Eugenics in the United States

Eugenics, the set of beliefs and practices which aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population,^[1][2] played a significant role in the history and culture of the United States from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century.^[3] The cause became increasingly promoted by intellectuals of the Progressive Era.^[4][5]

While its American practice was ostensibly about improving genetic quality, it has been argued that eugenics was more about preserving the position of the dominant groups in the population. Scholarly research has determined that people who found themselves targets of the eugenics movement were those who were seen as unfit for society—the poor, the disabled, the mentally ill, and specific communities of color—and a disproportionate number of those who fell victim to eugenicists' sterilization initiatives were women who were identified as African American, Asian American, or Native American.^[6][7] As a result, the United States' eugenics movement is now generally associated with racist and nativist elements, as the movement was to some extent a reaction to demographic and population changes, as well as concerns over the economy and social well-being, rather than scientific genetics.^[8][7]