Sterilization for human betterment book

Mar 10, 2012 human sterilization, human betterment foundation indiana society for mental hygiene bulletin no. Eugenic sterilization in california in the 1920s and 30s. By basing its claims in the language of statistics and defending the theory that character and behavior were rooted in biological, heritable sources, the hbf spread their agenda of sterilization. Before eugenists and others who are laboring for racial betterment can succeed, they must first clear the way for birth control. A summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929 1931. Another was ezra gosney, who founded the human betterment society and authored a paper entitled sterilization for human betterment. The legal and medical aspects of vasectomy legal status of therapeutic abortion and sterilization in the united states. From 1909 to around the beginning of the second world war, california conducted more sterilizations than all other states combined. Jul, 2015 a prominent californian eugenicist and the founder of the hbf, ezra s. Out of the over 60,000 people sterilized nationally in the name of eugenics, over 7,600 people in north carolina were sterilized between 1929 and 1975, leaving a legacy of trauma and shame for many. Eugenics mandatory sterilization in the early 20th century. In its extreme, racist form, this meant wiping away all human beings deemed unfit, preserving only those who conformed to a. Europe pmc is an archive of life sciences journal literature.

Eugenic sterilization refers to a sterilization performed for the benefit of the state. The book is in no sense a legal treatise, but is a short comprehensible statement of the arguments in favor of sterilization for human betterment. Dight continued his legislative efforts as late as 1935. The interests of each will be promoted by frank recognition of its own limitations, and of these distinctions. Human betterment foundation publishes human sterilization. For this class on heredity, burlingame received and utilized prosterilization propaganda from the human betterment foundation, a eugenic organization based in pasadena founded in part by david. The group promoted eugenic sterilization and sought to educate the. A summary of results of 6, 000 operations in california, 19091929. Of all published articles, the following were the most read within the past 12 months. These findings have been digested and published in more accessible form in a book of 202 pages entitled sterilization for human betterment by e. The hbf also published a more popular version stripped of technicalities for the general reading public entitled sterilization for human betterment e. The human betterment foundation, an american eugenics organization established in california in 1928, publishes a twelvepage pamphlet entitled human sterilization. Sterilization of the unfit is becoming more and more discussed, and it is fitting that a book such as that before us should have been published, for it is only in california that adequate data can be found on which to base a sound judgment on the merits and demerits of sterilization. In its extreme, racist form, this meant wiping away all human beings deemed unfit, preserving only those who conformed to.

A history of involuntary sterilization in the united states. Vasectomy eugenics history vasectomy minneapolis mn. Gosney identifies three main motives for a state sterilization program in sterilization for human betterment. Gosney papers and records of the human betterment foundation, archives, california institute of technology. Book printed material effects of eugenic sterilization as. Jul 02, 2019 they helped form the human betterment league of north carolina in 1947, and found a sympathetic bureaucrat in wallace kuralt. A summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929. Eugenics was a very popular and successful program which occurred in the early 20th century and was most definitely not covered in my high school history book or class. Read the fulltext online edition of sterilization for human betterment. According to gosney eugenic sterilization, primarily, is. Sterilization for human betterment hardcover january 1, 1929 see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. From california, the first hotbed of eugenics proponents, ezra s.

Birth control and racial betterment by margaret sanger. Npr described the human betterment leagues brochures as saying things like, north carolina offers its citizens protection in the form of selective sterilization, and the job of parenthood is too much to. Others included the states attorney general of long standing, ulysses webb, leading philanthropists and scientists, and faculty members from state universities and colleges. This book is more than a summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929, for it discusses eugenic sterilization in theory as well as in practice, not only the compulsory sterilization of inmates of penal and reformatory institutions and of asylums for the feebleminded and the mentally disordered, but also sterilization voluntarily sought. Twentyeight years of sterilization in california, published in 1938, was largely a rehash of their earlier book, sterilization for human betterment. The basic premise was to sterilize the feebleminded in order to force darwins theory, survival of the fittest upon society. On the answer to this question depends the very existence of american civilization. Jordan remained a member of the human betterment foundation and a proponent of eugenics until his death in palo alto, california on 19 september 1931. The escalation of human sterilization in the 1900s pdxscholar. The fight for and against 50 years of sterilization in north carolina senior project submitted to the division of social studies of bard college by kay schaffer annandaleonhudson, new york may 2014. Gosney with the aim to foster and aid constructive and educational forces for the protection and betterment of the human family in body, mind, character, and citizenship. The result of gosney and popenoes research was a coauthored volume, sterilization for human betterment.

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. He also paid for most of the sterilizations in orange county during one year, and he paid for the research that went into the book sterilization in north carolina, written by researcher moya woodside. Home browse books book details, sterilization for human betterment. Although the north carolina forced sterilization program occurred in the past, it is clear that its impact resonates today. Human betterment association for voluntary sterilization, 19571964. Sterilization was quickly taken up by the eugenics movement as a major instrument to prevent the decline of the quality of the american population. This item is included in this collection with permission from judith r. The latter was to be used by hitlers third reich to buttress and expand upon germanys nascent race hygiene programs.

He spoke and wrote on the subject of eugenics, including over 300 letters to minneapolis daily newspapers, a 1935 pamphlet on the history and early stages of the organized eugenics movement for human betterment in minnesota, and a 1936 book entitled call for a new social order. The forgotten lessons of the american eugenics movement. A summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929, completed and published in 1929. Twentyeight state sterilization laws of the united states and puerto rico. Eugenics and the nazis the california connection sfgate. Ironically, the fact that black women were now eligible for government financial assistance increased their risk of sterilization. The pamphlet opens, strong, intelligent, useful families are becoming smaller and smaller. They helped form the human betterment league of north carolina in 1947, and found a sympathetic bureaucrat in wallace kuralt. Goodstein, university archivist, caltech, institute archives, caltech, mail code 015a74, pasadena, ca, 91125.

Eugenics mandatory sterilization in the early 20th. Stirring testimony in raleigh yesterday from victims of the states eugenics program prompted us to dig into our stacks for vestiges of this shameful period in north carolina history. The human betterment foundations propaganda for eugenics. Adam cohens book imbeciles details how carrie buck, shown here with her mother, emma, in 1924, came to be at the center of a supreme court case that legalized forced sterilization for. The word blurb had its origin in the exploitation of this book 194. Gamble contributed time, money and a keen publicrelations sense to the human betterment league. The library of congress is unaware of, or has been unable to identify a owner andor information about any possible or likely owner, and makes this item available as an exercise of fair use for. A summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929 by e. Sep 22, 20 in the past, sterilization of vulnerable populations in the name of human betterment was carried out with legal authority and the backing of political elites. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Proposed sterilization of certain mental and physical degenerates. Eugenics was the pseudoscience aimed at improving the human race. Jun 23, 2011 the human betterment league of north carolina was a voluntary organization founded in winstonsalem in 1947. The human betterment foundations study on the effects of sterilization.

In the past, sterilization of vulnerable populations in the name of human betterment was carried out with legal authority and the backing of political elites. Human sterilization in the united states, 1932 vermonts history of eugenic sterilization predated the eugenics survey by at least twelve years and continued long after the survey closed. The foundations first book, sterilization for human betterment, was published in 1929. Sterilization in california california was the third state to enact a compulsory sterilization law after connecticut and indiana, and unlike its two predecessors it enforced it rigorously. The human betterment foundation hbf was an american eugenics organization established in pasadena, california in 1928 by e.

The group promoted eugenic sterilization and sought to educate the public about the causes and prevention of mental illnesses and handicaps. This eugenicist started coerced sterilization in north. Questia read the fulltext online edition of sterilization for human betterment. Paul popenoe, an aggressive and successful advocate of eugenics in the early twentieth century, obtained the support of a wealthy financier, e. The book sought to argue that eugenic sterilization was scientifically supported, caused no harm to patients, and was legally sound. Gosney and paul popenoe publication library call number. Human betterment association for voluntary sterilization u. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 612k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Human betterment foundation 19281942 the embryo project. The human betterment league of north carolina was a voluntary organization founded in winstonsalem in 1947. He also paid for most of the sterilizations in orange county during one year, and he paid for the research that went into the book sterilization in north. The surprising history of marriage counseling american. Kirsten spicer shall the fit or unfit make up the future population of the united states.

Eugenicists used the results published in that book to advocate for the expansion of sterilization legislation in places like germany and the scandinavian countries. Gosney is a man of business with a legal training, who for the past eighteen years has devoted. Sterilization for human betterment historical issues in mental health hardcover october 1, 1979 by e. This work culminated in the 1929 sterilization for human betterment. After collecting data and interviewing patients and staff at state homes and hospitals, he and gosney coauthored sterilization for human betterment. Irresponsible, diseased, defective parents, on the other hand, do not limit their families correspondingly. The combination of welfare dependence and racism led to stereotypes of promiscuity and black women and girls were subsequently targeted for sterilization. What current and past practices share is the assumption that some women by virtue of their class position, sexual behavior, or ethnic identity are socially unfit to reproduce and parent. The human betterment foundation played a key role in the history of eugenics and sterilization in california, the us, and many other countries. Yet harry perkins attibuted the final passage of vermonts sterilization law of 1931 to the eugenics surveys public education campaigns. A summary of results of 6,000 operations in california, 19091929 1929, and. There were 601 more males than females sterilized, 1,488 were on feebleminded, and in this group there were 330 more females than males. A summary of results of 6000 operations in california, 19091929, which touted the immense value of reproductive surgery and rallied sterilization crusaders across the united states and europe. It is concerned with the study of being wellborn and with all the social agencies, which may improve or impair, physically and mentally, the racial qualities of future generations.

Furthermore, popenoe was the author of an amazing number of articles that were derivatives of the original books. Gosney, paul popenoe, 1931 online research library. I should point out that california was the sterilization capital of the united states, with a third of all the national. Together in 1929 they published, sterilization for human betterment. Sterilization for human betterment historical issues in mental health gosney, e. This little book is a storehouse of information on the efforts which have been made in the united states to improve the human stock by sterilising the. Like the advocates of birth control, the eugenists, for instance, are seeking to assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit. Human sterilization today with the compliments of the human betterment foundation 321 pacific southwest building pasadena, california during the last twentyeight years. The human betterment foundation promoted these observations in two popular books.

This is a publication of the human betterment foundation. The pamphlet sterilization for human betterment, published by the human betterment foundation pasadena, california, states that,000 people in this category had been asexualized between 1909 and 1939 in california. Sterilization for human betterment historical issues in mental health. Gosney 18551942 and paul popenoe 18881979 brought us sterilization for human betterment, a book chronicling 6,000 successful sterilizations in california of idiots and other undesirables. January, 1930 the canadian medical association journal cmaj publishes an editorial promoting the sterilization of canadian citizens on eugenic grounds vol.