Eugenics By Sophia Miller

Definition  According to the U.S National Library of Medicine’s Unified Medical Language System, Eugenics is defined as the “Applied science or the biosocial movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population.”

Cultural Background  Post- Civil War economy in the United States was very unstable.  Drastic social inequalities.  Government turned to “scientific management”, the concept of using science to control nature and human society.  This idea led to early eugenics.

Sterilization Laws  “Charity and welfare only treated the symptoms, eugenics sought to eliminate the disease.” (Creighton University)  Laws were developed in the United states that required “feeble-minded” people to be sterilized.  First person to be sterilized- Carrie Buck.

Nazi Eugenics  Hitler’s Aryan race was based on U.S developments in Eugenics.  Over 400,000 people were sterilized against their will  Over 70,000 were killed under Action T4.

"This person suffering from hereditary defects costs the community 60,000 Reichsmark during his lifetime. Fellow German, that is your money, too."

Post WWII Eugenics  1970’s – gene surgery  Scientists in Texas experimentally showed that gene therapy could one day be feasible.  Four year old girl underwent the first gene surgery

Genetic Screening  The next development in eugenics was the ability to screen babies during pregnancy to see if they have genes that make them susceptible to contracting certain diseases.

Designer Babies  Scientists successfully implanted a jellyfish gene into a monkey.  2003-Fertility doctor Jacques Cohen produces babies with genes from two different mothers.  The term “designer baby” develops.