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German Physician, Naturalist, and Anthropologist

Rush believed that Black skin was a form of leprosy and that Black people were biologically different from whites. These beliefs were widely disseminated in his medical teachings and writings, contributing to the justification of racial discrimination and slavery. 

German Physician, Naturalist, and Anthropologist

Who: Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) 

What: Promoted theories of Black biological inferiority. 

When: 1792 

Details: Rush believed that Black skin was a form of leprosy and that Black people were biologically different from whites. These beliefs were widely disseminated in his medical teachings and writings, contributing to the justification of racial discrimination and slavery. 

Why and How It Was Racist: Rush's pseudoscientific theories provided an intellectual foundation for the racist belief in Black inferiority, influencing both medical practice and public opinion. 

Sources:
Journal Article:
d'Elia, D. J. (1969). Dr. Benjamin Rush and the Negro. Journal of the History of Ideas, 30(3), 413-422. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2708566
Website:
Benjamin Rush. University Archives and Records Center. (2018, September 6). https://archives.upenn.edu/exhibits/penn-people/biography/benjamin-rush/



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