History of Eugenics

Eugenics was a theory developed in the late nineteenth century that argued society could be improved by controlling human reproduction based on heredity. The term was coined in 1883 by Francis Galton, who defined eugenics as the study of social methods that could improve or impair the physical and mental qualities of future generations (p. 15). Galton and later supporters believed traits such as intelligence, illness, and social behaviour were inherited and that encouraging the reproduction of the “fit” while limiting that of the “unfit” would prevent social decline (pp. 14–16). By the early twentieth century these ideas spread widely across Britain and North America, influencing discussions about public health, immigration, and social policy, as many reformers came to see biological solutions as answers to social problems (pp. 9–11)