The history of eugenics in French Canada, 1880s-1940s

In the early 20th century, eugenics—a science concerned primarily with the “improvement of the human race” by means of selective breeding—rose to prominence in nearly every country across the globe and left a profound impact on science and society. Eugenicists theorized that many social problems could be fixed by encouraging “fit” individuals to marry and preventing the “unfit” (usually lower-class whites, racialized populations, and disabled persons) from reproducing. This led to eugenic policies—sterilization programs, premarital health examinations, and immigration restrictions—being adopted in a variety of national settings. Canadian historians have long assumed that French Canadians rejected eugenics due to their religious convictions as Catholics. Vincent’s research project calls into question this assumption by focusing on the aspects of eugenics that made their way into French Canadian medical discourse and practice, like the use of public education campaigns and premarital health examinations in the prevention of hereditary disease.