Race: The Power of an Illusion in Colonial America

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Table of Contents

Introduction
How “Race” Resolved the Moral Contradiction
Westward Expansion
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

The race is a complex notion that allows individuals to categorize the world’s population based on their physical qualities. This paper discusses the reasons “race” was created and developed in colonial America. The report addresses the moral contradiction associated with the system of human bondage and the idea of equality among all individuals. The paper also refers to the role of the westward expansion in the development of “race”.

How “Race” Resolved the Moral Contradiction

The clear difference between free people and slaves, along with the notion that “all men are created equal” established a moral contradiction in colonial America due to several reasons (Race – The Power of an Illusion). First, regardless of the idea presented above, it was evident that not all people were equal at that time. Racial minorities were treated differently compared to whites and were proclaimed slaves. In his Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson wrote that black people were inferior to whites from the perspectives of both bodies and minds (Race – The Power of an Illusion). Jefferson’s words contradict the idea that all people are equal because he states that there are significant differences among the population. The second reason for the moral contradiction is that in the nineteenth century, various public lectures addressed the issue of race, implying differences between black and white communities. For instance, at that time, many scientists tried to prove that people of different races are “different and separate creations” (Race – The Power of an Illusion). It is evident that such beliefs contradicted with the idea that “all men are created equal” and resulted in a moral contradiction in America.

The race helped to resolve the moral contradiction between the equality of all individuals and the system of human bondage in the following way. The notion of race can be perceived as an idea that develops and evolves with time based on the population’s needs. Although freedom was one of America’s most significant values, there was a need for labor forces in American colonies. The race was utilized as a tool that helped authorities to support human bondage (Race – The Power of an Illusion). On the one hand, all individuals should be treated equally, meaning that it was impossible to proclaim some of them as slaves without facing the moral contradiction. On the other hand, there was a significant need for labor power, and this problem could not be solved if all people were perceived as equal and had the same rights. Thus, there was a need for proclaiming some groups of the population less human and different from others. This way, society agreed to the idea of quality among all individuals but stated that minority groups are “not quite men” (Race – The Power of an Illusion).

It is vital to note that some people tried to oppose slavery at that time and question the idea of race. For example, a Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz arrived in America wanting to prove that all people were the same (Race – The Power of an Illusion). However, the works by the most distinguished scientists at the time made him rethink his perspective. The scholars of that time made systematic errors believing that some nations were smarter than others while black individuals were at the bottom of this hierarchy of races (Race – The Power of an Illusion). Although such mistakes are evident now, they affected the development of “race” and contributed to the resolution of the existing moral contradiction.

Westward Expansion

The westward expansion played a significant role in the development of the concept of race in colonial America. The majority of the white population of America believed that the West was designated to them (Race – The Power of an Illusion). This idea was the core reason for the expansion to the West in the middle of the nineteenth century, as many white individuals believed that Western territories belonged to them. Thus, the notion of race and the division between the “superior” and “inferior” races became very significant for the population of America. It was significant for white individuals to separate themselves from black communities and feel more civilized than other nations because they wanted to own the West (Race – The Power of an Illusion). They forced the peoples living in the West to leave their homes, and “race” was a significant justification for their actions. The development of “race” was useful for westward expansion because it allowed white Americans to decide who could be a rightful citizen of the country.

Conclusion

The paper shows that the development of “race” was necessary for colonial America, as there was a significant need for labor forces. If all individuals were considered equal, it would be impossible to make some of them inferior to others. The idea of the race allowed for resolving this moral contradiction, as the population started to believe that black individuals are less human than white ones and thus, could serve as slaves or be treated poorly.

Work Cited

Race – The Power of an Illusion. Directed by Christine Herbes-Sommers, Jean Cheng, Larry Adelman, Llewellyn Smith, Tracy Strain, California Newsreel, 2003.

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Race: The Power of an Illusion in Colonial America

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