Dysaethesia Aethiopica facts for kids

Dysaethesia Aethiopica was a made-up term. It was used to describe a supposed mental illness. Some people claimed it explained why enslaved African Americans seemed lazy.

An American doctor named Samuel A. Cartwright created this term in 1851. Today, experts agree that Dysaethesia Aethiopica was not a real illness. It is seen as an example of pseudoscience. This means it was presented as science but was not based on facts. Many people also call it scientific racism. This is when false science is used to support racist ideas.

What Was Dysaethesia Aethiopica?

Cartwright wrote about the "symptoms" of this fake illness. He claimed people with it would break things. They would also mishandle objects they touched. He said they walked around as if they were confused. They seemed half asleep.

He also claimed they often argued with people in charge. They would cause disturbances. Cartwright even said they did not feel pain. He claimed they seemed unaffected by attempts to make them work harder. He believed this "illness" affected people who did not have white people looking after them.

Why It Was Wrong

This idea was completely false. It was used to justify the cruel system of slavery. It tried to make it seem like enslaved people were naturally lazy or sick. In reality, their actions were often forms of resistance. They were also a natural response to being enslaved.

Today, Dysaethesia Aethiopica is understood as a harmful idea. It shows how false science can be used to support racism. It is a reminder of how important it is to question ideas. Especially ideas that claim one group of people is naturally inferior.

Images for kids

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  Samuel Cartwright, 1793-1863

See also

In Spanish: Dysaesthesia aethiopica para niños