The Science Behind Race - 1185 Words

Complicity: The Science Behind Race â€Å"And thus in the Land of the Color-line I saw, as it fell across my baby, the shadow of the Veil. Within the Veil was he born, said I; and there within shall he live, - a Negro and a Negro’s son. Holding in that little head- ah, bitterly! - the unbowed pride of a hunted race, clinging with that tiny dimpled hand – ah, wearily!- to a hope not hopeless but unhopeful, and seeing with those bright wondering eyes that peer into my soul a land whose freedom is to us a mockery and whose liberty a lie.† - W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk ( Du Bois p.151) In Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged and Profited from Slavery the authors delve into the complexity and the dependency of the†¦show more content†¦Josiah Nott hailed from Connecticut and studied at University of Pennsylvania before becoming a physician in Alabama. (Farrow p. 183) These three â€Å"race† scientists Morton, Nott, Agassiz â€Å"were considered among the brightest minds of their time.† (Farrow p.182) Samuel Morton measured the features and the capacity of human skulls; he concluded that there were five â€Å"races† or species and blacks had the smallest brain capacity. To support his argument he suggested that God must have’ intervened at the time of the flood to reshape mankind.† (Farrow p. 186) Josiah Nott published an article supporting an 1840 census and declared, â€Å"Slaves lived longer† and was less prone to lunacy than free northern blacks. (Farrow et al. p. 186-187) The most damaging research produced by Morton, Agassiz and Nott were their theories that declared â€Å"Caucasians and Negros† as different species and defined blacks as subhuman species. (p.186) Agassiz and Nott further warned against the mixing of races, claiming the purity of white race could be contaminated by the black race. â€Å"These influential scientists not only helped justify slavery, they helped solidify the myth of black inferiority† (Farrow, et al. p. xxviii) Once developed this construct of race which â€Å"dehumanized African Americans was disseminated in just about every medium and institution in society: newspapers, magazines, books, courts, schools and universities and even in Congress.† (Wilson p.108) Slaves wereShow MoreRelatedSex, Gender, And Gender915 Words   |  4 Pagesworkings and gender represents social forces that mold behavior. Historically, science has played a major role in constructing and reinforcing sex as either male or female. Many scientists looked at the bodies as a whole and skeletons to make the distinction of only male and female sexes. 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The theorists behind them all trying to find evidence that seemed more focused on supporting their own bias es, rather than focusing on actual science. These theories were mostly inspired by racism, sexism, and ableism. Granted, this could be attributed to these theories being a product of their time. But, these theories have influenced