May 16, 1883. Francis Galton coined the term “eugenics,”, later describing it as “the study of the agencies under social control that may improve or repair the racial qualities of the future generations, either physically or mentally” (McLaren, 1990, p.11). Galton details the concept in his book Inquiries into Human Faculty and its Development, and recommends that individuals from families that rank highly in his merit system be encouraged to marry early and given incentives to have children. He also condemned late marriages within this same group as "dysgenic," or disadvantageous to the human species.

The word "eugenics" was drawn from the Greek work "eu", meaning well, and "genos", meaning offspring. Together, it means well-born.

This book has entered the public domain and may be read in full online. Galton's original characterization of eugenics can be found on page 17 of this public domain edition (Part 1 of the pdf):

“a brief word to express the science of improving stock, which is by no means confined to questions of judicious mating, but which, especially in the case of man, takes cognizance of all influences that tend in however remote a degree to give to the more suitable races or strains of blood a better chance of prevailing speedily over the less suitable than they otherwise would have had” (Galton, 1883, p.17)

-Erna Kurbegovic and Amy Dyrbye

• McLaren, A. (1990). Our Own Master Race: Eugenics in Canada 1885-1945. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

• Galton, F. (1883). Inquiries into Human Faculty and its Development. London: Macmillan.