Scientist, Physician. He served as the University of Pennsylvania's Professor of Anatomy from 1839 to 1843. His works "Crania Americana" (1839) and "An Inquiry into the Distinctive Characteristics of the Aboriginal Race of America and Crania Aegyptiaca" (1844), espoused ideas of racial difference (since debunked) that suggested that intellectual capacity can be derived from the size of a brain, and that African-Americans, Asians, and Native Americans were a different (and inferior) "species" of Human Being than European Caucasians. Much of this research was used in the 19th century as "scientific justification" for slavery, although Dr. Morton himself did not originate his research for that purpose.
His sons were Civil War Union General James St. Clair Morton and Army surgeon Thomas George Morton.
His sons were Civil War Union General James St. Clair Morton and Army surgeon Thomas George Morton.
Scientist, Physician. He served as the University of Pennsylvania's Professor of Anatomy from 1839 to 1843. His works "Crania Americana" (1839) and "An Inquiry into the Distinctive Characteristics of the Aboriginal Race of America and Crania Aegyptiaca" (1844), espoused ideas of racial difference (since debunked) that suggested that intellectual capacity can be derived from the size of a brain, and that African-Americans, Asians, and Native Americans were a different (and inferior) "species" of Human Being than European Caucasians. Much of this research was used in the 19th century as "scientific justification" for slavery, although Dr. Morton himself did not originate his research for that purpose.
His sons were Civil War Union General James St. Clair Morton and Army surgeon Thomas George Morton.
His sons were Civil War Union General James St. Clair Morton and Army surgeon Thomas George Morton.
Inscription
IN MEMORY OF
SAMUEL GEORGE MORTON
PHYSICIAN. NATURALIST. AND ETHNOLOGIST.
PRESIDENT OF
THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES
OF PHILADELPHIA
AUTHOR OF "CRANIA AMERICANA" etc. etc.
WHEREVER TRUTH IS LOVED OR SCIENCE
HONORED, HIS NAME WILL BE REVERED
NON MORITUR CUJUS FAMA VIVAT
Family Members
Children
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