Between 1909 and 1945, about ten thousand men and women underwent sexual sterilization in the state of California. Most of these operations were performed on mental patients and those in state homes for the mentally retarded. More operations of this nature were performed in California than in all other states combined, and until the rise of Nazi Germany, the world. This policy was in large part motivated by an interest in eugenics as a solution to various social problems. My thesis examines the role of eugenics in public policy, along with the actions of a number of eugenics advocates in California, both in and out of government.
| State | Sterilizations | Years Law in Force |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2,558 | 1909-1921 |
| Connecticut | 27 | 1909-1921 |
| Indiana | 120 | 1907-1919 |
| Iowa | 49 | 1911-1914, 1915-1921 |
| Kansas | 54 | 1913-1921 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1913-1918 |
| Nebraska | 155 | 1915-1921 |
| Nevada | 0 | 1915-1921 |
| New Jersey | 0 | 1911-1913 |
| New York | 42 | 1912-1918 |
| North Dakota | 23 | 1913-1921 |
| Oregon | 127 | 1913, 1917-1921 |
| South Dakota | 0 | 1917-1921 |
| Washington | 1 | 1909-1912, 1921 |
| Wisconsin | 76 | 1913-1921 |