The first I learned about this horrific treatment was in The Lies They Told. I was completely in the dark about this part of history. It was very disturbing to read.I never heard of the American Plan.
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I wasnât aware of the American Plan, but I guess I should say Iâm shocked but not surprised given our countryâs history preying on people without power-Native Americans, black people, Japanese Americans, women and immigrants. Justify with a little eugenics and itâs a toxic situation. Weâve continued the tradition with the current ICE actions.
I have read books about the 20th century eugenics âprojectâ in the US & throughout Europe. I was surprised when I read âWomen of a Promiscuous Natureâ that the idea of the âcleansingâ of children & women was still âprojectsâ in the 1940âs. It reminded me of another book about the purification of cultures. My grandmother was unwittingly âcleansedâ, he sterilized her, by the doctor who delivered my mother in 1917 because she was a divorcee. My grandfather was in an institution for what is now known as PTSD. We need authors to keep writing about the atrocities women faced. And continue facing. I commend you Donna Everhart for writing about taboo government sanctioned programs & incest. We should never forget.
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We have such a shameful history of abuse in our country. I am happy this book may bring it to light for many. Discussions and explorations down the rabbit hole will help to spread the news of this past horror and shine a light into this dark history. Reflections on how we stood by and let it go on are vital to preventing it from happing again and seeing how we are still allowing similar things in the current age.
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I was not aware of this time period in history and found it sad and depressing to lock up women because they might be suspected of being promiscuous. It reminded me of the Japanese interment camps, locking up people because they looked or acted a certain way, so thus are a threat. It was just another way for men to control women under the guise of âThe American Planâ. And yes, the double standard of no consequences for the men still stands today.
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Lorraine_D, I thought of this same book!
I was not at all aware of this history. It was shocking at first but then I realized that itâs really no different than other detention centers such as the Japanese internment camps, The medical experimentation put me in mind of the horrible medical experimentation that was done to people of color in the Tuskegee "studyâ. I had never heard of the Chamberlain-Kahn Act.
I was not aware of the Chamberlain-Kahn Act, or The American Plan as it was known. I was aware of the eugenics program in the US or various programs within that scope. This book underscored the cruelty of our government, and people in general, where ignorance and fear dominates behavior. So sad. The victims of these programs are the marginalizedâŚthose that are perceived as different which includes women. Tragically, it still exists today.
I was especially interested in this particular story as the Colony is located in North Carolina, about one hour from where I now live. Also, the author is a North Carolina native. I have embraced my new state and have been reading about is history. Also, as mentioned in other posts, I read Ellen Wisemanâs book, The Lies They Told, where the Colony is referenced. I have also read Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain. I continue to be surprised, and horrified, by this information.
This was new information for me. I immediately thought of ICE and the incarceration of Japanese as did many others. I also recalled reading In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen about the little known incarceration of Germans in WWII - a book I received through Book Browse.
I was totally unaware of this historyâand appalled!! So much of âwomenâs historyâ is untold and yet so important to learn about!
Other books that were similarly âeye-openingâ that come to mind:
In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.
Both of those examples displayed the same over-reach of âauthorityâ, injustice and downright cruelty! The corruption of âpowerâ is unsettling to say the least.