The American Eugenics Movement

The Foundations of American Eugenics

The American eugenics movement, which gained significant traction in the early 20th century, was influenced by a misinterpretation of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Advocates of Social Darwinism, such as Sir Francis Galton, misapplied Darwinian principles to human societies, suggesting that helping the less fortunate could hinder societal progress. Galton, who coined the term "eugenics" from the Greek for "well-born," proposed selective breeding among the British elite to improve genetic stock. In the United States, the movement attracted support from prominent figures including Charles Davenport, John Harvey Kellogg, and others, who promoted the idea of enhancing the nation's genetic quality.

The Objectives of American Eugenics

The American eugenics movement sought to improve the nation's genetic composition by preventing the reproduction of individuals with characteristics deemed undesirable by its predominantly white, upper-middle-class Protestant advocates. These characteristics, which eugenicists incorrectly believed to be hereditary, included mental and physical disabilities, criminality, alcoholism, and poverty. The movement's goal was to create a "superior" society by ensuring that only those with "desirable" traits would reproduce, thereby ostensibly improving the nation's overall health and prosperity.

Eugenic Practices in the United States

The American eugenics movement utilized various methods to realize its objectives. Compulsory sterilization laws were first enacted in Indiana in 1907, and similar laws were subsequently adopted in many other states. Harry Laughlin, an influential eugenicist, drafted a model sterilization law that was validated by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1927 Buck v. Bell case, resulting in the sterilization of an estimated 60,000 Americans. Laws prohibiting interracial marriage and reproduction, known as miscegenation laws, were also implemented. Furthermore, the early birth control movement, while providing women with more reproductive autonomy, was partially influenced by eugenic thought, as figures like Margaret Sanger recognized its potential to prevent births among populations considered "unfit."

Eugenics, Ethnicity, and Immigration Control

Racial prejudice was a central element of the American eugenics movement. Eugenicists commonly held the belief that non-white populations were more likely to carry "undesirable" traits, leading to disproportionate rates of forced sterilization among these groups. These biases also shaped immigration policy, culminating in the Immigration Act of 1924, which sought to limit the entry of immigrants from regions deemed "genetically inferior," such as Southern and Eastern Europe, reflecting the nativist sentiments of the time.

The Fall of the American Eugenics Movement

The American eugenics movement peaked in the 1920s and 1930s but began to wane after World War II, particularly in light of the eugenics-based atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Although forced sterilization laws remained on the books into the 1960s and 70s, and sterilizations continued at high rates in some regions, the movement's decline was marked by the gradual repeal of these laws and a growing understanding of the flawed science behind eugenic theories. The history of American eugenics serves as a cautionary tale about the misuse of scientific ideas in the formulation of social policy.