Eugenics Movement: Britain vs. The United States

Eugenics Movement

Background

Eugenics popularized as a social movement in the early 20th century. Based on survival of the fittest and selective breeding, the Eugenics movement advocated for the improvement of the gene pool. This led to feelings of race and class superiority and discrimination. Up until the Nazi Era, Eugenics was practiced by many countries in and it took many differnet shapes.

Great Britain

Sir Francis Galton is known as the founder of British Eugenics. He was the first to use the word "eugenics." He termed this to mean "the science which deals with all influences that improve the inborn qualities of a race; also with those that develop them to the utmost advantage." He founded the Galton Eugenics Laboratory, headed by his predecessor, Karl Person. Unlike many other eugenicists, Pearson did not participate in the political aspect of Eugenics. His reasearch was statistical and scientific in nature and not intended to be used for propaganda.

The Eugenics Movement popularized in Britain with the foundation of the Eugenics Education Society in 1907. This was the counterpart to the Galton Eugenics Laboratory. The Eugenics Education Society pushed for legislation restricing the mentally deficient and the "feebleminded." In 1913, Parliament passed the Mentally Deficient Act. While there was no mandatory segregation mentioned in the act, the law recognized that there were socially unfit people that ranged from the mentally-ill to drunks to people with the inability to learn. While it was only a small victory, the Eugenics Education Society marveled at the progress.

Moreover, the main concern for the British was social class. Galton outlined a breakdown of British society in a speech in 1901. Eugenicists singled out the Working Class as eugenically inferior. They "lacked both moral fibre (i.e. was outside social control) and physical fitness" and they were "outbreeding skilled workers and the professional middle class." Below the working class were the Undesirables, the unemployed. However, these people were jobless and unmotivated because of their genetic inferiority. They inherited the laziness and alcoholism that when they were born into a working class family. Sterilization and marriage legislation was written and discussed by the Eugenics Education Socitey however, none were ever passed.

Differences

While the main foundation for the Eugenics Movement in both countries was based on the idea of genetic purification, The United States had a much more politically active movement while there was little government involvement in Britain.

Legislation

Britain and The United States passed legislation regarding eugenics in the early 20th century. However, they differed in number and shape in the two countries.

In the United States, marriage and sterilization became a state issue. By 1914 some 30 states had enacted marriage laws that prevented the marriage of the insane and also strongly restricted the marriage of the feebleminded. Many states required a health certificate from all wishing to marry in order to prove that they did not have a transittable disease, were not mentally deficient and were not drunkards. Sterilization laws were on the books of 24 states by the end of the 1920's.

In Britain however, there was never a single sterilization law or marriage restriction. The closest the British came was the Mentally Deficient Act of 1913. Havelock Ellis, a well-known British Eugenicist, argued that sterilization should be voluntary. The feebleminded should be educated about their civic duty. He claimed that if these people knew the toll they were taking on society and the British race, then they would see it as their duty to become sterilized. Galton and Pearson were also against eugenic legislation. As stated before, they saw their work as purely statistical and scientific and not to be used for propaganda. Therefore unlike in the United States, Eugenic legislation did not take hold in Britain.

Racism vs. Classism

The fundamental difference between the British and the American Eugenicists had to do with race and class. In Britain the focus of Eugenics was class. In The United States the focus of Eugenics was race. American Eugenicists were able to use nationalism and patriotism to support their eugenic legislation. They were creating a superior American race. Originally the many immigration laws showed the gravitation towards a more sterile American population. Race played a large role in marriage and sterlization laws in the US also. WASPS were protected from Blacks, Eastern Europeans, Asians and other Non-WASPS. These races were often seen as unfit and feebleminded.

In Britain however the country was divided into classes, they lacked the unification that the United States had. Even though the working class was a majority they were the eugenically unfit and therefore the target of a lot of negative Eugenics. The lack of support from the greater public discouraged poltical activists from taking a major role in the movement. Because they were the target, the working class was agains eugenics from the start. They used their majority to their advantage and discouraged any sort of incentive towards strict legislation.

Timing and Political Opportunity

Part of the reason for the lack legislation in Britain was due to the timing movement and lack of opportunity and motivation. While the movement took hold socially in the United States early in the 20th century, it wasn't until the later 1920's that it was gaining speed in Britain. It closely preceeded the Nazi Movement in Germany and World War II. During the Nazi era, eugenics lost steam in Britain. The British did not want to be associated with Nazi ideal and it deterred any sort of action.

Also, there was not as much opportunity for the British Eugenicists. They lacked a leader who was willing to push for legislation like Congressman Albert Johnson had in the United States. Congressman Johnson had used his position to advocate Eugenic legislation. The British did not have someone at that political level willing to take the same risk. There was no incenctive because politically there had to be accomodations for the working class (a majority), and the risks outweighed the benefits.

Religion

Religion also played a role in Eugenics. The British Catholics, an overwhelming majority, took a stand against sterilization and birth control, even of the unfit. The Labor Party decided to create a coalition with the Catholics against negative eugenics. Because of this overwhelming majority there was little incentive to promote legislation. The United States however had been founded by the Puritans and much of the religious structure was different. Religious activists and fundamentalists had less of a majority in the United States which caused them to have less affect on decision making.

Conclusion

The Eugenics movment spanned across many countries and social and political realms. However, in order for an idea to take hold, three things need to happen; there needs to be synergy, momentum and good timing. The British were unable to be successful with eugenic legislation because they lacked the combination of these three things. Their timing was not right, the country was divided, and they lacked motivation. For these reasons the movement took quite a different shape in Britain than it did in the United States.

Sources

Mackenzie, Donald. Eugenics in Britain. Social Studies of Science. Vol 6, No 3/4. September 1975. pp 499-532. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/284693.pdf

Hansen, Randall and Desmond King. Eugenic Ideas, Political Interests, and Policy Variance. World Politics. Vol 53, No 32. January 2001. pp 237-263. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/25054146.pdf

Kevles, .In the Name of Eugenics.pp 97-112.

Eugenics in the US and Britain, 1890 to 1930: A Comparative Analysis http://authors.library.caltech.edu/14563/1/HumsWP-0019.pdf

http://www.csus.edu/cshpe/eugenics/docs/senate_resolution_20.pdf