Family observations on Part 2 of "Race: the power of an illusion"

Below are your edited part 2 observations:

BLUE FAMILY:
(1) Indian Removal Act
Initially, Thomas Jefferson and many white settlers believed that Indians were savages but they were capable of being civilized -- they were perceived as "brown little white men." The Cherokees in particular tried to prove they could be "civilized" or "Americanized." They converted to Christianity, learned English, went to school, became farmers, even dressed like whites. But because of pressure for their land, they were forcibly removed, which led to the Trail of Tears. And they were placed on a reservation where they were encouraged to be Indians and not try to assimilate into American society.

(2) 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
In addition to being a celebration of American progress and prosperity, this world's fair also displayed people of different cultures and races like zoo animals in their natural, "uncivilized" habitats, which made these "lesser peoples," such as the recently conquered Filipinos, appear inferior to the white Americans who saw them.


GREEN FAMILY:
(1) Dr. Josiah Nott's collection of human skulls
Although this was presented as objective science, one historian noted that this collection of skulls and diagrams made from them were based on prejudice and intended to show that blacks' skulls resembled those of apes and monkeys, whereas whites' skulls were more symmetrical and looked more human.

(2) Treatment of Indians
The U.S. government found ways to take Indian land and force Indians to become more like white Americans. But even when the Indians, such as the Cherokees, proved they could be "civilized" on the white man's terms, the government still moved in and took their land in the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the Trail of Tears and the deaths of a significant proportion of their population.


ORANGE FAMILY:
(1) Recent origin of racism
Racism is a relatively modern phenomenon dating back to the 18th century. Colonists were more likely to distinguish between Christians and non-Christians, and in the beginning indentured servitude was not race-based. Yet, because of labor shortages due to slowing immigration from Europe, colonists turned to the African slave trade to supply cheap labor for their labor-intensive crops. By the 1780s, Thomas Jefferson talks of his suspicion that African slaves are inherently inferior, and he calls on science to prove this, which science proceeds to do, leading to a race theory which places whites on top of the racial hierarchy and blacks on the bottom.

(2) This is a heartbreaking chapter in American history. While Native Americans were seen as capable of being as civilized as white Americans, especially among Enlightenment thinkers, many ordinary whites saw themselves as superior. In response to populist pressure for their land, due in large part to the discovery of gold in northern Georgia, the federal government under Andrew Jackson, authorized the removal of members of the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickisaw, and Chocktaw nations out of the Southeast, giving their lands away to white farmers through a random lottery. Nearly a quarter of those who were part of the Trail of Tears died from disease, exposure, and starvation; those who refused to go were often killed, and many more died after reaching the reservations in Oklahoma.

That's it for Part 2. Look for Part 3 to be posted tomorrow (Wed., 9/21). We'll begin discussing all this on Thursday.