Eugenics

Eugenics is the selection of desired heritable characteristics in order to improve future generations, typically in reference to humans. The term eugenics was coined in the 1880s.

Who started the eugenics movement?

Francis Galton

It was Francis Galton, a cousin of Darwin, who coined the term “eugenics” in 1883 while advocating that society should promote the marriage of what he felt were the fittest individuals by providing monetary incentives.

What was the major goal of eugenics?

According to a circa 1927 publication released by the ERO, the goal of eugenics was "to improve the natural, physical, mental, and temperamental qualities of the human family." Regrettably, this sentiment manifested itself in a widespread effort to prevent individuals who were considered to be "unfit" from having  children.

Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, and other revered historical figures who supported the eugenics movement at the height of its pre-WWII popularity.Jul 19, 2018

Who is the most famous practitioner of eugenics?

Charles Davenport (1866-1944), a scientist from the United States, stands out as one of history's leading eugenicists. He took eugenics from a scientific idea to a worldwide movement implemented in many countries.

What is Newgenics?

"Newgenics" is the name given to modern eugenic practices that have emerged in light of new technological developments, referring to ideas and practices that appeal to scientific advances and genetic knowledge with the aim of improving mankind and curing or eliminating genetically based illness.

Does Canada have eugenics?

Most Canadian provinces considered the idea of eugenics during the first part of the 20th century. Only Alberta and British Columbia ultimately passed laws that created eugenics programs, in 1928 and 1933 respectively.

What was the eugenics movement in Canada?

Eugenicists believed that natural selection was insufficient, and they sought to influence human evolution by weeding out undesirables. A combination of heavy immigration and a fear that undesirables were reproducing at a high rate contributed to the popularization of eugenics in Canada.


When did eugenics stop in Canada?

Many Canadians supported eugenic policies in the early 20th century, including some medical professionals, politicians and feminists. Both Alberta (1928) and British Columbia (1933) passed Sexual Sterilization Acts, which were not repealed until the 1970s.

In the 1940s, eugenics as hereditarianism was repackaged under the rubric of genetic counselling, family planning, and population control. As Alexandra Stern writes in Eugenic Nation: Faults & Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America, forced sterilization was also motivated by anxieties about ‘sexual deviance and the promiscuity of teenage girls, fears of biological deterioration, and a discourse of institutional cost saving’. Many instances of forced, involuntary sterilization were justified as necessary public health interventions.