Scientific Racism & Visual Culture
You’re designing a digital exhibit on Crania Americana. How would you present Morton’s skull illustrations without reinforcing racist ideas?
Contextualize them as tools of scientific racism, explain their political use, and include abolitionist critiques.
How did the 1790 Naturalization Act shape ideas of race in the U.S.?
It legally defined citizenship as exclusive to “free white persons,” embedding whiteness into national identity.
Why did Virginia colonists shift from indentured servitude to race-based slavery?
Enslaved Africans provided permanent, inheritable labor; race justified their dehumanization and legal exclusion.
In the early 1900s, Slavs and Italians weren’t considered “white.” What does this reveal about race?
Whiteness is historically constructed and flexible, shaped by power, not biology.
You’re leading a tour of George Washington’s estate. How would you highlight the role of slavery in his household?
Show how enslaved labor structured daily life, from grooming to food prep, revealing slavery’s normalization.
Why was lithography important to the impact of Crania Americana?
It gave racial pseudoscience visual authority, making skull differences appear objective and persuasive.
A student argues anti-miscegenation laws were just about marriage. How would you respond anthropologically?
These laws enforced racial purity and social boundaries, reflecting deeper ideologies of white supremacy.
How did Enlightenment thinking support colonial exploitation?
It used classification systems to rank races, portraying non-Europeans as inferior and outside of history.
Why did European immigrant groups become “white” by the 1920s?
To consolidate a dominant racial group and reinforce exclusion of non-white populations.
A podcast claims race explains behavior. How would you critique this using anthropology?
Race is not biological; behavior is shaped by culture, history, and social context, not genetics.