The Unfit Heiress

In the early 1900s, American women started pursuing passions and careers beyond the home, causing concern among authorities who worried that 'over-sexed' women might harm society by interracial relationships or passing on perceived defects to their children. 'The Unfit Heiress' tells the story of Ann Cooper Hewitt's inheritance battle with her socialite mother Maryon, who secretly had her sterilized. A high-profile court case followed, with influential eugenicists using it to limit American reproductive rights for years.