Elizabeth Packard and Review of “The Woman They Could not Silence”

Have you come across instances of women in your family history who were institutionalized for mental illness? You may have wondered what situation would warrant entry into an asylum. Under coverture in the common law practiced in most of the United States, when a woman married, her husband took control of her property, and she lost all her rights to govern her affairs. That extended to determining whether she was sane or not. Unbelievable to our modern world, a husband or father could deem a woman insane and condemn her to an asylum for many reasons: depression, anxiety, speaking out against his beliefs, and more. The superintendents would make an evaluation and generally agreed with the husband or father.

One woman in the 1860s took a stand against this practice after her husband, Theophilus Packard, committed her to the Illinois State Asylum and Hospital for the Insane in Jacksonville. Elizabeth Packard not only worked for her release and that of many others kept against their will at the asylum, but upon her release, she campaigned tirelessly to change the law in twenty-four states. She also worked to improve the treatment of the mentally ill within institutions.

We’re reading The Woman They Could Not Silence for our Family Locket Book Club fall selection on Goodreads. Author Kate Moore researched Elizabeth Packard for years in preparation, and the bibliography and end notes are impressive. Anyone with an ancestor institutionalized will gain insight into the system’s workings pre-1880. Up until 1880, the asylum superintendents were all-powerful. Without any oversight, they could declare a person insane and keep them in the institution.

Moore writes in the epilogue about the effect Elizabeth Packard’s work had on mental health institutions.

In 1880, the National Association for the Protection of the Insane and the Prevention of Insanity was established to encourage patient-friendly legislation and meaningful oversight of asylums. Historians attribute its founding to agitations caused by campaigners, including Elizabeth, who got society so riled up that formal action became essential. The arguments Elizabeth had been making for years now began to be printed in respected medical journals, though of course she was never the mouthpiece. (p. 438)

The Woman They Could Not Silence begins with Elizabeth being consigned to the Illinois State Hospital because her husband, Theophilus Packard, had decided his life would be better without his wife. She had begun investigating religion and gathered a group of like believers. Unfortunately, Theophilus was a minister, and Elizabeth’s off-shoot group didn’t look good to his superiors. Since she wouldn’t back down, Theophilus decided to tear her away from their six children, who she adored, and declare her insane. See the image below of the asylum. ¹

At the state hospital, Elizabeth discovered she was not alone. Many other completely sane women had been sent to the hospital by their fathers or husbands. Elizabeth was at odds with the superintendent, Andrew McFarland, and tried relentlessly to engineer her release and improve conditions in the hospital. Unfortunately, McFarland proved to be a formidable foe. Even when Elizabeth had been proven sane, he continued to fight against her work. Elizabeth, however, never gave up. Moore writes:

Her husband, her doctor, and her very time all tried to silence her, but Elizabeth left her own record behind, and her words now blaze through history to light the way to the truth. She wrote, ” We should set our light blazing as an example to others, and not set under a bushel.” Thanks to her brilliance, her light still burns, inspiring others to follow.

Moore had much material to work with because Elizabeth Packard wrote copiously while in the asylum and afterward. She published pamphlets and books to support herself upon her release from the asylum and to further her work in changing the laws. While in the asylum, she kept a careful record of the abuse that the women suffered – hiding the notes so the superintendent wouldn’t destroy them.

Kate Moore states at the beginning of The Woman They Could Not Silence:

This is a nonfiction book. Everything in it is based on careful historical research. Every line of dialogue comes from a memoir, letter, trial transcript, or some other record made by someone who was present at the time.

Though nonfiction, The Woman They Could Not Silence reads more like a fictional novel. For the modern reader, the events seem incredible. But injustices continue in our modern world, and the voices of women and the mentally ill continue to be silenced in various cultures and countries. Elizabeth Packard is a role model for anyone who refuses to back down.

What value does this book have for family historians? It provides context for our ancestors, especially our female ancestors, and we may discover similar situations in our family tree. The book also provides an example of writing a historical narrative based on research.

Best of luck in all your genealogical research and writing!

 

1. Dominic Genetti, “See side: Abandoned Jacksonville Developmental Center,” posted 10 May 2023,  myJournalCourier News (https://www.myjournalcourier.com/projects/2023/abandoned-asylum/ : accessed 27 August 2024).