a change with those who are mentally ill. This shows that we should treat people with dignity no matter what. She realized that people should not be put into prisons if they are mentally ill. It is crazy that this is what they would do. Asylums are a better fit for them so they can get the help they deserve instead of “punishing” them in prisons. I was not too familiar with Dorothea Dix; however, she did make a change to the mentally ill community and she should be recognized more for this.
Tyler Sleeter
Great article with lots of information. Dorthea Dix is one of those amazing people throughout history that see a problem and fix it, even though they often fight alone. I am glad that she was able to get the mentally disabled out of prisons and into asylums where they had a chance at getting help they needed. I still think that the mental health care system has a long way to go to improve the treatment of patients. American culture seems to think it is perfectly acceptable to allow for-profit insurance companies determine how long a patient can stay in a treatment facility, how many times they can visit a therapist or psychiatrist, and even what medications they can take. We need a Dorthea Dix to stand up and fight for the rights of the mentally disabled against the insurance companies today.
Samuel Sanchez
This was an informative article. Dorothea Dix was a very important person that was able to reforming the institute on how they treated the mentally ill. She accomplished a lot during her time. Opening up schools and reforming institutes. If it wasn’t for her the mentally ill wouldn’t have been given the proper treatment for their health. We were fortunate to have this reform early on unlike some other countries but we still need some improvements even today. Amazing article!
Cesar Zavala
We’re lucky to have had people such as Dorothea Dix to notice how mistreated the mentally ill were being treated not too long ago. Had it not been for her work on reforming these institutions, the mentally ill would’ve never been able to get the necessary treatment required to help them. Although we have brought better treatment of not only the mentally ill but also prisoners, there are still many other countries today that have not been able to provide healthy living accommodation to their prisoners and mentally ill. Very informative and well-written article!
Johnanthony Hernandez
Amazing article, I have never heard of Dorothea Dix before reading this article. It’s interesting to see how many textbooks would leave out such a vital player in reforming the late twentieth-century prison system and the system of housing and in a sense caring for the mentally ill. I can understand what she was trying to accomplish after seeing the prison for what it was. It’s much like schools today were at times you have a mix of individuals that either don’t need to be there and those that do. She took this problem to heart and sought to change it for the better of everyone that was unfortunate enough to find themselves landing in there.
Nahim Rancharan
The article was very informative! It was also very interesting to learn about the Prison and Asylum reform, especially the women behind one of the most revolutionary ideas of the nineteenth century. Although prisoners and the mentally are still frowned upon in society, it does not neglect the fact that they are still human being. For this reason, in cases where there is a necessity to provide assistance or medical care for the mentally unstable, it should be provided. For this reason, it was an excellent move for Dorothea Dix to advocate for prison and Asylum reform. Because of her action, the prison and asylum systems in America are in a better place than they were many years ago. Great Job on the article!
Justin Sassman
In my old history class back in high school we were told little about Dorothea Dix and her actions to help reform or prison systems to help the mentally ill. Now that I have read up on more knowledge of our prison systems today I cant help but thank her for fixing a ticking time bomb before it got out of hand for us today. An amazing article.
Briana Bustamante
I have heard the name Dorothea Dix before in history classes, but I wasn’t well aware of her nobleness and the actions she bestowed upon herself. I find it interesting how they would place prisoners and the mentally ill in one place rather than separating them. Dix’s actions on separating the two has benefited society tremendously. To think that murderers and mentally ill individuals today would have to live in the same conditions would make no sense and is in no way fair. Thanks to Dix, they don’t have to do that!
Ana Gonzalez
Dorothea Dix completely changed the way society viewed and treated mentally ill people. It’s heartbreaking to know that before Dix, people would chain mentally ill people in prisons to get rid of them. She completely revolutionized the treatment of mentally ill and motivated society to learn more about the illnesses. You did a great job describing the life of Dorothea DIx and explaining what she did to revolutionized asylums and prisons. Well done!
Tina Valdez
Dorothea Dix obviously did a significant amount of work for prison reform. Today the effects of her work can still be identified in the organization of prisons today. Rehabilitation is one of the most important models prisons follow. Many in history are known as reformers in the justice system – for instance John Howard who wrote about the terrible conditions of prisons and saw an act passed as a result. Dorothea Dix’s work however, regarded most those that were mentally ill which is more important than often recognized. I think your article did a great job of recognizing said importance.