Eugenics on The East Coast
The influence of eugenics on the east coast
Introduction
Eugenics was a movement that began in the early 20th century based on the premise that specific groups of people were of a master race. This idea was first popularized by Francis Galton, an Englishman influenced by his cousin Charles Darwin's theories on natural selection. He believed that genius could be passed down through genes, but he also believed that negative traits could be controlled and eliminated from society. Eugenicists around the world took up this mantle, including America where eugenicists like Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller Jr funded institutions dedicated to eradicating diseases like mental illness from our gene pool altogether. Their efforts resulted in over 60% of institutionalized Americans being sterilized against their will - with many believing it would prevent them from passing down mental illness or chronic disease to their children."
Eugenics was a movement that began in the early 20th century based on the premise that specific groups of people were of a master race.
Galton believed that certain social classes were superior to others, and he attempted to test this theory through what he called "eugenics." In order to determine whether or not someone belonged in the superior group, he encouraged people whose lineage was considered inferior (i.e., poor) to have fewer children than those whose lineage was considered superior (i.e., rich).
The term "eugenics" has since been replaced by "genetics." Genetics is really just another word for science—the study of genes and their impact on human behavior—but it has not completely lost its eugenic connotations. In fact, we still use terms like “genetic predisposition” when talking about things like disease traits, mental illness or even personality characteristics such as shyness or extroversion; these terms imply that your genetics determine who you are rather than how much effort you put into being yourself!
Galton believed that genius could be passed down through genes, but he also believed that negative traits could be controlled and eliminated from society. In his own words:
"If we can breed cattle for the butcher and horses for the knacker, surely it should be easy to breed a race of intelligent human beings."
His book Hereditary Genius (1869) proposed that genius is hereditary; that is, it can be passed down through genes. But this turned out to be not true. In actuality, heredity and environment have an equal influence on intelligence: both nature and nurture play a part in shaping one's intellectual abilities.
In fact, even though Galton didn't know it at the time, his idea that intelligence could be inherited was wrong!
Today we know that genius is not genetic but rather developed through education and practice—even if those who are naturally gifted with great intellect don't seem like they've "worked" for their skills or knowledge at all.
The truth is that natural talent alone does not make someone brilliant; if anything you'll find most geniuses are incredibly hard workers who devote themselves fully to their craft over an extended period of time before achieving success—and even when they do succeed often continue working hard throughout their lives because they enjoy learning new things every day just as much as any other person would love eating ice cream sundaes every day (such workaholics).
While some people may argue otherwise by pointing out negative traits such as criminality which appear to run in families over many generations (i
This eventually lead to the rise of racist ideology in America and Germany, with Madison Grant claiming that "the blond Nordic type" was superior to other races.
"The Passing of the Great Race" was written by Madison Grant, a prominent eugenicist who believed that the Nordic race was superior to all others. He also thought that it should be preserved at all costs and felt it threatened by intermarriage with other races as well as immigration from non-Nordic countries. The book is considered one of the most influential texts on eugenics in America, having been widely read and translated into other languages.
Keep in mind this is during that battle of of human rights during the Jim Crow laws in the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)
In 1896–1950s. Jim Crow laws spread across the country, segregating schools, parks, businesses, sports, churches, hospitals, and many other areas of life.
There was a parallel upward trajectory between the rise of eugenics in America and thought leaders like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Andrew Carnegie was a philanthropist who donated the bulk of his fortune to charity. But he wasn't just your typical generous rich guy; in his mind, giving money away was just as much about improving society as it was making sure that poor people had access to basic necessities like education, food and shelter. In fact, Carnegie believed that charity was one of the best ways to improve society—and in order for him (and others) to do so effectively, they needed an understanding of how genetics could be leveraged toward this goal.
This led him toward eugenics: a field which posits that certain characteristics within human populations should be selectively bred for through selective reproduction (i.e., having children with only those deemed genetically superior).
While this might sound awful from today's perspective where there's no longer much consensus over what "superior" means or what traits make someone worthy of breeding with another person—during Carnegie's time it wasn't controversial at all because many prominent thinkers agreed on its utility and necessity: including Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the telephone), Thomas Edison (who invented electricity) and even John D Rockefeller Jr., who helped establish The Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 as part of his plan for social betterment through science education.*
However who's to say these practices are over with today.
The American Breeders Association, founded in 1903, served as an organization where eugenicists could come together to share their work and further the movement.
The ABA was made up of scientists, doctors and social workers who were interested in the study of heredity. The organization sponsored conferences and published journals on eugenics subjects including race suicide, survival of the fittest, euthanasia and sterilization. It was a forum for eugenicists to share ideas with one another while promoting their cause in a professional manner.
One notable figure who came out of this group, and became known as the founder of American eugenics, was Charles Davenport.
He was a biologist and the director of the Eugenics Record Office.
He also helped to found numerous organizations related to racial purity, including the Immigration Restriction League in 1894 and an organization called Race Betterment Conference in 1915.
His racist beliefs are best summarized by his statement that “the Nordic race is superior to all other races.”
He created a model for tracking family history to determine if traits were passed down genetically.
The influence of eugenics on the east coast was huge! A man named Gregor Mendel worked out a model for tracking family history to determine if traits were passed down genetically. The man's work was important because it led to the discovery that some traits are dominant, while others are recessive.
Sixty percent of institutionalized Americans were sterilized, many in the names of preventing mental illness or chronic diseases.
In the early 1900s, eugenics was all the rage in America. It was a pseudoscience that claimed to use genetics to improve humanity. In practice, it meant sterilizing people with mental illnesses and other disabilities as a way of preventing them from having children who could suffer from those same conditions.
According to statistics released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 60 percent of institutionalized Americans were sterilized, many in the names of preventing mental illness or chronic diseases like epilepsy or schizophrenia. That number is much higher than both World War II casualties (about 2 percent) and Rwandan genocides (1 percent).
In 1927, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes ruled that forced sterilization was perfectly acceptable, writing: "Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
You'll be surprised to know that the Supreme Court has some history with eugenics. In 1927, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes ruled that forced sterilization was perfectly acceptable, writing: "Three generations of imbeciles are enough." The case in question was brought on by Carrie Buck, who was forcibly sterilized in Virginia at the age of 18 after being deemed "feeble-minded" by a state welfare committee. The ruling set a legal precedent for states across America to follow suit until it was overturned in 1972 by Roe v Wade (which legalized abortion).
Overall,
Eugenics has had a profound influence on the East Coast, and it continues to play a role in shaping our society today. While most people think of eugenics as a relic of racist American history, it's important to remember that this belief system is still very much alive today—and we need to pay attention if we want any hope of preventing future atrocities like those committed during the Holocaust.
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