1840 Census Map

The 1840 census was an important one in the study of insanity. In that year, a category called  “Insane and Idiots” was added to the federal population count, and this category was further divided into “white” and “colored and slaves.”

Though most historians feel the 1840 census was somewhat unreliable, probably underestimating the insane by quite a bit, it still gives the first real snapshot of the country’s assessment of these citizens.

Of the 17, 062, 566 people in the country, 14,508 whites were counted as insane, and 2,926 colored and slave were seen as insane. The number of insane and idiots in proportion to the rest of the population was 1 in 990. By 1880 the ratio had increased to 204.3 to 100,000 of population.

Phrenological View of Mental Deficiency

Concerns About Controlling the Insane

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