HSY2601 Assignment 2 Semester
2 2024
Unique No.701831
Due Date: 26 August 2024
, HSY2601 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024
Unique No.701831
Due Date: 26 August 2024
ANSWER 1
The Historical Grounds for the Rise of Racist Beliefs in the 19th Century
The 19th century was a period marked by significant developments in global expansion, scientific
exploration, and socio-political transformation. However, it was also a time when racist beliefs became
increasingly institutionalized and justified through various historical processes. The rise of these
beliefs was deeply rooted in colonial expansion, pseudo-scientific theories, economic exploitation, and
cultural and religious justifications. This essay will explore these historical grounds, drawing on
contextual examples to elucidate how racist ideologies were formed and solidified during this era.
Colonialism and Imperial Expansion
The 19th century witnessed the zenith of European colonialism, a period during which European powers
expanded their territories across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. This expansion was driven by a belief
in the racial superiority of Europeans, who viewed themselves as the bearers of civilization to the
so-called "savage" and "primitive" peoples they encountered. The notion of the "civilizing mission" or
the "White Man's Burden" encapsulated this belief, suggesting that non-European peoples were
inherently incapable of self-governance and required European intervention to achieve progress and
development.
This paternalistic rationale for empire was not merely an ideological veneer but a powerful force that
justified the subjugation and exploitation of non-European societies. The idea that European culture