American Body Snatchers:
Merchandising the Dead in 19th Century New England and Washington, D.C.
Lecture presented by Richard Ross III
Ancient Burying Ground Association in partnership with the Old State House
Learn about the history of “body snatching” in the 19th century. Physicians teaching anatomy were only allowed to use the bodies of convicted murders. This restriction led to a spike in demand – and the illegal removal of the dead from graveyards and cemeteries. Find out more about this practice with author and historian Richard Ross III, whose extensive research reveals the religious, moral, and social objections during the time.