Disability In The Colonial Era Essay

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During the colonial era, Europeans viewed disability in a surprisingly similar way to the indigenous people they encountered upon first arriving in North America. Physical abnormalities such as limps or missing limbs were considered quite common, frequently occurring as a result of the labor necessary for survival. Most physical disabilities were ignored. People were viewed as disabled only if they were unable to perform labor, similar to how Native Americans viewed one to be disabled when they were unable to contribute something meaningful to the community. Disabled people were prohibited from attempting the voyage across the Atlantic, as they would have been unlikely to survive the journey. As more Europeans arrived and settlements began to grow, however, their willingness to accept and accommodate those they considered disabled increased significantly. Those who were unable to take care of themselves were often cared for by their families, and eventually looked after by the community in which they were born. Laws were drafted that were designed to protect those with mental or cognitive disabilities from legal repercussions should they be unable to understand the law or understand their actions. Other laws were written to protect their assets …show more content…

Those with money or wealth were able to provide better care their disabled family members. Men and underprivileged people were far more likely to be placed in facilities outside of their homes. Regardless of wealth or gender, the lives of white people with disabilities were far kinder than the lives of Africans. Considered disabled by definition, Africans forcibly brought to North America and enslaved were considered to be both mentally and physically inferior to those of European descent. Africans with disabilities were often killed due to the inability to profit off of them. Those who weren’t killed were exhibited for monetary

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