"Sex Offenders"
Even when explicit references to rape and incest were not included, almost all of the social workers characterized the "feeble-minded" girls and women at the Vermont State School as "sex offenders" or "perverts" - even those as young as 6 years old.
This pedigree describes a girl who was committed to the Vermont State School in 1922 when she was 16; she was later discharged. Her "defect" is listed as "Prostitute," and under "Additional Information," the social worker states that she later moved to Waterbury, Vermont, where she "conducted regular trade with soldiers at fort."
Allegedly orphaned by an abusive mother who caused her mental disability by hitting her on the head, this girl was committed to the Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children when she was 13 years old. Her defects are listed as "Self abuse. Sex offender. Temper."
The girl described in this pedigree was barely 16 at the time of her commitment in 1923. Her "Defect" was listed as "Sex offender." As with many other individuals, a lack of family resources rendered this girl vulnerable to eugenic commitment. Earlier in her childhood, she had been kept at the New England Home for Little Wanderers.
The young woman described in this pedigree was 17 when she was committed to the Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children." Her defect was listed as "Sex offender." Sadly, she died 1 year and 5 days after her commitment of "flu and pneumonia."
Deserted by her "degenerate" father and orphaned by her mother, this girl was committed at the age of 15 with a diagnosis of "Emotional." Under "Defects," the social worker wrote, "Sex offender. Masturbation."
The unfortunate girl described in this pedigree was only 9 years old at the time of her commitment to the Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children. Nevertheless, she is characterized as a "sex pervert." The "additional information" included at the bottom of the pedigree reveals the strong cultural biases of Vermont's eugenics movement. Among other familial crimes, the report alleges, "___'s mother had 4 sets of children by four men. She was only married once. The second set of children are by a Polish man of Gardner, Mass. She then had a child by another foreigner."
The young woman described in this pedigree was committed to the Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children when she was 20, less than three months after giving birth to a child. The pedigree characterizes her as a bad mother and the daughter of syphilitic parents. Her defects are listed as "Masturbation. Sex Offender."
This young woman, committed to Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children when she was 20 years old, was part of a family identified by the Vermont Eugenics Survey as eugenically unfit. The pedigree includes the notation, "All siblings defective. One sister married a negro, one sister had an illegitimate child." Her "bad habits before commitment" are listed as: "Sex offender, syphilitic, Had two illegitimate children, which died."
This pedigree describes a female "sex offender" who was committed to the Vermont State School in 1920 . Only 17 years old, she had already borne two children. Her father is also listed as "feebleminded."
The young woman in this pedigree was committed to the Vermont State School for Feebleminded Children when she was 21 years old. She is described as having a mental age of 4 and an IQ of 43. Popular explanations for "feeblemindedness" are evident in the information presented. The social worker alleges that her grandmother was "crazy," her father an alcoholic, her mother a "sex offender," and her sister a "sex delinquent." who "married [a] mulatto." Thus all manner of social and sexual differences were used to fortify claims of "feeblemindedness."
Admitted to the Vermont State School for Feeble-Minded Children when she was 8 years old, the child described in this pedigree likely came to the attention of state authorities when her mother died. Her defects are listed as "Masturbation. Stubborn."