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64-762: Built as the Eastern States Coliseum in 1916, adding to the facilities for the annual Eastern States Exposition , the Big E Coliseum was the longtime home of the Springfield Indians professional hockey team in the American Hockey League , and later served as a part-time home to the New England Whalers hockey team while the team was in the World Hockey Association . In the 1940s through to

128-523: A tipi exhibit hosted by Reginald and Gladys Laubin in 1926. Entertainment elements were added by the 1930s, including demonstrations of "automobile polo" (featuring acrobats playing polo while driving Ford cars) and competitive performances by high school bands. By 1940, the exposition had focused more on the six New England states. At that year's horse show in West Springfield, competitors from Delaware , New Jersey , and New York were placed in

192-439: A Eugenic Philosophy" framed eugenics as a social philosophy —a philosophy with implications for social order . That definition is not universally accepted. Osborn advocated for higher rates of sexual reproduction among people with desired traits ("positive eugenics") or reduced rates of sexual reproduction or sterilization of people with less-desired or undesired traits ("negative eugenics"). In addition to being practiced in

256-465: A cause of physical and social pathology as much as a defense against it. "When under any kind of noxious influence an organism becomes debilitated, its successors will not resemble the healthy, normal type of the species, with capacities for development, but will form a new sub-species, which, like all others, possesses the capacity of transmitting to its offspring, in a continuously increasing degree, its peculiarities, these being morbid deviations from

320-626: A focus on intelligence. Early critics of the philosophy of eugenics included the American sociologist Lester Frank Ward , the English writer G. K. Chesterton , and Scottish tuberculosis pioneer and author Halliday Sutherland . Ward's 1913 article "Eugenics, Euthenics, and Eudemics", Chesterton's 1917 book Eugenics and Other Evils , and Franz Boas ' 1916 article " Eugenics " (published in The Scientific Monthly ) were all harshly critical of

384-598: A group known as The Famous Five , also pushed for various eugenic policies. Following the Mexican Revolution , the eugenics movement gained prominence in Mexico. Seeking to change the genetic make-up of the country's population, proponents of eugenics in Mexico focused primarily on rebuilding the population, creating healthy citizens, and ameliorating the effects of perceived social ills such as alcoholism, prostitution, and venereal diseases. Mexican eugenics, at its height in

448-679: A number of countries, eugenics was internationally organized through the International Federation of Eugenics Organizations . Its scientific aspects were carried on through research bodies such as the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics , the Cold Spring Harbor Carnegie Institution for Experimental Evolution , and the Eugenics Record Office . Politically,

512-537: A popular eugenics movement emerged in the United Kingdom, and then spread to many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and most European countries (e.g. Sweden and Germany ). In this period, people from across the political spectrum espoused eugenic ideas. Consequently, many countries adopted eugenic policies, intended to improve the quality of their populations' genetic stock. Historically,

576-483: A sale of the 4-H steers. Many foods representing New England cuisine can be found at The Big E, along with traditional fair foods like fried dough , corn dogs , and lemonade . Aside from the state houses, food sellers can be found throughout the main vendor areas and around the perimeter of the fairgrounds. Since 2000, The Big E has endeavored to introduce its own signature foods. This began in 2002 when The Big E introduced Big E Cream Puffs , which it intended to be

640-418: A venue for The Big E , and hosts Shriner circuses, equestrian shows and other local events. The Coliseum has often been the location for the draft horse World Championship Finals, serving as such in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2009, and has been a venue for rodeos. The first game played in the new arena was a Canadian–American Hockey League game on December 1, 1926. Boxing promoter Tex Rickard dropped

704-399: Is a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population . Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fertility of people and groups they considered inferior, or promoting that of those considered superior. The contemporary history of eugenics began in the late 19th century, when

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768-655: Is aimed at encouraging reproduction among the genetically advantaged, for example, the eminently intelligent, the healthy, and the successful. Possible approaches include financial and political stimuli, targeted demographic analyses, in vitro fertilization, egg transplants, and cloning. Negative eugenics aimed to eliminate, through sterilization or segregation, those deemed physically, mentally, or morally "undesirable". This includes abortions, sterilization, and other methods of family planning. Both positive and negative eugenics can be coercive; in Nazi Germany, for example, abortion

832-645: Is an annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts , which opens on the second Friday after Labor Day and runs for seventeen days. It is billed as " New England 's Great State Fair ," the largest agricultural event on the eastern seaboard and the fifth-largest fair in the nation. The Big E is inclusive of all six New England states: Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont . The first Eastern States Exposition occurred in October 1916 in West Springfield, Massachusetts , and

896-423: Is artificially pieced together of bits of mental hygiene, child guidance, nutrition, speech development and correction, family problems, wealth consumption, food preparation, household technology, and horticulture. A nursery school and a school for little children are also included. The institute is actually justified in an official publication by the profound question of a girl student who is reported as asking, “What

960-480: Is the connection of Shakespeare with having a baby?” The Vassar Institute of Euthenics bridges this gap! Eugenicist Charles Benedict Davenport noted in his article "Euthenics and Eugenics," reprinted in Popular Science Monthly : Thus the two schools of euthenics and eugenics stand opposed, each viewing the other unkindly. Against eugenics it is urged that it is a fatalistic doctrine and deprives life of

1024-527: Is the largest vendor area, featuring household wares, home improvement services, cookware, and health supplements. The International Building is home to vendors selling items from other cultures, in particular those with a common connection with many New Englanders, in particular Irish and Italian imported goods. The Xfinity Arena provides an open-air performing area with seating for over 6,000 people. Each weekend, big-name bands and musicians come to perform on this stage. There are ticketed shows (admission to

1088-557: The Aktion T4 campaign, is understood by historians to have paved the way for the Holocaust . "All practices aimed at eugenics, any use of the human body or any of its parts for financial gain, and human cloning shall be prohibited." Hungarian Constitution "Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority." The first and most fundamental article of German basic law By

1152-673: The Catholic Church was an opponent of state-enforced sterilizations, but accepted isolating people with hereditary diseases so as not to let them reproduce. Attempts by the Eugenics Education Society to persuade the British government to legalize voluntary sterilization were opposed by Catholics and by the Labour Party . The American Eugenics Society initially gained some Catholic supporters, but Catholic support declined following

1216-582: The Industrial Revolution have resulted in an increased propagation of deleterious traits and genetic disorders . Compulsory sterilization , also known as forced or coerced sterilization, refers to any government-mandated program to involuntarily sterilize a specific group of people. Sterilization removes a person's capacity to reproduce, and is usually done by surgical or chemical means. Purported justifications for compulsory sterilization have included population control , eugenics, limiting

1280-510: The founding father of Singapore , actively promoted eugenics as late as 1983. In 1984, Singapore began providing financial incentives to highly educated women to encourage them to have more children. For this purpose was introduced the "Graduate Mother Scheme" that incentivized graduate women to get married as much as the rest of their populace. The incentives were extremely unpopular and regarded as eugenic, and were seen as discriminatory towards Singapore's non-Chinese ethnic population. In 1985,

1344-477: The "Craz-E Burger," which is a bacon cheeseburger on a glazed donut rather than a bun. Small shops are a primary attraction of the Big E. Vendors can be found across most of the fairgrounds, selling items ranging from state-specific trinkets and regional memorabilia to household goods, clothing, and accessories. Many vendors set up shops selling the same goods in multiple areas of the fair in order to attract as many customers as possible. The Better Living Center

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1408-471: The 1920s, with the month of the Exposition moving to September. According to officials, the "Eastern States movement" aimed to make the ten states "more nearly self-supporting food-wise and possess a large, prosperous and contented farming population." Emphasis on the development of young farmers continued with the establishment of "Baby Beef Clubs" in 1920 to help youths buy, raise, exhibit, and sell livestock at

1472-453: The 1930 papal encyclical Casti connubii . In this, Pope Pius XI explicitly condemned sterilization laws: "Public magistrates have no direct power over the bodies of their subjects; therefore, where no crime has taken place and there is no cause present for grave punishment, they can never directly harm, or tamper with the integrity of the body, either for the reasons of eugenics or for any other reason." In fact, more generally, "[m]uch of

1536-484: The 1930s, influenced the state's health, education, and welfare policies. The scientific reputation of eugenics started to decline in the 1930s, a time when Ernst Rüdin used eugenics as a justification for the racial policies of Nazi Germany . Adolf Hitler had praised and incorporated eugenic ideas in Mein Kampf in 1925 and emulated eugenic legislation for the sterilization of "defectives" that had been pioneered in

1600-677: The Anglican clergymen William Inge and James Peile both wrote for the Eugenics Education Society. Inge was an invited speaker at the 1921 International Eugenics Conference , which was also endorsed by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York Patrick Joseph Hayes . Three International Eugenics Conferences presented a global venue for eugenicists, with meetings in 1912 in London, and in 1921 and 1932 in New York City. Eugenic policies in

1664-715: The Exposition joined with Hard Rock International in a proposal to build a casino and hotel on 40 acres of the fairground in a bid for the single casino license available in Western Massachusetts. In a town referendum on September 10, the voters of West Springfield voted the project down. 42°5′29.1″N 72°37′7.1″W  /  42.091417°N 72.618639°W  / 42.091417; -72.618639 Eugenics Eugenics ( / j uː ˈ dʒ ɛ n ɪ k s / yoo- JEN -iks ; from Ancient Greek εύ̃ (eû)  'good, well' and -γενής (genḗs)  'born, come into being, growing/grown')

1728-464: The Exposition to organize youth competitions, in which prizes were awarded for best produce, jams, breads, raised hens, planting techniques, and other categories. The youth component drew competitors from all ten participating states and was deemed "a triumph in a new type of education." An eight-day camp program was established at Springfield's Camp Vail for all youths who placed first or second in judged competitions. The ten-state format continued into

1792-458: The United States were first implemented by state-level legislators in the early 1900s. Eugenic policies also took root in France, Germany, and Great Britain. Later, in the 1920s and 1930s, the eugenic policy of sterilizing certain mental patients was implemented in other countries including Belgium, Brazil, Canada , Japan and Sweden . Frederick Osborn 's 1937 journal article "Development of

1856-652: The United States once he took power. Some common early 20th century eugenics methods involved identifying and classifying individuals and their families, including the poor, mentally ill, blind, deaf, developmentally disabled, promiscuous women , homosexuals, and racial groups (such as the Roma and Jews in Nazi Germany ) as "degenerate" or "unfit", and therefore led to segregation, institutionalization, sterilization, and even mass murder . The Nazi policy of identifying German citizens deemed mentally or physically unfit and then systematically killing them with poison gas, referred to as

1920-508: The annual tradition. The Avenue of States contains life-size replicas of the six original New England statehouses , as well as the New England Grange House . In actuality, the state houses are not replicas but rather modeled after original state houses in most instances. The buildings for New Hampshire and Vermont bear no resemblance to their original state houses. These buildings feature exhibits and vendors that exemplify

1984-692: The building of the Springfield Civic Center in 1972, the Coliseum frequently hosted local showings of the Ice Capades and the Ice Follies . It was for many years the largest capacity rink in western Massachusetts, and was the home arena of several local high school hockey teams as well as a prominent venue for regional and state high school tournaments. In 1991, the ice plant was dismantled and hockey games are no longer played there. The arena continues as

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2048-506: The ceremonial first puck. The Springfield Indians lost to the Providence Reds 3–1. In 1933, the parent New York Rangers decided to pull the franchise out of Springfield, but the Indians were back in the Coliseum for the 1935–36 season when Lucien Garneau transferred his Quebec Castors club to Springfield. When World War II broke out, the Indians had to be suspended for the duration of

2112-845: The child was deemed incapable of living a Spartan life, the child was usually killed in a chasm near the Taygetus mountain known as the Apothetae . Further trials intended to discern a child's fitness included bathing them in wine and exposing them to the elements to fend for themselves, with the intention of ensuring that only those considered strongest survived and procreated. And so selective infanticide seems to have been as widespread in Ancient Rome as it had already long been in Athens . The term eugenics and its modern field of study were first formulated by Francis Galton in 1883, directly drawing on

2176-602: The disabled at home. Similar concerns had been raised by early eugenicists and social Darwinists during the 19th century, and continued to play a role in scientific and public policy debates throughout the 20th century. More recent concerns about supposed dysgenic effects in human populations were advanced by the controversial psychologist Richard Lynn , notably in his 1996 book Dysgenics: Genetic Deterioration in Modern Populations , which argued that changes in selection pressures and decreased infant mortality since

2240-426: The doctrines; it comprehends them both. [...] [I]n the generations to come, the teachings and practice of euthenics [...] [may] yield greater result because of the previous practice of the principles of eugenics. The more rational the race becomes, the better roads, ships, tools, machines, foods, medicines and the like it will produce to aid itself, though it will need them less. The more sagacious and just and humane

2304-649: The early geneticists were not themselves Darwinians. Eugenics became an academic discipline at many colleges and universities and received funding from various sources. Organizations were formed to win public support for and to sway opinion towards responsible eugenic values in parenthood, including the British Eugenics Education Society of 1907 and the American Eugenics Society of 1921. Both sought support from leading clergymen and modified their message to meet religious ideals. In 1909,

2368-451: The end of World War II , many eugenics laws were abandoned, having become associated with Nazi Germany . H. G. Wells , who had called for "the sterilization of failures" in 1904, stated in his 1940 book The Rights of Man: Or What Are We Fighting For? that among the human rights, which he believed should be available to all people, was "a prohibition on mutilation , sterilization, torture , and any bodily punishment". After World War II,

2432-563: The event. The exposition grew beyond agriculture and industry within its first few years. In 1923, the Massachusetts Department of Health built a model schoolhouse on the fairgrounds, offering free medical and dental examinations. The rise of the eugenics movement in the 1920s led to the inclusion of "Fitter Family" contests, in which prizes were awarded to individuals and families based on appearance and ethnic background. Exhibits on Native American culture were added, including

2496-399: The fair is included with the purchase of a concert ticket as long as it is purchased before the date of the show) as well as a number of free shows that are seated on a "first-come, first-served" basis. The Court of Honor Stage, located right in the heart of the fairgrounds, also offers free concerts. The fairgrounds are used for other events throughout the year, including In January 2013,

2560-483: The fair's agricultural roots, there are many livestock displays at The Big E. The Big E Coliseum features daily horse shows , while the Mallary Complex houses livestock and other farm animals, including goats , chickens , pigs , and sheep . Other animals, such as those found at petting zoos or in the Big E Circus Spectacular, are also featured at The Big E. There are also many 4-H youth livestock shows and

2624-454: The fair's busier periods. The Connecticut building supplies Timex watches as well as Lego , which has its US headquarters in that state. The Rhode Island building features Del's Lemonade and Blount Seafood Clamcakes and Chowder, as well as books from Rhode Island author C. M. Eddy, Jr. , who has links back to H. P. Lovecraft and Houdini in Rhode Island. Much like national embassies ,

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2688-516: The heritage, food, and traditions of each state as a way of promoting tourism . For example, the Maine House offers lobster , blueberry , and baked potatoes , while the Vermont House has Ben and Jerry's ice cream, maple syrup, and Cabot cheese. Vendors also sell locally-made products and handicrafts. The Maine baked potatoes have become an icon, with buyers regularly joining long lines during

2752-464: The idea of eugenics has been used to argue for a broad array of practices ranging from prenatal care for mothers deemed genetically desirable to the forced sterilization and murder of those deemed unfit. To population geneticists , the term has included the avoidance of inbreeding without altering allele frequencies ; for example, British-Indian scientist J. B. S. Haldane wrote in 1940 that "the motor bus, by breaking up inbred village communities,

2816-454: The mentally ill), compulsory sterilization , forced abortions or forced pregnancies , ultimately culminating in genocide . By 2014, gene selection (rather than "people selection") was made possible through advances in genome editing , leading to what is sometimes called new eugenics , also known as "neo-eugenics", "consumer eugenics", or "liberal eugenics"; which focuses on individual freedom and allegedly pulls away from racism, sexism or

2880-448: The midst of a severe mental epidemic; of a sort of black death of degeneration and hysteria, and it is natural that we should ask anxiously on all sides: 'What is to come next?" Max Simon Nordau (1892) The idea of progress was at once a social, political and scientific theory. The theory of evolution, as described in Darwin's The Origin of Species , provided for many social theorists

2944-402: The movement advocated measures such as sterilization laws. In its moral dimension, eugenics rejected the doctrine that all human beings are born equal and redefined moral worth purely in terms of genetic fitness. Its racist elements included pursuit of a pure " Nordic race " or " Aryan " genetic pool and the eventual elimination of "unfit" races. Many leading British politicians subscribed to

3008-579: The necessary scientific foundation for the idea of social and political progress. The terms evolution and progress were in fact often used interchangeably in the 19th century. The rapid industrial, political and economic progress in 19th-century Europe and North America was, however, paralleled by a sustained discussion about increasing rates of crime, insanity, vagrancy, prostitution, and so forth. Confronted with this apparent paradox, evolutionary scientists, criminal anthropologists and psychiatrists postulated that civilization and scientific progress could be

3072-498: The normal form – gaps in development, malformations and infirmities" Dysgenics refers to any decrease in the prevalence of traits deemed to be either socially desirable or generally adaptive to their environment due to selective pressure disfavouring their reproduction. In 1915 the term was used by David Starr Jordan to describe the supposed deleterious effects of modern warfare on group-level genetic fitness because of its tendency to kill physically healthy men while preserving

3136-529: The open classes instead of the New England division. In 1966, for its fiftieth anniversary, the fair began marketing itself as "The Big E." The "E" stands for what organizers said was an emphasis on "entertainment, education and excitement." Since the first fair, only World War I and World War II , during which the military requisitioned the grounds as storage depots, and the COVID-19 pandemic have interrupted

3200-662: The opposition to eugenics during that era, at least in Europe, came from the right." The eugenicists' political successes in Germany and Scandinavia were not at all matched in such countries as Poland and Czechoslovakia , even though measures had been proposed there, largely because of the Catholic church's moderating influence. "Any new set of conditions which renders a species' food and safety very easily obtained, seems to lead to degeneration" Ray Lankester (1880) "We stand now in

3264-512: The original nature that is bred into man, the better schools, laws, churches, traditions and customs it will fortify itself by. There is no so certain and economical a way to improve man's environment as to improve his nature. According to Plutarch , in Sparta every proper citizen's child was inspected by the council of elders, the Gerousia , which determined whether or not the child was fit to live. If

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3328-672: The practice of "imposing measures intended to prevent births within [a national, ethnical, racial or religious] group" fell within the definition of the new international crime of genocide, set out in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide . The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union also proclaims "the prohibition of eugenic practices, in particular those aiming at selection of persons". Lee Kuan Yew ,

3392-464: The prevention and removal of contagious disease and parasites . In a New York Times article of May 23, 1926, Rose Field notes of the description, "the simplest [is] efficient living". It is also described as "a right to environment", commonly as dual to a "right of birth" that correspondingly falls under the purview of eugenics. The influential historian of education Abraham Flexner questions its scientific value in stating: [T]he “science”

3456-430: The rapidly growing movement. Several biologists were also antagonistic to the eugenics movement, including Lancelot Hogben . Other biologists who were themselves eugenicists, such as J. B. S. Haldane and R. A. Fisher , however, also expressed skepticism in the belief that sterilization of "defectives" (i.e. a purely negative eugenics) would lead to the disappearance of undesirable genetic traits. Among institutions,

3520-693: The recent work delineating natural selection by his half-cousin Charles Darwin . He published his observations and conclusions chiefly in his influential book Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development . Galton himself defined it as "the study of all agencies under human control which can improve or impair the racial quality of future generations". The first to systematically apply Darwinism theory to human relations, Galton believed that various desirable human qualities were also hereditary ones, although Darwin strongly disagreed with this elaboration of his theory. And it should also be noted that many of

3584-455: The signature dessert of the Fair. The Big E features the cream puffs in some of its advertising; in addition, the cream puffs have been featured on local and national TV shows, including Live! with Regis and Kelly . This was followed by the introduction in 2004 of "The Big (Chocolate) Eclairs" and, in 2006, of Big E Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with Ghirardelli chocolate. In 2009, they introduced

3648-512: The spread of HIV , and ethnic genocide . Eugenic feminism was a current of the women's suffrage movement which overlapped with eugenics. Originally coined by the Lebanese-British physician and vocal eugenicist Caleb Saleeby , the term has since been applied to summarize views held by prominent feminists of Great Britain and the United States. Some early suffragettes in Canada, especially

3712-606: The statehouses and the land on which they sit are owned by the respective jurisdiction. Through an arrangement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, they are administered by representatives from each state's police force during the fair. Due to this distinction, tickets for each of the six lotteries can be purchased among the houses. The Big E remains true to its agricultural roots today, with more than 7,100 4-H and FFA participants, and 1,100 open-show exhibitors, as well as educational displays and attractions. In keeping with

3776-400: The stimulus toward effort. Against euthenics the other side urges that it demands an endless amount of money to patch up conditions in the vain effort to get greater efficiency. Which of the two doctrines is true? The thoughtful mind must concede that, as is so often the case where doctrines are opposed, each view is partial, incomplete and really false. The truth does not exactly lie between

3840-743: The theories of eugenics. Winston Churchill supported the British Eugenics Society and was an honorary vice president for the organization. Churchill believed that eugenics could solve "race deterioration" and reduce crime and poverty. As a social movement, eugenics reached its greatest popularity in the early decades of the 20th century, when it was practiced around the world and promoted by governments, institutions, and influential individuals. Many countries enacted various eugenics policies, including: genetic screenings , birth control , promoting differential birth rates, marriage restrictions , segregation (both racial segregation and sequestering

3904-638: The war due to the Eastern States Exposition grounds being commandeered by the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army for use as a depot. The Indians were back at the Coliseum for the 1946–47 season until 1972, when the team moved into the new Springfield Civic Center in downtown Springfield at the start of the 1972–73 season. The Eastern States Exposition The Big E , formally known as The Eastern States Exposition ,

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3968-853: Was a powerful eugenic agent." Debate as to what exactly counts as eugenics continues today. Early eugenicists were mostly concerned with factors of measured intelligence that often correlated strongly with social class. Although it originated as a progressive social movement in the 19th century, in contemporary usage in the 21st century, the term is closely associated with scientific racism . New, liberal eugenics seeks to dissociate itself from old, authoritarian eugenics by rejecting coercive state programs and relying on parental choice. Eugenic programs included both positive measures, such as encouraging individuals deemed particularly "fit" to reproduce, and negative measures, such as marriage prohibitions and forced sterilization of people deemed unfit for reproduction. In other words, positive eugenics

4032-597: Was called the Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Exposition . All six New England states, plus Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, participated. Joshua L. Brooks conceived it to help promote agriculture and educate young people with the skills and knowledge needed in agricultural vocations. The Exposition featured displays of innovations in the industry and held contests designed to encourage farmers to better themselves through competition. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America partnered with

4096-447: Was illegal for women deemed by the state to be fit. Euthenics ( / j uː ˈ θ ɛ n ɪ k s / ) is the study of improvement of human functioning and well-being by improvement of living conditions . "Improvement" is conducted by altering external factors such as education and the controllable environments , including environmentalism , education regarding employment , home economics , sanitation , and housing , as well as

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