Introduction

ONE
The spirit chooses the body it will occupy:Indigenous North America, Pre-1492

TWO
The poor, vicious, and infirm:Colonial Communities, 1492–1700

THREE
The miserable wretches were then thrown into the sea:The Late Colonial Era, 1700–1776

FOUR
The deviant and the dependent:Creating Citizens, 1776–1865

FIVE
I am disabled, and must go atsomething else besides hard labor: The Institutionalization of Disability, 1865–1890

SIX
Three generations of imbeciles are enough:The Progressive Era, 1890–1927

SEVEN
We don’t want tin cups:Laying the Groundwork, 1927–1968

EIGHT
I guess I’m an activist. I think it’s just caring:Rights and Rights Denied, 1968–

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index