The American Eugenicist Whose Legacy Inspired Hitler’s Genocide
Madison Grant, a prominent wildlife conservationist and friend of Theodore Roosevelt, is known for his influential yet disgraceful impact on Nazi ideology. Born into a wealthy family in New York in 1865, Grant rose to fame and prominence through his conservation work. However, it is his eugenicist and racist teachings that have defined his legacy.
In 1916, Grant released his book “The Passing of the Great Race,” in which he proposed the superiority of the Nordic race from northwest Europe, asserting that they were culturally and biologically superior to all other people. His racist views extended to all non-whites, including Italians, Syrians, Blacks, and Jews. He was anti-immigration, anti-desegregation, and advocated for white people to only marry other white people. Grant’s influence extended to the U.S. government, where he advocated for eugenicist policies such as the sterilization of non-whites and the selective breeding of white people.
The eugenics movement, based on the scientifically inaccurate theory of selective breeding to improve human beings and the belief in the superiority of white people, gained popularity in the late 1800s. Grant’s influence grew among those who were racist and against immigration around the turn of the 20th century. He served as president of the Eugenics Research Association and was a member of anti-immigrant lobbying organizations such as the American Defense Society and the Immigration Restriction League. He also co-founded the Eugenics Committee of the United States of America to promote eugenics policies in the U.S.
Grant’s book had a significant impact, with 16,000 copies sold in the U.S. alone by the time of his death in 1937. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge were said to have been influenced by the book, and it was often quoted by politicians on the floor of Congress. However, it was not just in the United States that Grant’s ideas gained traction.
The theory of eugenics had become popular worldwide, with Adolf Hitler leading the eugenics movement in 1930s and 1940s Germany to destroy the Jewish people – along with any other minorities or disabled people that did not fit the “superior” mold. Hitler referred to Grant’s book as “my Bible,” and referenced it in his autobiographical, antisemitic manifesto, “Mein Kampf.” The Nazis even reprinted “The Passing of the Great Race” as the first non-German book when they took over Germany.
Hitler used Grant’s theories to justify his systematic killing of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust and several other people, including individuals with disabilities and the Sinti and Roma, who were not white and did not fit into his idea of perfection, the “Aryan” race. The Nuremberg Trials after the war revealed that the German side used “The Passing of the Great Race” in their defense, claiming that Nazi eugenicists were inspired by this book and other U.S.-based policies to carry out their evil plans.
Despite his work towards conserving parks, it is Madison Grant’s eugenicist and racist teachings that will define him. In 2021, California State Parks removed a memorial to Madison Grant from Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, ensuring that he would be known for his racism and not for his environmental work.
Madison Grant’s legacy serves as a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of racist ideologies and eugenics. His influence on Nazi ideology and Hitler’s pursuit of the Final Solution to eradicate the Jews stands as a testament to the devastating impact of his beliefs. While history cannot be changed, it is crucial to remember figures like Grant to prevent such ideologies from gaining traction in the future.