Prejudice And Racism In The Nineteenth Century

For generations, racism and prejudice has caused great carnage throughout the world. It is often assumed that it is simply a part of human nature, or a product societally bad ideas, and can be ceased by the changing of these ideas. However, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Racism isn’t simply an ideology, but an institution. The origin of racism is rooted in the mid-fifteenth century, the beginning of Transatlantic Slave Trade. Prior to this, the concept of slavery existed and prevailed across early European countries. However, in these pre-capitalistic societies, slavery was not racially based. It was virtually nonexistent, seeing as early Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Christian societies had no concept of race at all, leaving them …show more content…
Whether to refer to hostile actions, antagonistic emotions, negative attitudes, or specific damaging beliefs towards any individual of color. The effects of racism occurred in a pattern, that of a Domino Effect almost. It was birthed by the broken structure of power in The New World. After abandoning Europe in search of a more liberated religious experience, the Puritans arrived in the Americas. Immediately upon arrival, they tortured and enslaved the Native population. Luckily for the Native Americans, they were already very familiar with the landscape around them, and with great ease escaped their captors and an inevitable untimely demise. However, with the Europeans bringing new diseases across the ocean, the Native Americans were unable to withstand the effects of these foreign illnesses, and their race was forced to the brink of extinction. In years to come, they would be pushed to the Western regions of the country, and left to die on arid reservations. This signifies the early signs of racism forming in the United States. These actions put the white race in a place of power, the power needed to establish the foundation of a systematically-racist …show more content…
This was the defining moment in history that gave racism a platform to spread across the globe. After the decline of their native labourers, the American Europeans, and eventually other European countries, turned to the continent of Africa. Invading their shores, they used advanced weapons to capture Africans and board them onto ships, thousands upon thousands at a time. Once boarded, the sailed back across the ocean. This trip meant certain death for a large number of its prisoners, their corpses thrown overboard for following sharks to feed on. Upon arrival, they instantly experienced neglected and prejudice, other concept the world would soon become very familiar with. This endless cycle of capturing and selling slaves did not cease until their emancipation in 1865. However, racism did not end. If anything, it grew stronger. In society, the “White is Right” narrative, as it came to be called, blocked blacks from countless opportunities, many of which would be thought of as the most basic amenities, like the right to use a clean restroom, attend a good school, and even not being singled out and attacked because of the color of your skin. All of these things together have brought great psychological scarring to the American society, on the behalf of all