Eugenics in the United States
Eugenics, the set of beliefs and practices which aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population, played a significant role in the history and culture of the United States from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century. The cause became increasingly promoted by intellectuals of the Progressive Era.
Winning family of a Fitter Family contest stand outside of the Eugenics Building (where contestants register) at the Kansas Free Fair, in Topeka, Kansas.
Eugenics supporters hold signs criticizing various "genetically inferior" groups. Wall Street, New York, c. 1915.
U.S. eugenics poster advocating for the removal of genetic "defectives" such as the insane, "feeble-minded" and criminals, and supporting the selective breeding of "high-grade" individuals, c. 1926
Contestants preparing for the Better Baby Contest at the 1931 Indiana State Fair.
Eugenics is a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or promoting those judged to be superior. In recent years, the term has seen a revival in bioethical discussions on the usage of new technologies such as CRISPR and genetic screening, with heated debate around whether these technologies should be considered eugenics or not.
A 1930s exhibit by the Eugenics Society. Two of the signs read "Healthy and Unhealthy Families" and "Heredity as the Basis of Efficiency".
Francis Galton, an early eugenicist, coined the term itself.[need quotation to verify]
G. K. Chesterton, an opponent of eugenics, photographed by Ernest Herbert Mills in 1909
Schloss Hartheim, a former center for Nazi Germany's Aktion T4 campaign
![Francis Galton, an early eugenicist, coined the term itself.[need quotation to verify]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Francis_Galton_1850s.jpg/441px-Francis_Galton_1850s.jpg)
