The Sterilization Era
California Sterilizations
“We are trying, in so far as possible, to sterilize every male and female who enters the hospital during active sexual life,”
- G.M. Webster, superintendent of California’s Patton State Hospital (1926)
"You will be interested to know, that your work has played a powerful part in shaping the opinions of the group of intellectuals who are behind Hitler in this epoch-making program. Everywhere I sensed that their opinions have been tremendously stimulated by American thought…I want you, my dear friend, to carry this thought with you for the rest of your life, that you have really jolted into action a great government of 60 million people."
- Eugenicist C.M. Goethe, to a California colleague
"From an historical point of view, the first method which presents itself is execution…Its value in keeping up the standard of the race should not be underestimated."
- California eugenicist Paul Popenoe, in his textbook Applied Eugenics (1918)
- G.M. Webster, superintendent of California’s Patton State Hospital (1926)
"You will be interested to know, that your work has played a powerful part in shaping the opinions of the group of intellectuals who are behind Hitler in this epoch-making program. Everywhere I sensed that their opinions have been tremendously stimulated by American thought…I want you, my dear friend, to carry this thought with you for the rest of your life, that you have really jolted into action a great government of 60 million people."
- Eugenicist C.M. Goethe, to a California colleague
"From an historical point of view, the first method which presents itself is execution…Its value in keeping up the standard of the race should not be underestimated."
- California eugenicist Paul Popenoe, in his textbook Applied Eugenics (1918)
Criticism of Eugenic Sterilization
“This Committee is of the opinion that the Eugenics Record Office should devote its entire energies to pure research divorced from all forms of propaganda and the urging or sponsoring of programs for social reform or race betterment such as sterilization, birth control, inculcation of race or national consciousness, restriction of immigration, etc.” - Carnegie Audit Committee (1938)
“Considering how little is known about the mechanism of heredity…sterilization is scientifically justified in only a few rare, selected cases…Before we can legislate the hereditarily unfit out of society we need facts.”- New York Times, commenting on the Myerson report (1938)
"The laws of heredity are not as simple as some of these black charts which the eugenic publicists show us would seem to indicate." - Massachusetts asylum superintendent Walter Fernald testifying at Osborn v. Thomson (1915)
"This theory of representative particles is gone, clean gone. Advance in the knowledge of genetics has demonstrated its falsity. It's prevalence was an illustration of the adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing…It is not true at particular characteristics are in any sense represented or condensed or contained in particular unit genes. Neither eye color nor tallness nor feeblemindedness, nor any characteristic, is a unit character in any such sense." - H.S. Jennings
"it is clear that unless a sterilization programme is thoroughly comprehensive in its scope and carried out rigorously and unremittingly for a period of probably at least a hundred years, no significant eugenic results will come of it." - Raymond Pearl (1919)
Victims of Eugenic Sterilization
Victim of California sterilization laws
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South Carolina's apology to all victims of their sterilization laws
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“As for Carrie, when I met her she was reading newspapers daily and joining a more literate friend to assist at regular bouts with the crossword puzzles. She was not a sophisticated woman, and lacked social graces, but mental health professionals who examined her in later life confirmed my impressions that she was neither mentally ill nor retarded.”
- Paul Lombardo in a letter to Stephen Jay Gould, reprinted in “Carrie Buck’s Daughter” (1984)
"I've worked eleven years at the same job, and I haven't missed more than 3 days of work. There's nothing wrong with me except my lack of education."
- Buck Smith, victim of Virginia sterilization law
"They cut me open like I was a hog. My body was too young for what they did."
- Elaine Riddick, victim of North Carolina sterilization statute (2011)
- Paul Lombardo in a letter to Stephen Jay Gould, reprinted in “Carrie Buck’s Daughter” (1984)
"I've worked eleven years at the same job, and I haven't missed more than 3 days of work. There's nothing wrong with me except my lack of education."
- Buck Smith, victim of Virginia sterilization law
"They cut me open like I was a hog. My body was too young for what they did."
- Elaine Riddick, victim of North Carolina sterilization statute (2011)