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Eugenics and Civic Biology: An Exploration of Buck vs. Bell

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This lesson outline encourages students to explore the historical implications of the modern eugenics movement. Students can develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which the idea of "race" influenced public policy in the United States throughout the first half of the 20th century. Readings include selections from Race and Membership in American History, as well as the full text of Supreme Court Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' landmark decision regarding forced sterilization in the Buck v.Bell case.