Victorian+Conceptions+of+race

During the 19th century, Victorian England was introduced to a new way of viewing race[1] after Victorian scientists Robert Gordon Latham & [|Charles Darwin] challenged Biblical monogenist beliefs by introducing the idea of polygenism[2]. Because of the white dominance in England, Victorians considered themselves the most civilized race[3] and reinvented conceptions of race to create social boundaries with races that are not white[4].

Polygenism was invented after Robert Gordon Latham published his research in 1850, which introduced the theory of classifying human species into different groups (races) because of the physiological and anatomical differences between each race[5]. Latham argued that the races that dominated and colonized were the civilized race (Anglo-Saxon) and could “obliterate” all uncivilized and savagely races[6]. The notion of labeling different ethnic groups began to be favored after Charles Darwin’s Descent of Man was published in 1871, which focused on the evolutionary origins of the human race. Darwin’s theory in Descent of Man, examined each race (that had been discovered by Western Europeans) and compared their anatomical structure with Anglo-Saxons (Western Europeans). Since Victorian England was populated mostly by Anglo-Saxons, the English believed that Anglo-Saxons were the dominant and most intelligent human species. Although these scientists created conceptual structures that justified discrimination against “inferior” races, they did not always do so intentionally[7]. Victorian England’s racism was focused mainly on anatomical structures, even describing the Irish as “human chimpanzees” [8].

After Latham’s and Darwin’s scientific theories were familiar to Victorian England, political radicals found it easier and more excusable to express their political views. During the 19th century, the Irish were the main focus of discrimination because of their resistance against English Protestant conversion. The Irish were often depicted as savage apes[9]. Also, because their anatomical structure was compared to a non-human primate, they were considered ignorant and uncivilized[10]. These perceptions restricted Irish men and Irish immigrants in Victorian England from certain employment. Because of the Irish’s faithfulness to Catholicism, they were portrayed as mentally inferior and alcoholics[11], which reduced their social status to the level of negros. Although Africans in Victorian England did face racial discrimination during the 19th century (partly because England colonized so many of their countries of origin) African negroes still faced less discrimination than the Irish.

The change of concept towards race was a deep concern to Victorian poetry. [|Elizabeth Barrett Browning] was an English writer and poet, and also an activist who wrote poems such as [|Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point], [|A Curse For a Nation], Casa Guidi Windows and Poems Before Congress to give the oppressed races such as African Americans and Italians a voice and to also resuscitate the belief of monogenism back into Victorian England. Although monogenism is mainly associated with Christian beliefs, E.B.B.’s purpose of spreading monogenism back into social beliefs wasn’t influenced by her religious beliefs. Instead, she wanted to end the oppression and discrimination of others.  -- C.R./Eng335/WhittierCollege/Fall2012 

[1] Warwick, Alexandra, and Martin Willis, The Victorian Literature Handbook. (London: Continuum, 2008). [2] Hall, Catherine, Bringing the Empire Back In. [3] Warwick, Alexandra, and Martin Willis, The Victorian Literature Handbook. [4] Beasley, Edward. The Victorian Reinvention of Race: New Racisms and the Problem of Grouping in the Human Sciences, (New York: Routledge, 2010), 12. [5] Hall, Catherine, Bringing the Empire Back In, 421. [6] Ibid, 422. [7] Ibid, 421. [8] "Victorian Racism,” Victorian Racism. ([]) N.p., n.d, 20 Nov. 2012. [9] Ibid. 9 Ibid. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[10] Ibid. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[11] Ibid.