
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: Mid-19th century
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: https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/this- abominable-traffic/agassiz-and-polygenism/polygenism
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/
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