Origin of eugenics

Since a fair number of people have been coming to my blog through searches for eugenics that hit this post about Glenn Beck's nonsense, I may as well post a link to my piece on Francis Galton of a few years ago. Galton was "The First Eugenicist." Excerpt:

Galton lived to see his ideas gain considerable acceptance, as eugenics societies and journals sprang up in the new century. The movement continued to grow after his death, spreading to multiple countries and across the political spectrum. Having long found acolytes on the right, eugenics now gained enthusiasts among liberals and socialists who embraced hereditary improvement as a progressive cause.

Note to Jonah Goldberg fans: Neither left nor right had any monopoly on eugenics.