Carrie Buck pictured with her mother http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/eugenics/3-buckvbell/
An image of Virginia’s sterilization procedure order form http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/eugenics/3-buckvbell/
Buck v. Bell is an extremely important Supreme Court Case in the history of disabilities and sterilization in the U.S. In Virginia sterilization was legalized in 1924 and Carrie Buck was one of the first people sterilized within the state (Claude Moore Health Sciences Library 2014). When Buck brought this to the Super Court the judge sided with Bell, that it was not unconstitutional to sterilize a woman who was deemed to have a disability (Buck v Bell 1927). In the case of Carrie Buck, she was impregnated from being sexually assaulted and her mother had her out of wedlock, which in the 20th century classified them as being feeble-minded and therefore could be subjected to sterilization (Claude Moore Health Sciences Library 2014). Within the court document, the Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes states his verdict was because, “Three generations of imbeciles are enough” (Buck v Bell 1927). Not only was sterilization of woman legal, it was enforced by the highest court of law. Woman, much like the case of Carrie Buck, who are defined as being feeble-minded due to being sexually assaulted or born out of wedlock were susceptible to sterilization. This Supreme Court still to this day has not been overturned.