Key leaders of the reform

Dorethea Dix: Documented all the terrible things that happened in the prisons and presented it to the legislature of Massachusetts and demanded them to take action to reform. Funds were set aside and she went on across the country doing this and even into Europe. She created the first generation of mental asylums in America and in Europe changed the perceptions of these populations.

Dr. John Galt: superintendent of the first publicly supported psychiatric hospital in America. He had many revolutionary ideas about treating the insane some which included "talk therapy", the use of drugs, and advocating outplacement rather than lifelong stays.