HIST 1103-W4: Europe, Empires, Concepts of Race 1900-14

Europe, Its Empires, and Concepts of Race 1900-1914. Class 4, May 28

RR: Howard Markel, “The False Racist Theory of Eugenics”
What was the theory of eugenics as touted by Sir Francis Galton and what were some of the implications of the acceptance of the theory?

• Sir Frances Galton (younger cousin of Darwin) coined eugenics in his book “Inquiries into the Human Faculty & its Development” 

  • Spread rapidly, used to “explain” blind, deaf, mentally ill, non-white ethnic groups

• American eugenics mass supported by white Protestant population, including most of those in power, some being non-white as well

IMPLICATIONS

• Quarantine “undesirables” from contaminating “superior” white citizens. Cue state-mandated sterilization, birth control policies, adoption laws, & Americans to gain positions of power in scientific field 

• Immigration Restriction act of 1924-preventing Eastern/Southern European & Asian immigrants 

• Once a theory, then used as a “harmful evidence base for ridding nations of those the dominant society did not like or feared.”

RR: Excerpts on Harry L. Shapiro + Race Mixture review
Who was Harry L. Shapiro? What research did he undertake and how did his findings challenge accepted beliefs in racial science?

Shapiro-physical anthropologist for US in the Pacific. Encounters encouraged him to speak out against racial discrimination/prejudice in science.

• President of a bunch of different American Anthropological organizations

• Basically shared opposing views about the lack of ill consequences of racial mixing

• Renounced eugenics/racial science in the 30s, too late :(

Race mixture review

“…Great majority of geneticists and anthropologists today. Though racial distinctions of a biological nature are undeniable, there is no sufficient ground for attributing innate superiority or inferiority to any particular race, either in physical traits or in respect to intelligence, with the possible exception of a few special characteristics, such as musical ability-and even here the evidence is slender.” (p. 3)

• Believed previous racial science was discounted by having a “primitive conception of psychological tests standardized for persons of a particular cultural background” + inadequate sampling

• “The great injustice, after all, that has been placed on the mixed-blood is that he is judged, not as an individual, an elementary right to which he is entitled, but as a member of a group about which there is much prejudice and little understanding." (p. 3)

RR: 100 Years of Silence film

What legacies of the colonial era can be seen in the film? How is Namibia (and Namibians and Germans) reconciling and/or not reconciling with the colonial past?

“Ruthless campaign against an ethic group that has never been seen in the history of mankind” 

• Madness of Hitler started with the Herero

• Georgina questioned her identity as having lighter skin than her fellow Herero (great-grandmother was raped) 

  • Proud of Herero heritage, even if she doesn’t look the same. Wants to find out her history/past as part of reconciliation (face and find the truth)

  • Still has Herero culture passed down, such as importance of cows, piece of land w/ livestock

  • Reclaiming of culture - wearing Herero traditional wear (hat shaped to look like cow horns) + spitting 

• German descendants have economical power in Namibia (massive economical disparity)

• Eugenics - Germans & their “superior race” take over, brief covering of previous history

• Waterberg massacre - still celebrated by German peoples in Namibia 

• Hereros only get memorial plaque, buried around the bush - Georgina does not know how to do the ritual specific to Hereros when they die, another piece of colonial era

• Swakopmund - coastal city in Namibia. Large division again, white shopkeeper (Peter) believes in Lebenstraum. “Germans aren’t inherently racist” which is true. 

  • German/Herero graves, mass difference in upkeep

• Archiserando festival - day to celebrate Herero culture/commemorate those who died in the genocide

• Windhoek statue - Klaus Dierks, local historian/former minister of transport - Germans are unwilling to face the past (German golden square mile) 

  • Excellent example of reconciliation  

• Hereros don German uniforms in recognition of the orphaned who were used as German slaves (militaristic lens) 

Interesting - Georgina never learned about events like Shark Island in history

• Both sides need to forgive and reconcile

Lecture - Gavrilo Princip - upbringing. Where did he grow up? Where did his “sense of injustice” come from?

• Fewer/larger countries - nationalism changing Europe 

• Poor region in Bosnia/Herzegovina (Knin) - 9 brothers/sisters, 3 lived past infancy (sense of injustice)

• Left for Sarajevo for education (ambitious), gains knowledge of Bosnian diversity

• Austrians (buildings, infrastructure) starkly contrast the peasants

Lecture - What is nationalism?

Nationalism: the idea that all people who speak the same language, historical experience, and sense of identity belong to a nation that is indivisible.

Lecture - Civic vs Ethnic nationalism

Civic: ideas, ideals, laws, common virtues. Regardless of background, you can “sign up” to it (ex-Canadians like maple syrup & not being American lol)

Ethnic: focus on common heritage (language, culture, history, religion, “blood” [marriage])

Lecture - Liberalism

suffrage (voting), rule of law, human rights, private property, individualism, capitalism & democracy

Lecture - Socialism/Communism

Response to Liberalism (Marx) - property’s collectivized, owned/controlled by the state. Planned economy. “Not efficient, but everyone had homes/jobs”

Lecture - Industrial Revolution

NW Europe. Mass migration to cities, middle/working class inc. → rights, power, progress (Western superiority.) Fueled imperialism.

Lecture: What is the difference between imperialism and colonialism?

Imperialism: “policy a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic/political hegemony over other nations”

Colonialism: “policy of acquiring control of another country, bringing in settlers, & economically exploiting it.”

Lecture: How did new theories on race and new technological and medical interventions further European imperialism in Africa in the late 19th and early 20th century?
Hint: Linnaeus, Darwin, racial scientists (Agassiz/Galton), Grant, Shapiro

Carl Linnaeus - entranced by order (classification systems)

• Human racial categories: Europaeus, Asiaticus, Americanus, Afer (“non fully human”) 

Darwin & Patagonia - “living necropolis.” Yagan people of Tierra Del Fuego “people are purely aboriginal.” Influential views, including evolution, natural selection. Clashed with Linnaeus’ followers (humans = adaptations to conditions)

Racial scientists: Louis Agassiz (Harvard Zoologist) & Francis Galton (eugenics. Eu=good, genesis. Races shouldn’t mix, see Howard Markel reading)

Madison Grant - book, The Passing of the Great Race, immigrants are bad (Trump!) - followed by President Calvin Coolidge, “America must be kept American.” Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 restricts immigrants (800k in 1921 → 100k in 1930, 80% W/N Europeans)

• Ideas are circulating/gaining popularity