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

The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness, published in 1912 by Henry Herbert Goddard, investigates the hereditary factors contributing to mental disabilities through the lineage of the Kallikak family. The book begins with the story of Deborah, a young girl at the Vineland Training School, and examines her family's troubled history, including issues of illegitimacy and social struggles. Goddard's research, which includes tracing over 300 related families, highlights the implications of heredity on societal views of morality and intelligence, making it a significant work in the study of heredity and mental health.