Write an essay that describes the historical origins of the concept of race. You must use
at least six of the terms below from the readings in Module 1. You should clearly define
and describe the terms (dont assume the reader knows anything about the subject) and
place them in the appropriate historical context. The best approach is to follow a logical
chronology based on the information provided in the essays. The goal is to explain how
natural scientists conceived of the concept of race and why it was a useful tool for
understanding human biological differences.
Be thorough and clear. Explain as if you’re talking to someone who has not done the
reading. If you quote directly from a source (and you should keep this to a minimum),
make sure you provide a citation. Recommended length: 800-1,000 words, exclusive of
quotations.
Monogenesis
Polygenesis
Samuel George Morton
George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
“Caucasian”
Dr. Benjamin Rush
Louis Agassiz
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach
Carolus Linnaeus
Samuel Cartwright
Phrenology
Great Chain of Being
Pre-Adamite theory
Citations: In a short essay you should keep quotations to a minimum, using them to
enhance your exposition. For our purposes, you only need to cite direct quotations, not
information that is paraphrased. Quotations should not substitute for your own writing.
If you do quote directly from a source, you must indicate it by placing the entire
quotation in quotation marks and including a citation (a footnote or in-text citation)
immediately after it. (Please refer to the Sample Document posted on D2L under
Writing for LSP 200.)
You may use in-text citations or footnotes that follow the Chicago Manual of Style. I
have provided you the correct source information, so you only need to cut and paste this information into your bibliography. For further instructions on how to cite, please refer
to Citation Guidelines posted on D2L under Writing for LSP 200.
Module 1 Sources:
Elizabeth Ewen and Stuart Ewen, Hierarchies of Humanity. In Typecasting: On the
Art and Science of Human Inequality. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2008.
Paul Finkelman, “Theories of Race.” Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-
1895 From the Colonial Era to the Age of Frederick Douglass. Oxford African
American Studies Center.
“Interview with Stephen Jay Gould.” Race: The Power of an
Illusion.
Jonathan Marks, “Racism: Scientific.” In Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, 2nd ed.,
edited by Patrick L. Mason. Vol. 3. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2013
