Veganism's Origin: Why Donald Watson Created This Diet

Donald Watson, born in 1910, is regarded as the forefather of the word 'vegan'. He grew up in a mining community in Mexborough, Yorkshire, where vegetarianism and veganism were unknown. However, his parents encouraged him and his siblings to lead independent lives. As a child, Watson spent time on his uncle's farm, where he witnessed the slaughter of a pig, an experience that horrified him and led him to become a vegetarian at the age of 14. In the 1940s, he learned about milk production and decided to give up dairy products, becoming a vegan. He explained his motivation as an ethical concern for sentient animals, believing that civilisation should not be built on the exploitation of animals. In 1944, Watson, along with five others, founded the Vegan Society to advocate for a diet excluding all animal products and to promote alternatives to animal raw materials. They needed a catchy name, and so Watson coined the term 'vegan', taking the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian'.

Donald Watson's childhood experiences of slaughter on his uncle's farm

Donald Watson was born in 1910 in Mexborough, Yorkshire, the son of a headmaster in a mining community. As a child, Watson spent time on his uncle George's farm. Here, he was surrounded by animals, each of which served a purpose: the horses pulled the plough and the cart, the cows provided milk, the hens laid eggs, the cockerel acted as an alarm clock, and the sheep provided wool. Watson noted that the pigs, who were friendly and always glad to see him, seemed to have no purpose.

However, one day, Watson witnessed the slaughter of a pig on the farm. The pig was screaming, and Watson was shocked to see his beloved uncle take part in the killing. This experience horrified Watson, and he later described how his view of farm life changed from idyllic to a "death row" for animals. He recalled the cognitive dissonance that this pivotal moment engendered, torn between the bucolic façade of the farm and the painful reality of its purpose. Watson decided that farms and uncles needed to be reassessed, and he began to question the subservient position of animals within the human world.

This experience led Watson to become a vegetarian at the age of fourteen, making a New Year's resolution to never eat meat again. He gave up dairy products about eighteen years later when he learned about the unethical practices of milk production. Watson's childhood experiences of slaughter on his uncle's farm were thus pivotal in shaping his dietary choices and his advocacy for animal rights, which would later lead him to co-found the Vegan Society and create the term "vegan".

The creation of the word 'vegan'

The creation of the word "vegan" is attributed to Donald Watson, who is regarded as the forefather of the term. In 1944, Watson, along with five others, founded the Vegan Society in Birmingham, UK, to advocate for a diet excluding animal products and promote alternatives to animal raw materials. They felt they needed a concise name to describe their new way of life, and so the word "vegan" was coined.

The term "vegan" was derived from the first three and last two letters of the word "vegetarian." Watson described it as marking "the beginning and end of vegetarian," indicating the split from the Vegetarian Society. The idea behind the word was to highlight where vegetarianism started and ended. In an interview, Watson solicited alternative names, including "dairyban," "vitan," and "benevore," but ultimately, they decided to stick with "vegan."

The word "vegan" was created to represent the principles of nonviolence, sociological consciousness, and empathy. It signifies the activism and conclusion that vegans strive toward. Watson's intention was to provide a tangible handle for a broad and inclusive perspective, a word that people could rally around.

The creation of the word "vegan" was a significant contribution to the vegan movement, giving it a clear identity and helping to spread awareness. The term has now gained worldwide recognition, and the Vegan Society continues to promote vegan lifestyles, staying true to its founding vision.

The founding of the Vegan Society

The Vegan Society was founded in November 1944 by Donald Watson and five other non-dairy vegetarians: Elsie Shrigley, Mr G. A. Henderson, his wife Fay K. Henderson, and two others. The group met in Birmingham, UK, to discuss non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles. They decided to form a new movement, separate from the London Vegetarian Society, which refused to support veganism, deeming it extreme and antisocial.

Donald Watson, who was born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, in 1910, had become a vegetarian at the age of fourteen after witnessing the slaughter of a pig on his uncle's farm. This experience horrified him and made him question the practice of eating meat. He gave up dairy products about eighteen years later when he learned about the ethical concerns surrounding milk production.

The six founders of The Vegan Society felt they needed a concise word to describe their new way of life. They considered various options, including "dairyban", "vitan", and "benevore", before settling on "vegan", suggested by Watson and his then-future wife, Dorothy Morgan. The word "vegan" is derived from the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian", signifying, in Watson's words, "the beginning and end of vegetarian".

In 1944, Watson launched the first edition of the Society's newsletter, "The Vegan News", which he single-handedly wrote, edited, and duplicated for two years. The newsletter was a bold statement against animal exploitation, marking the beginning of a comprehensive movement toward nonviolence and critical thinking.

The Vegan Society has continued to grow and promote vegan lifestyles, staying true to the vision of its founding members, who advocated for a world without the exploitation of animals.

The ethics of milk production

The Treatment of Cows

Cows are repeatedly impregnated so that they produce milk, and they are separated from their newborn calves within 24 hours of giving birth, causing extreme distress to both mother and calf. The calves are either raised and slaughtered for veal within a month or turned into dairy cows themselves. This cycle repeats, with the cows forced into a "cattle crush" for impregnation and then separated from their calves so that farmers can sell the milk intended for their calves.

The Life of a Dairy Cow

Dairy cows are exhausted by the age of five due to the strain of constant pregnancy or lactation. Their bodies wear out, and they can no longer produce milk. At this point, they are slaughtered, having only lived a third of their natural lifespan.

Environmental Impact

The dairy industry also has a significant environmental impact. With approximately 270 million dairy cows worldwide, the industry contributes to the depletion of natural resources, particularly water. Cows produce substantial amounts of greenhouse gases, affecting global warming, and dairy operations often degrade local water resources through poor handling of fertilisers and manure, which can lead to the destruction of ecologically important areas.

Alternatives and Criticism

The dairy industry has been criticised for its manipulative marketing, claiming that milk is an essential part of a healthy diet with little scientific proof. In reality, research has shown that milk may have negative effects on health and has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.

With the rise of veganism and increasing awareness of the dark side of dairy farming, consumers are turning to non-dairy alternatives, and businesses are evolving to meet this demand. Some farmers are also pioneering new, more ethical systems of dairy farming, such as keeping cows and calves together for longer and treating them with greater welfare considerations.

However, these attempts at ethical dairy farming have received backlash from some vegans, who question whether dairy can ever truly be ethical.

Watson's commitment to pacifism and abstinence

Donald Watson's commitment to pacifism and abstinence was evident throughout his life. Born in 1910, he grew up in a mining community in Mexborough, Yorkshire, where he was surrounded by family and neighbours who regularly consumed animal products. As a child, Watson spent time on his uncle's farm, where he witnessed the slaughter of a pig, an experience that horrified him and led him to question the subservient position of animals within the human world. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of his journey towards pacifism and abstinence.

At the age of fourteen, Watson became a vegetarian, making a New Year's resolution to never eat meat again. He understood the production of meat as inherently unethical and began to view farm life not as idyllic but as a "death row" for animals. This decision set him apart from his family and placed him in the minority, as vegetarianism and veganism were unknown in his immediate environment. Nonetheless, his parents encouraged him and his siblings to lead independent lives.

In addition to his dietary choices, Watson also abstained from smoking, consuming alcohol, or using any substances that he regarded as toxins. He was a committed pacifist and registered as a conscientious objector during World War II, along with his brother and sister. This decision was influenced by his belief in nonviolence and his ethical concerns for sentient animals.

In the 1940s, Watson learned about milk production and decided to extend his abstinence to include dairy products as well. He recognised that the production of milk-related products was also unethical and chose to adopt a vegan lifestyle. However, the term "vegan" had not yet been coined, and those who abstained from both meat and dairy were known as non-dairy vegetarians.

Watson played a significant role in founding the Vegan Society in 1944, along with five other like-minded individuals. They recognised the need for a catchy and concise name to describe their lifestyle and philosophy. It was Watson who suggested the term "vegan", derived from the first three and last two letters of the word "vegetarian". This term, he felt, marked "the beginning and end of vegetarian". The founding of the Vegan Society was a pivotal moment in the history of veganism, providing a platform to advocate for a diet and lifestyle that excluded all forms of animal exploitation.

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