Eugenics Movement in America- Drew Hoyt

Drew Hoyt

The Eugenics Movement in America

            When the word “Eugenics” arises in any conversation, it is not hard to deduce where the minds of American listeners likely go: the infamous holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930s-40s. What many Americans likely don’t know, however, is that the US were actually pioneers in the Eugenics movement, with the movement in America even predating the more well-known movement in Europe. Eugenics, or the improvement of the human race through sterilizations or selective breeding, was quite prevalent in the US. 32 American states passed eugenics laws in the early 1900s, beginning in Indiana and even including our state, Alabama.

A medal awarded in a contest for "Fitter Families"

In many ways, the eugenics movement in America was founded from ideals that we have already studied, namely Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism, the idea that society is similar to nature in that the “most fit” people would survive and continue the human race, had already factored heavily into the United States’ role in the imperialism era, and the US citizens’ point of  view on imperialism. In the early 20^th century, the ideals of social Darwinism were more prevalent than ever, and they were being used to justify something much different: the Eugenics movement. By the logic of Eugenics supporters, if someone (in their opinion) wasn't fit enough to give birth to and raise a fit child, they should not be allowed to have children.

Winners of a Fitter Family contest

This idea gave rise to something quite frightening: sterilization. In 1907 Indiana passed the first sterilization law, and between then and 1928, nearly 30 states had followed suit. These laws allowed compulsory sterilization of those the state deemed unworthy of having children. These included “imbeciles” or people the state deemed insane, and epileptics. These sterilizations, although morally wrong by almost any definition, were condoned by the majority of American citizens. This is, perhaps, because of the perception that the American family was in danger, for the US had the highest divorce rate in the world. Americans wanted to save their precious idea of the American family, and eugenicists promised to do just that.

An illustration which shows many of the main tenets of the eugenics movement

            This idea of a perfect American family was never more prevalent than in the fitter family contests of the early 1900s. In these contests, families would be judged similarly to livestock, based on which family was more physically fit, healthy, and which family better embodied the idea of the model American family. It is no coincidence that these contests closely resembled the judging of livestock; it was another play by eugenicists to influence the American public. By utilizing this similarity to create a sense of nostalgia with the American public, eugenicists hoped to associate the movement with fond memories for Americans, and further ingrain their movement in the American mind.

Poster advocating for the sterilization of genetically inferior people

Charles Davenport, the Director of the Eugenics Record Office from 1910 to 1934, was a key figure in the movement. He was considered a “strict hereditarian”, believing that a human’s heredity was the most important factor in his traits and characteristics by far(Lovett 13). Under Davenport, the Eugenics Record Office collected and organized family pedigree data in order to better determine what made a “fitter” human. The combination of this research, and the American public’s desire to preserve their idea of a fit family, created the perfect political climate for the eugenics movement to flourish. ­The American Eugenics Society was another organization which took up a major role in the eugenics movement. They, however, “emphasized education and the promotion of eugenics in American society more than scientific research.” These two organizations were each major factors in the eugenics movement taking up root in the US.

Charles Davenport, director of the Eugenics Record Office

The Eugenics movement in the United States served as an example to many other countries, and was one of the fore-running countries of the idea. While the movement had mostly ended by the 1950-60s, sterilizations continued to occur, although more rarely, until recent decades. It is important for Americans to be aware of this movement, because for such a movement to happen again would be a terrible occurrence for the United States.

Works Cited

Kaelber, Lutz. "Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States."Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States. University of Vermont, 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/>. This source gives a good overview of the different sterilization statistics of each American state

"Eliminating the Inferior: American and Nazi Sterilization Programs: Institute for the Study of Academic Racism - Ferris State University." Eliminating the Inferior: American and Nazi Sterilization Programs: Institute for the Study of Academic Racism - Ferris State University. Ferris State University, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ferris.edu/isar/archives/eliminating-inferior.htm>. This source gives a good overview of the events of the eugenics movement in America, and is a good source for keyword for other searches.

"Eugenics." EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America. Smithsonian National Museum of American History, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://everybody.si.edu/citizens/eugenics>. This source features a collection of artefacts which serve as remnants of the eugenics movement, which allows a concrete look at the movement.

"Eugenics and the Church." New York Times n.d.: n. pag. New York Times Archive. New York Times, 05 Oct. 1913. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E7DF1E3BE633A25756C0A9669D946296D6CF>. This article highlights the position of the church against eugenics, which will be crucial for me to highlight in my paper.

"The Duty of Society." New York Times 4 July 1913: n. pag. New York Times Archive. New York Times Company. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9505E7DE163DE633A2575BC0A9619C946296D6CF>. This source highlights the view of eugenics supporters that their movement rose from mankind's "responsibility to society" to be eugenically conscious.

Saleeby, C.W. "The Sociological ReviewVolume A7, Issue 2, Article First Published Online: 19 AUG 2011." THE FIRST DECADE OF MODERN EUGENICS1. N.p., 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-954X.1914.tb02375.x/pdf>. This gives a look back at the first decade of eugenics through the viewpoint of someone who is still going through the movement.

 Lovett, Laura L. "Fitter Families for Future Firesides." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.yale.edu/agrarianstudies/colloqpapers/19lovett.pdf>. This paper contains a good amount of information on Fitter Family contests, an important element of the eugenics movement in America