Who Created Veganism? The History Of A Plant-Based Diet

The concept of veganism, or the avoidance of animal products, can be traced back to ancient societies in India and the eastern Mediterranean. However, the term veganism itself was coined in 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson, who wanted to create a concise term to describe people who did not consume meat, eggs, or dairy. Watson, along with five other non-dairy vegetarians, founded the Vegan Society, and the term vegan was chosen to mark the beginning and end of vegetarian.

The first vegans

The concept of veganism, or abstaining from animal products, can be traced back to ancient societies in India and the eastern Mediterranean. As early as 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed a vegetarian diet. Followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism also advocated for vegetarianism, believing that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

In the 19th century, several Europeans began to publicly object to eggs and dairy on ethical grounds, including Dr. William Lambe, who, in 1806, adopted an exclusively plant-based diet due to health problems. Lambe rejected dairy products, which were commonly consumed by those following a "vegetable diet" at the time, making him one of the first "vegans" in the modern sense.

In November 1944, Donald Watson, a British woodworker, called a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians: Elsie Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, Alfred Hy Haffenden, Paul Spencer, and Bernard Drake. They discussed non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles and felt that a new word was needed to describe them, something more concise than "non-dairy vegetarians." They considered terms like "dairyban," "vitan," and "benevore" before settling on "vegan," formed from the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian." The word "vegan" was coined by Watson and early Vegan Society member Dorothy Morgan, who would later become his wife.

These six individuals are considered the first modern-day vegans and the founders of a new movement, despite facing opposition. In the first edition of "The Vegan News" newsletter, issued in November 1944, Watson provided a formal explanation of the pronunciation: "Veegan, not Veejan." By the time of Watson's death in 2005, there were 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the US.

The creation of the term 'vegan'

The term "vegan" was coined in 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson, who wanted to differentiate the diet from vegetarianism, which rejects the consumption of meat but accepts the consumption of other animal products, such as milk, dairy, and eggs.

Watson, a non-dairy vegetarian himself, called a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians, including Elsie Shrigley, to discuss their diets and lifestyles. The group felt that a new word was needed to describe them, something more concise than "non-dairy vegetarians". Rejected words included "dairyban", "vitan", and "benevore". They settled on "vegan", a word that, according to Watson, marked "the beginning and end of vegetarian". The word was formed from the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian".

The word "vegan" was chosen with input from early members Mr George A. Henderson and his wife Fay K. Henderson, who suggested that the society be called "Allvega" and the magazine "Allvegan". In the first edition of the "Vegan News" newsletter, issued in November 1944, Watson issued a formal explanation of the pronunciation: "Veegan, not Veejan".

The creation of the term "vegan" marked the beginning of a new movement. The Vegan Society was founded in November 1944, and by the time of Watson's death in 2005, there were 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the US.

The concept of avoiding meat consumption, however, is not new. It can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies. As early as 500 BCE, Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as the Buddha) was discussing vegetarian diets with his followers. Followers of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism also advocated vegetarianism, believing that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

The Vegan Society

The concept of veganism, or the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, can be traced back to ancient times. As early as 500 BCE, Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as the Buddha) was discussing vegetarian diets with his followers. Followers of Hinduism and Jainism also advocated vegetarianism, promoting the belief that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

The first modern-day vegans were a group of six pioneers, who, in November 1944, came together to found a new movement. They included Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, Alfred Hy Haffenden, Paul Spencer, and Bernard Drake. The group, who were non-dairy vegetarians, felt that a new word was required to describe them, something more concise than "non-dairy vegetarians". Rejected words included "dairyban", "vitan", and "benevore". They settled on "vegan", a word that Donald Watson later described as containing the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian", marking "the beginning and end of vegetarian".

The word "vegan" was coined by Donald Watson from a suggestion by early members Mr George A. Henderson and his wife Fay K. Henderson that the society should be called "Allvega" and the magazine "Allvegan". In the new Vegan Society newsletter, which had 25 subscribers at the time, Watson issued a formal explanation of the way the word should be pronounced: "Veegan, not Veejan".

> [A] philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

The first vegans' meeting

The first meeting of The Vegan Society took place in early November 1944 at the Attic Club, 144 High Holborn, London. The meeting was attended by Donald Watson, Elsie B. Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, Alfred Hy Haffenden, Paul Spencer, and Bernard Drake, with Mme Pataleewa (Barbara Moore) observing.

The group, who were all non-dairy vegetarians, had been brought together by Watson, a British woodworker, to discuss non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles. They felt that a new word was needed to describe their approach—something more concise than 'non-dairy vegetarians'. Rejected words included 'dairyban', 'vitan', and 'benevore'. They eventually settled on 'vegan', a word that, according to Watson, marked "the beginning and end of vegetarian". The word was based on the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian'.

The group's newsletter, The Vegan News, explained that the word should be pronounced "Veegan, not Veejan". The newsletter had 25 subscribers when it was first issued, and by the time of Watson's death in 2005, there were 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the US.

The Vegan Society was the first of its kind, but veganism as a concept has a much longer history. Evidence of people choosing to avoid animal products can be traced back over 2,000 years. As early as 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as the Buddha) was discussing vegetarian diets with his followers. Followers of Hinduism and Jainism also advocated vegetarianism, promoting the belief that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

The first vegan newsletter

A New Word for a New Worldview

The word "vegan" was coined in November 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson and schoolteacher Dorothy Morgan. The word is based on the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian" and was meant to mark "the beginning and end of vegetarian". The term was chosen to differentiate the vegan lifestyle from vegetarianism, which rejects the consumption of meat but accepts the consumption of other animal products such as milk, dairy, and eggs.

Ancient Roots, Modern Movement

While the term "veganism" is modern, the concept can be traced back to ancient times. Evidence of people choosing to avoid animal products can be found as far back as 500 BCE, when Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, also discussed vegetarian diets with his followers. Followers of Hinduism and Jainism also advocated for vegetarianism, believing that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

Pioneers of Veganism

Dr. William Lambe, a vegan in the 1800s, adopted an exclusively plant-based diet as a result of health problems. At a time when it was common for people following a vegetable diet to consume dairy products, Dr. Lambe rejected these products, making him one of the first "vegans" in the modern sense of the word. Another early vegan was Asenath Nicholson, who operated a vegan boarding house in New York City in the 19th century.

Founding a Society

In November 1944, Donald Watson called a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians, including Elsie Shrigley, to discuss non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles. These six pioneers actively founded a new movement, despite facing opposition. The group felt that a new word was needed to describe their lifestyle and settled on "vegan". The Vegan Society was born, and its newsletter, "The Vegan News", was established with 25 subscribers.

Defining Veganism

In 1949, Leslie J. Cross pointed out that the society lacked a clear definition of veganism and suggested: "The principle of the emancipation of animals from exploitation by man." This was later clarified as: "To seek an end to the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and by all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man." The definition has been refined over the years, and since 1988, the official definition has been:

> Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

A Growing Movement

Veganism has grown and evolved since the founding of The Vegan Society nearly 80 years ago. Today, it encompasses not only dietary choices but also ethical and environmental concerns, with people adopting vegan lifestyles for their health, the planet, and the animals. As of 2025, there are 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the US.

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