Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper explores the life and work of Frederick Adams Woods (1873–1939), a prominent yet neglected figure in Progressive Era eugenics. Known as the “American Galton,” Woods advanced an uncompromising hereditarianism and developed historiometry, a quantitative method aimed at demonstrating the primacy of heredity in shaping intelligence, morality, and historical outcomes. His studies of European royalty and his theory of “alternative inheritance” sought to refine Galton’s approach while reinforcing eugenic claims. While his influence faded as environmentalist perspectives gained ground, Woods remains significant as both a leading hereditarian voice and an early advocate for quantifying history as science.
DOI: 10.5209/ijhe.100843
Authors: C. R. McCann, Jr, Luca Fiorito
Institution: University of Palermo
Language: English
Topic: Medical History and Research
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414933646