The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness

"The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness" by Henry Herbert Goddard is a study that examines the Kallikak family to understand how traits can be passed down through generations. The book looks at the impact of heredity on things like intelligence and moral behavior, and explores if genetics can determine those things. The story starts with Deborah, a young girl at the Vineland Training School, where kids who are feeble-minded are taken care of and taught. The investigation explores her family situation, looking back at how people in her family struggled. Goddard then shows how examining Deborah’s progress in school helps him understand the bigger picture of feeble-mindedness. His research eventually expands to include studying over 300 families connected to Deborah, establishing an exploration into the Kallikak ancestry and what this lineage reveals about wider social problems.