
Scottish Anatomist and Ethnologist
Josiah C. Nott co-authored "Types of Mankind" (1854) with George Gliddon, which argued for the polygenist view that different races were created separately and were inherently unequal.

Who: Josiah C. Nott (1804–1873)
What: Known for his writings and lectures on the supposed racial differences and the superiority of the white race.
When: 1854.
Details: Josiah C. Nott co-authored "Types of Mankind" (1854) with George Gliddon, which argued for the polygenist view that different races were created separately and were inherently unequal. Nott used craniometry and other pseudoscientific methods to claim that Africans were biologically inferior to whites. His work was influential in promoting scientific racism and was used to justify slavery and segregation.
Why and How It Was Racist: Nott's work perpetuated the belief in racial hierarchies and provided a scientific rationale for the discrimination and dehumanization of Black people.
Sources:
Journal Articles:
Byrd, W. M., & Clayton, L. A. (2001). Race, medicine, and health care in the United States: a historical survey. Journal of the National Medical Association, 93(3 Suppl), 11S. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2593958/
Websites:
A Science of Racism. Center for the History of Medicine. (n.d.-a). https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/this-abominable-traffic/agassiz-and-polygenism/polygenism%E2%80%AF