Eugenics Origins

This chapter provides an overview of the development of eugenics as an idea and how it grew within society. Many of these ideas are impacted by the sweeping influence Calvinism held over early America and how that helped set up a country receptive to eugenic ideas. The chapter discusses how early twentieth-century ideals and social life shaped American culture and encouraged attitudes toward racial and ethnic biases. The chapter then introduces how certain eugenicists held sway over immigration policies in that period. It also discusses how these ideas were mainstreamed into America with exhibitions at fairs, often in agricultural areas.