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"Cruel Injustice": Infanticide and Compassion in Upper Canada, 1791–1831.

  • Published In: Journal of Social History, 2025, v. 59, n. 1. P. 84 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Nicholas, Jane 3 of 3

Abstract

Using two comparatively well documented cases of suspected infanticide in Upper Canada, this article considers the role of compassion. In re-examining infanticide in Upper Canada (1791–1841) to 1831 when the statutory law on infanticide changed to try newborn murders exclusively as homicide, I focus here on a small number of newborn murder cases tried as either infanticide or homicide centering on the comparatively well documented cases of Angelique Pilotte and Mary Thompson. The article builds on recent historiographical developments in understanding English infanticide law as well as new research on the history of emotions and race to suggest that compassion can be understood as a vector for power and a part of an affective domain of domination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Social History. 2025/09, Vol. 59, Issue 1, p84
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Education
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0022-4529
  • DOI:10.1093/jsh/shae044
  • Accession Number:191051490
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Social History is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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