January 3rd, 1913. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt writes to the founder of the Eugenics Record Office, prominent eugenicist Charles Davenport, and offers his views on eugenics; a highly controversial movement whose aim – essentially the eradication of “defective” humans in society by way of selective breeding – gained much attention in the 1930/40s when more than 400’000 Germans were sterilised against their will, and over 70’000 others killed, as part of Adolf Hitler’s quest to rid the country of “life unworthy of life.”
Is Roosevelt saying what I think he’s saying? If so, I’m really disappointed.
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