Swiss-American Biologist and Geologist
Dr. Cartwright is infamous for his theory of "Drapetomania," a supposed mental illness that caused enslaved Black people to flee captivity.
Who: Dr. Samuel Cartwright (1793-1863)
What: Known for his medical theories that claimed physiological differences between Black and white people.
When: Published a paper detailing “Drapetomania” in 1851
Details: Dr. Cartwright is infamous for his theory of "Drapetomania," a supposed mental illness that caused enslaved Black people to flee captivity. He also proposed that Black individuals had different lung capacities and used these pseudoscientific claims to justify slavery and the subjugation of Black people.
Why and How It Was Racist: Cartwright's work provided a veneer of scientific legitimacy to the racist beliefs that underpinned slavery, reinforcing the dehumanization and mistreatment of Black individuals.
Sources:
Books:
Willoughby, C. D. (2018). Running away from drapetomania: Samuel A. Cartwright, medicine, and race in the Antebellum South. The Journal of Southern History, 84(3), 579-614.
Journal Articles:
Guillory, J. D. (1968). The pro-slavery arguments of Dr. Samuel A. Cartwright. Louisiana history, 209-227. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4231017