The Evolution of American Eugenics in the Twentieth Century: Mentalism, Xenophobia, and Racism. A Thesis submitted to the Graduate School Valdosta State University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History in the Department of History of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences July 2021 Joseph Matthew Dillon Bell BA, Valdosta State University, 2018 © Copyright Joseph M. Bell All Rights Reserved This Thesis, “The Evolution of American Eugenics in the Twentieth Century: Mentalism, Xenophobia, and Racism,” by Joseph Matthew Dillon Bell, is approved by: Thesis Committee Chair Thomas Aiello, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History & African American Studies Committee Members Mary Block, Ph.D. Professor of History Dixie Haggard, Ph.D. Professor of History & Native American Studies Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research Becky K. da Cruz, Ph.D., J.D. Professor of Criminal Justice FAIR USE This Thesis is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the material for financial gain without the author’s expressed written permission is not allowed. DUPLICATION I authorize the Head of Interlibrary Loan or the Head of Archives at the Odum Library at Valdosta State University to arrange for duplication of this Thesis for educational or scholarly purposes when so requested by a library user. The duplication shall be at the user’s expense. Signature ____________________________________________________ I refuse permission for this Thesis to be duplicated in whole or in part. Signature ABSTRACT The American Eugenics Movement occurred within several decades of the twentieth century, and the perception of it as a solely race-based movement has been generally accepted. However, while eugenics utilized racism later against Black and Brown minorities, other methods of repression were used to alienate groups regardless of race. This thesis will explore the timeline of eugenic theory itself, as well as the socio-political movement behind it, to prove an evolution occurred. Three distinct eras of change in eugenic philosophy took place during this period. Mentalism, or Sanism, was first used in eugenic ideology before the 1920s and targeted the mentally ill and disabled. Nativism and xenophobia became popular during the late 1910s and early 1920s. From this point until after World War II, policies were enacted that labeled Southern and Eastern European Immigrants as “feebleminded” and barred their entry into the United States. The final era consisted of sterilizations on African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities using racism linked to socio-economic status and enrollment on welfare rolls. The evolution of eugenic philosophy and policies occurred as new threats to the status quo emerged. While this (then) scientific theory was not rooted in racism when created, it relied heavily on classism in an effort to improve the human race. Throughout this period in the United States, the upper classes were the primary participants in eugenics. Many members were white and held classist, racist, and nativist views. These individuals altered eugenic philosophy and policy as needed to prevent national genetic stock from degrading. This was why the American Eugenics Movement evolved. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter I: “The Origins of Eugenics in Great Britain & Evolution in the United States” ........... 21 Chapter II: “1908-1924: Shifting from Mentalism to Nativism” ............................................... 50 Chapter III: “Fall of Formal Eugenics, Rise of Informal, & Shift to Anti-Black Racism” ......... 75 Conclusion: “Assessing How Eugenics Evolved & Impacted the United States”..................... 107 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 113 APPENDIX A: Sterilization Spreadsheet: 1900-1964 .............................................................. 120 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: North Carolina Sterilizations on Women by Race & Time Period: 1929-1968 ......... 94 Figure 2: Sterilizations in Southern States Before 1943 ............................................................ 96 Figure 3: Sterilization Petitions From 1933-1949 ..................................................................... 96 Figure 4: Sterilization Petitions From 1950-1966 .................................................................... 99 Figure 5: Sterilizations in Southern States From 1950-1963 .................................................... 99 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to Dr. Aiello, Dr. Block, Dr. Haggard, Dr. Rickman, and the entire History Department at Valdosta State University for supporting me and advising me when I felt so lost. You will never know how much your words kept me going in school and in life. No matter where life takes me you all with have a special place in my heart. Next, I want to thank those who have been on this journey with me outside of academia. You listened at meals, during visits, long car rides, for countless and endless hours. Many of you stayed up till dawn to let me rant until the words made sense or helped me draw connections between subjects. I owe so much to you all. Lastly, I want to say thank you to Mama, John, and Gran. Though you could not complete the journey with me, I know you are proud and always watching. iv DEDICATION For my family, especially Mallory. Everyone has been a beacon of love and hope, but you my love have never left my side nor shown me an ounce of anger (even when I deserved it). v INTRODUCTION The 20th century was one of the most influential eras in American history, and during this period several movements contributed to fundamental changes in our society, political policies, and culture. While most of these events are heralded as moments of progress and improvement to the nation, not all can share this title. The American eugenics movement was one such crusade. Its existence in our history has been a stain many have preferred to see fade, something that appears to be slowly occurring outside post-secondary institutions. This socio- political movement supplied the foundation and justification behind scientific racism as well as increased societal division based on intelligence, class, race, and gender within the United States. Eugenics and the American eugenics movement are deeply ingrained elements of American history. Unfortunately, this topic has only slight perceived relevance to the modern population. The effects it had on this nation and the world have largely been forgotten, with few exceptions. This thesis examines eugenic history and historiography to prove several points. First, this philosophy was not solely entrenched in racism, and that classism played a much larger role in its origins. The theory was used in order to determine how improvements should be made to humanity. Second, Galtonian eugenics was fundamentally altered after its arrival to the United States by Charles Davenport and his followers. Third, racial minorities were not the initial targets of American eugenic policies, but rather the mentally ill, deficient, and impaired. Fourth, the evolution of eugenic policies affected multiple groups, increasingly becoming more race-based from the 1910s until it reached a zenith after World War II. This thesis explores the eugenics movement in the United States in an effort to understand how and 1 why this philosophy evolved from a science intended to improve humanity into a race-based ideology that caused the sterilization and deaths of many throughout the century. The history and historiography of this ideology have not been given the appropriate attention by the public despite the constant, albeit unknown, interaction with its teachings. Those who have studied eugenics recognize it in society, entertainment, politics, policies, and especially in American history. Despite the considerable impacts made in this country and others, eugenics has an insignificant appearance in current history books. Thomas Cargill’s article, “Eugenics in High School History: Failure to Confront the Past” illustrated this point clearly. Cargill analyzed nine textbooks published by the top three K-12 publishers (McGraw- Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin) and determined that less than half included any information on the American eugenics movement. When it was mentioned, it was only around a paragraph in length and was primarily in relation to the immigration policy of the 1920s. Cargill stated that beyond this, “none of the reviewed textbooks includes a broad-based discussion of eugenics in the United States.”1 Most of these editions have been in publication since the late 1990s and material has been recycled in the newer versions as well. This reveals that teaching about eugenics before the college level has largely been neglected for decades. Because of this, public awareness concerning the depth this philosophy has in society is fading. This work then attempts to uphold this portion of American history, as well as to provide a functional evolutionary timeline based on the works of multiple experts. It is important to note that specific eras in historiography share similar decades with the eras of evolutionary shifts