The history of legal sterilization dates back to the 1920s, to a time when women were institutionalized for many Americans had being “feebleminded.” By this time, that intelligence and other personality traits [were] genetically embraced “the theory determined and therefore inherited…” this ideology, Sir Francis Galton pioneered referring to it as eugenics. Galton intelligence and character are argued, “since transmitted by descent, society should take steps to encourage the procreation of people of notion of increasing the reproduction of certain groups of people superior stock.” This gave rise to “scientific racism.” According to Dorothy Roberts, author of Killing the Black Body, “racism provided the theoretical framework for eugenic theory eugenic thinking.” Indeed, influenced the development of the incorrect understanding that races are biologically distinct groups. Further, races were also thought of as being by inherited “marked attributes of inferiority and Americans accepted this idea that social superiority.” Many characteristics were heritable and could be attributed to race. As a consequence, sterilization began to be used as a remedy for social problems. American Eugenicists advocated for compulsory sterilization as a means to eliminate the of society. Public officials argued that “socially inadequate” members mental and social inadequacies were such a threat to the welfare of society that sacrificing young right to the greater interest of the women’s bear children was done “for body not a race, but rather a group of people, the physically and politic.” Though mentally disabled were the first victims of compulsory sterilization. However, as demonstrated in the 1927 Supreme Court Case, mental disability was Buck v. Bell arbitrarily defined.
The history of legal sterilization dates back to the 1920s, to a time when women were institutionalized for being “feebleminded.” By this time, many Americans had embraced “the theory that intelligence and other personality traits [were] genetically determined and therefore inherited…” Sir Francis Galton pioneered this ideology, referring to it as eugenics. Galton argued, “since intelligence and character are transmitted by descent, society should take steps to encourage the procreation of people of superior stock.” This notion of increasing the reproduction of certain groups of people gave rise to “scientific racism.” According to Dorothy Roberts, author of Killing the Black Body, “racism provided the theoretical framework for eugenic thinking.” Indeed, eugenic theory influenced the development of the incorrect understanding that races are biologically distinct groups. Further, races were also thought of as being “marked by inherited attributes of inferiority and superiority.” Many Americans accepted this idea that social characteristics were heritable and could be attributed to race. As a consequence, sterilization began to be used as a remedy for social problems. American Eugenicists advocated for compulsory sterilization as a means to eliminate the “socially inadequate” members of society. Public officials argued that mental and social inadequacies were such a threat to the welfare of society that sacrificing young women’s right to bear children was done “for the greater interest of the body politic.” Though not a race, but rather a group of people, the physically and mentally disabled were the first victims of compulsory sterilization. However, as demonstrated in the 1927 Buck v. Bell Supreme Court Case, mental disability was arbitrarily defined.
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