Module 1; The Orgin of Race

race is group of Readings

• Module 1 of book

• The Colour Line (Douglass)

• Whiteness as Property (Harris)

Book Notes

• race is group of people who share physical traits

• racism is belief that races differences linked to significant cultural and social differences within hiearchy and practice of subortination of different races

• race externally imposed while ethnicity is internally

• ideology: set of principles that benefit dominant group

• historical precedents to idea of race

  • northern europe limited interactions with others, southern europe more interactions with other races

  • 1400s, inquisition expels jews and moors out of spain, their decendents or suspected jews and moors discriminated —> europeans views on racial purity

  • english view of the irish played role into settler view of native americans

• slavery before race

  • slavery existed as aftermath of war does not imply racism at the time

  • until 18th century humanity of slaves not questioned

• european encounters with indigenous peoples of americas, murdering and enslaving to extract gold

• slavery and colonization

  • not all slaves in spain 15th century were african, there were enslaved and free africans in spain, some even participated in colonization

  • after they basically work all the indigenous to death, and spain outlaws the enslavement of indigenous, they turn to africa for slaves

• enslavement in the colonies

  • king charles discourages emigration so indentured servitude is out

  • native americans dying

  • bring west africans, first group granted rights that were denied to black people in virginia later on

  • west africans had immunity to old world diseases because of exposure, could be enslaved longer than natives

    • initial justifications for slavery were not racial, but quickly became so because this method of slavery was different than the socially exceptable form

      • slaves not awarded human or legal rights, were seen as property, and the way it was set up made it so only africans could be slaves (manumission, masters could not free slaves so there is permamnent slave class)

• legal codification of racial differences

  • slave codes give legal differences between african slaves and english indentured servants

  • ancestry used to determine social status set stage for developing idea of race

    • africans has “heathen ancestry”

  • intermarriage ban was to prevent indentured servants and african slaves from fighting together against their masters

    • bacons rebellion led to these laws and others that divide black and white to discourage white people from fighting with black people

• Indian Removal Act 1830

  • andrew jacksons military allowed to displace native americans, including in the trail of tears but there were many more

  • thousands die in the removals

  • justifications different than the ones for slavery since indigenous not used for labor at this point, justified by saying they were hindering white expansion

  • racial ideologies focused on extinction (through assimilation/marriage to whites or natural selection/death from disease)

• scientific racism

  • racism was based in folk tales and religion, but emergence of science in 18th century shifts it to junk science justificiations

  • key feature is classficiation mania, began bc of taxonomy

  • carolus linnaeus, human beings in 4 groups (american, asian, african, european)

  • justifications that whites were superior culturally used to justify slavery

  • 19th century, during emancipation

    • Skull shape stuff

    • intellifence testing, i.q testing used in ellis island on immigrants who couldnt speak english to prove immigrants less intelligent

    • eugenics —> racial sterlization in germany

• The Colour Line Notes

Discussion Board

1. According to Harris, how does whiteness operate like property, and what are some everyday examples that help illustrate her argument?

• argument: whitness carries the same characterostics of property— the right to exclude

  • two forms: status property and modern property

2. How does Du Bois define the “color line,” and how can this concept help explain patterns we see in society today?

•  the color line is the division between the two races

3. If race is socially constructed, how does that change the way we think about racial categories and their role in social life?

Important Requirements:

• You must include at least three examples from the course materials.

• Bold all textbook or PowerPoint examples and citations

• Cite your sources using in-text citations, such as:
  (Chapter 1 PowerPoint) or (Textbook: Chapter 1) or (Author)

• Your post must be at least 300 words to receive full credit.

• A reference or works cited section does not count toward the word minimum.

• Posting a blank or placeholder discussion before submitting your full response will result in a zero.