Introduction The Stopes v Sutherland libel trial (1923–24) was one of Britain’s most significant public debates about population control and eugenics. Yet today accounts of the trial are often simplified into a “Catholics against contraceptives” schema and Stopes’ eugenic agenda is downplayed (or even omitted!). This post explains what the trial was really about and…
Introduction The BBC’s historical profile of Marie Stopes is one of the highest-ranking articles when people search for information about her life and work. Because the BBC is widely trusted, readers assume that its summary offers a complete and balanced picture. However, the BBC page, which was originally published years ago and is now “archived”,…
Dr Halliday Sutherland is often described in modern summaries as opposing Marie Stopes because of her advocacy for contraceptives and his Catholic beliefs. This explanation is simple, convenient and historically incorrect. The documentary record shows that Sutherland’s opposition to Stopes arose from his opposition to eugenics, that his opposition to eugenics arose directly from his…
The “Tenets of the C.B.C.” (or to give them their full name, the ‘Tenets of the Society for Constructive Birth Control and Racial Progress’) is one of the most important—and often overlooked—documents in the history of reproductive politics in Britain. Written by Marie Stopes in 1921, it set out the guiding principles for the Mothers’…
An ancient fort reminds us of what the Malthusians have forgotten Last week, I walked part of the South Downs Way. Prior to setting out, I looked at the Ordnance Survey map and was pleased to note the frequent “tumulus” and “tumuli” symbols along the route. I would be walking through an ancient and pleasant…