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Swiss-American Biologist and Geologist



Who: Louis Agassiz (1807–1873)


What: Promoted polygenism, the belief in separate origins for different races.


When: 1850


Details: Louis Agassiz was a prominent naturalist who strongly advocated for

polygenism is the idea that different races were created separately and were fundamentally different in terms of biology and intelligence. In his 1850 essay, "The Diversity of Origin of the Human Races," published in the "Christian Examiner," Agassiz argued that Africans were a separate species and inherently inferior to Europeans. His theories were influential in the United States, providing a scientific basis for racial segregation and discrimination.


Why and How It Was Racist: Agassiz's work lent scientific credibility to the notion of racial hierarchy and was used to justify slavery and segregation. His views reinforced the belief in the innate inferiority of non-white races.


Sources: https://eps.harvard.edu/history-of- racism#:~:text=Louis%20Agassiz%20(1807%2D1873),racial%20segregation %20and%20white%20supremacy.

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