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William C. Woodgridge: Modern Atlas (1835)
Map designating “savage,” “barbarous,” and “enlightened” regions of the world, from William C. Woodbridge's Modern Atlas (1835).
race
human
- Related Topics:
- racism
- mulatto
- brown babies
- pardo
- mestizo
race, the idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences. Genetic studies in the late 20th century refuted the existence of biogenetically distinct races, and scholars now argue that “races” are cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different populations in the wake of western European conquests beginning in the 15th century. The modern meaning of the term race with reference to humans began to emerge in the 17th century. Since then it has had a variety of meanings in the languages of the Western ...(100 of 15129 words)