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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Were Nazi sterilization policies influenced by US policies of that era?

By Christopher Hutton
YES

In the early 20th century, U.S. social policies reflected an embrace of eugenics theories first espoused in the late 19th century. When the Nazis drafted forced-sterilization laws, their government lawyers referenced a 1924 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld U.S. sterilization laws. Hitler himself referenced U.S. laws in "Mein Kampf."

In 1907, Indiana passed the world's first involuntary sterilization law, which targeted criminals and the mentally ill. More than thirty states passed similar laws allowing their governments to sterilize patients in institutions like prisons and asylums in order to prevent "social undesirables" from procreating. A 1942 Supreme Court ruling declared forced sterilization laws unconstitutional.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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