Buck v. Bell: A Historical Overview

Introduction

• Case: Buck v. Bell (1927)
• Ruling: Upheld Virginia statute for sterilization of "mental defectives"
• Key Figure: Carrie Buck, wrongly deemed "feebleminded"
• Outcome: 60,000 - 70,000 sterilizations in the U.S.

Background

• Carrie Buck:
  • Raised in Charlottesville, Virginia by a single mother
  • Placed in foster care, treated poorly, and worked as a housekeeper
  • Pregnant after being raped by foster mother's nephew
  • Falsely declared epileptic and feebleminded

Legal Proceedings

• Eugenic Sterilization Law: Tested through Carrie Buck's case
• Legal Representation: Inadequate, lawyer aligned with sterilization goals
• Supreme Court Ruling: 8-1 in favor of sterilization
  • Major Opinion by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
  • Quote: "Three generations of imbeciles are enough."

Eugenics Movement

• Origins: England, coined by Francis Galton
• Objective: Control reproduction to improve genetic quality
• Notable Supporters: Presidents of Harvard & Stanford, Theodore Roosevelt, Alexander Graham Bell

Margaret Sanger

• Role: Founder of Planned Parenthood, associated with eugenics
• Controversy: Ties to eugenics debated

Supreme Court Context

• Justices:
  • William Howard Taft (Chief Justice)
  • Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (Authored the decision)
• Ideology: Support for eugenics within legal and academic elite

Nazi Connection

• Influence: U.S. eugenics laws inspired Nazi policies
• Key Figure: Harry Laughlin, eugenics advocate, collaborated with Nazi scientists

Modern Parallels and Legacy

• Unaddressed Legacy: Case often omitted from legal discourse
• Impact on Immigration: Parallels with exclusionary immigration policies

Conclusion

• Author: Adam Cohen
• Book: "Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck"

These notes summarize key aspects of the Buck v. Bell case, the eugenics movement, and its broader implications on society, both historically and in modern contexts.