About the book
Examining infanticide cases in the United States from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries, Proving Pregnancy documents how women—Black and white, enslaved and free—gradually lost control over reproduction to male medical and legal professionals. In the first half of the nineteenth century, community-based female knowledge played a crucial role in prosecutions for infanticide: midwives, neighbors, healers, and relatives were better acquainted with an accused woman’s intimate life, the circumstances of her pregnancy, and possible motives for infanticide than any man. As the century progressed, women accused of the crime were increasingly subject to the scrutiny of white male legal and medical experts educated in institutions that reinforced prevailing ideas about the inferior mental and physical capacities of women and Black people. As Reconstruction ended, the reach of the carceral state expanded, while law and medicine simultaneously privileged federal and state regulatory power over that of local institutions. These transformations placed all women’s bodies at the mercy of male doctors, judges, and juries in ways they had not been before.
Reframing knowledge of the body as property, Felicity M. Turner shows how, at the very moment when the federal government expanded formal civil and political rights to formerly enslaved people, the medical profession instituted new legal regulations across the nation that restricted access to knowledge of the female body to white men.
Editions of Proving Pregnancy
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469669694
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469669700
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469669724
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890859112
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469669717
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890859105
Read an Excerpt
Examining infanticide cases in the United States from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries, Proving Pregnancy documents how women—Black and white, enslaved and free—gradually lost control over reproduction to male medical and legal professionals. In the first half of the nineteenth century, community-based female knowledge played a crucial role in prosecutions for infanticide: midwives, neighbors, healers, and relatives were better acquainted with an accused woman’s intimate life, the circumstances of her pregnancy, and possible motives for infanticide than any man. As the century progressed, women accused of the crime were increasingly subject to the scrutiny of white male legal and medical experts educated in institutions that reinforced prevailing ideas about the inferior mental and physical capacities of women and Black people. As Reconstruction ended, the reach of the carceral state expanded, while law and medicine simultaneously privileged federal and state regulatory power over that of local institutions. These transformations placed all women’s bodies at the mercy of male doctors, judges, and juries in ways they had not been before.
Reframing knowledge of the body as property, Felicity M. Turner shows how, at the very moment when the federal government expanded formal civil and political rights to formerly enslaved people, the medical profession instituted new legal regulations across the nation that restricted access to knowledge of the female body to white men.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Proving Pregnancy about?
Examining infanticide cases in the United States from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries, Proving Pregnancy documents how women—Black and white, enslaved and free—gradually lost control over reproduction to male medical and legal professionals. In the first half of the nineteenth century, community-based female knowledge played a crucial role in prosecutions for infanticide: midwives, neighbors, healers, and relatives were better acquainted with an accused woman’s intimate life, the circumstances of her pregnancy, and possible motives for infanticide than any man. As the century progressed, women accused of the crime were increasingly subject to the scrutiny of white male legal and medical experts educated in institutions that reinforced prevailing ideas about the inferior mental and physical capacities of women and Black people. As Reconstruction ended, the reach of the carceral state expanded, while law and medicine simultaneously privileged federal and state regulatory power over that of local institutions. These transformations placed all women’s bodies at the mercy of male doctors, judges, and juries in ways they had not been before.
Reframing knowledge of the body as property, Felicity M. Turner shows how, at the very moment when the federal government expanded formal civil and political rights to formerly enslaved people, the medical profession instituted new legal regulations across the nation that restricted access to knowledge of the female body to white men.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Proving Pregnancy?
Medicine and Nursing > Medicine / Healthcare: general issues / topics > History of medicine
Where can I read a sample of Proving Pregnancy?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469669694
How long is Proving Pregnancy and how many pages does it have?
Proving Pregnancy has 246 page(s)
Is Proving Pregnancy part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Gender and American Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Proving Pregnancy?
Felicity M. Turner
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Proving Pregnancy is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469669694) and paperback(ISBN 9781469669700) and ebook(ISBN 9781469669724) and ebook(ISBN 9798890859112) and ebook(ISBN 9781469669717) and pdf(ISBN 9798890859105)
Where can I buy Proving Pregnancy online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Proving Pregnancy from below
Where can I buy Proving Pregnancy?