International Eugenics Conference facts for kids

The International Eugenics Congresses were important meetings held between 1912 and 1932. At these events, scientists, politicians, and community leaders from around the world gathered. Their goal was to discuss and plan ways to "improve" human traits, much like how people breed animals to get certain qualities.

The Idea Behind Eugenics

The idea of eugenics started with a man named Francis Galton. He was a cousin of Charles Darwin, who is famous for his ideas about evolution. Galton looked at how animal breeders could choose specific animals to create offspring with desired traits. He wondered if the same could be done for humans.

Galton believed that human qualities could be improved over time. He thought that certain traits should be encouraged, while others should be discouraged. This idea, which he called "eugenics," became popular in places like North America and England.

In the United States of America, early steps were taken to put these ideas into practice. The government, led by President Theodore Roosevelt, even created a Heredity Commission. This group was tasked with studying the genetic background of the country. They aimed to encourage families with "good" traits and discourage those with "less desirable" ones.

Charles Davenport, with support from the Carnegie Institution, set up the Eugenics Record Office. This office collected information about families and their traits. Other laws were also made, for example, rules about who could marry.

The First Congress: London (1912)

The first International Eugenics Congress happened in London, England, from July 24 to 29, 1912. It was organized by the British Eugenics Education Society. The meeting was dedicated to Francis Galton, who had passed away the year before.

Major Leonard Darwin, who was Charles Darwin's son, led the meeting. About 400 people attended the five-day event at the Hotel Cecil in London. Important guests included Winston Churchill, who later became a famous British Prime Minister, and Arthur Balfour. Ambassadors from other countries like Norway, Greece, and France were also there.

In his opening speech, Major Darwin said that applying these ideas to humans would take courage. The American group showed information about how certain traits were passed down in families. At the end of the congress, Major Darwin described eugenics as a practical way to use the principles of evolution.

The Second Congress: New York (1921)

The second congress was originally planned for 1915 but was delayed by World War I. It finally took place in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History from September 25 to 27, 1921. Henry Fairfield Osborn was the leader of this meeting, and Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, was the honorary president.

The American government sent invitations to countries all over the world. The United States played a very big role in this congress, with most of the scientific papers presented by American experts. Delegates came from Europe, North America, and also from countries in Latin America (like Mexico and Cuba) and Asia (like Japan and India).

Major Darwin was a main speaker again. He talked about steps that needed to be taken. He suggested discouraging large families among those considered "ill-endowed" and encouraging large families among those considered "well-endowed." A statue called the "Average Young American Male" was shown at this congress. It was meant to show what might happen to the "white male body" if eugenic ideas were not followed.

The Third Congress: New York (1932)

The third congress was held again at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on August 22–23, 1932. This meeting honored Mary Williamson Averell, who had given a lot of money to support the eugenics movement. Charles Davenport led this congress.

A speaker named F. Ramos from Cuba suggested that immigrants should be carefully checked for certain traits. He even proposed that if "undesirable" traits appeared later, their descendants might be sent back to their home countries.

Major Darwin, who was 88 years old by then, could not attend. However, he sent a report that was read by Ronald Fisher. In his report, Darwin warned that civilization would face problems if eugenic measures were not put into place. At this meeting, Ernst Rüdin was chosen to be the president of the International Federation of Eugenics Organizations (IFEO).

After the congress, a book called "A Decade of Progress in Eugenics" was published, which contained the scientific papers from the meeting. A fourth International Eugenics Conference was never held. The IFEO did have two more international meetings, one in Zurich in 1934 and the last one in Scheveningen in 1936.

In 1932, Hermann Joseph Muller gave a speech at the Third International Eugenics Congress. He said that eugenics could improve the human race, but only if society was organized to work for the common good.

See also

• British Eugenics Society
• Eugenics in the United States
• Nazi eugenics

Images for kids

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  The logo from the Second International Eugenics Congress in 1921, saying "Eugenics is the self-direction of human evolution."