- published: 13 Aug 2013
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Madison Grant (November 19, 1865 – May 30, 1937) was an American lawyer, historian and physical anthropologist, known primarily for his work as a eugenicist and conservationist. As a eugenicist, Grant was responsible for one of the most famous works of scientific racism, and played an active role in crafting strong immigration restriction and anti-miscegenation laws in the United States.
As a conservationist, Grant was credited with the saving of many different species of animals, founding many different environmental and philanthropic organizations and developing much of the discipline of wildlife management.
Grant was born in New York City, New York to Gabriel Grant, a well-known physician and American Civil War surgeon, and Caroline Manice. Madison Grant's mother, Caroline Manice, was a descendant of Jesse De Forest, the Walloon Huguenot who in 1623 recruited the first band of colonists to settle in the New Netherland. On his father's side, Madison Grant's first American ancestor was Richard Treat, dean of Pitminster Church in England, who in 1630 was one of the first Puritan settlers of New England. Grant's forebears through Treat's line include Robert Treat a colonial governor of New Jersey, Robert Treat Paine (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), Charles Grant (Madison Grant's grandfather who served as an officer in the War of 1812) and Gabriel Grant (father of Madison), a prominent physician and the health commissioner of Newark. Dr Gabriel Grant was awarded the congressional medal of honor for his service in the Civil War organizing the Second New Jersey volunteers. Grant was a lifelong resident of New York City