Read this excerpt from Dorothea Dix's report.

Question

Here is a definition to help you as you read.

Lashed = whipped

I proceed, gentlemen, briefly to call your attention to the present state of insane persons confined within this Commonwealth, in cages, closets, cellars, stalls, pens! Chained, naked, beaten with rods, and lashed into obedience.

Whom was Dix speaking on behalf of?

people who had mental illnesses

people who had been mistreated

people who were in prison

Answer 1

Dorothea Dix was speaking on behalf of people who had mental illnesses. Her report highlights the inhumane conditions and mistreatment that individuals with mental health issues faced at the time.