Abstract
The following article studies the legal mechanisms used to manage and control mentally ill persons living in colonial Connecticut. Records have been found, dating back to the seventeenth century, demonstrating that legal procedures were used both to protect society from dangerous individuals and to protect the rights of the mentally ill. This article explores the interplay among judicial, quasi-judicial, and legislative bodies in formulating policies to alleviate the problems posed by the presence of insane individuals within a community. It also is a study of mentally ill individuals who were affected by these policies.
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