Introduction of Darwinism in the American Society

Darwinism in the American Society
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Darwinism in the American Society
Darwinism sparked great controversy in the US during the late 1900s. Before the theory reached the US, almost all Americans believed that species originated from a divine source. However, this narrative was challenged by the inception of the Darwinism concept (Winegard, Winegard, & Anomaly, 2020). Darwinism contradicted the belief that all species had a divine origin and argued that they came from biology and natural selection. Darwinism argued that it was only the species which had superior features could survive the fight for the available limited resources. Further, the concept classified some people as inferior to others, and others shaped immigrant experience. Christians strongly opposed the concept because it disregarded human rights such as equality. The ideologies of the concepts also had a negative effect on the American society since they disregarded the moral rights of the Americans.
Classifying People as Inferior under Darwinism
Darwinism was used in segregating races which were not white, and thus classifying some as superior to others based on their race. It contributed to the belief that whites were the superior race to the rest due to the ‘successes’ that the genetics could obtain. As a result, the other races like African Americans were branded inferior since their evolution process was considered to be slower than that of the whites (Bernal, 2020). The idea also led to the Europeans looking down upon the other races, creating racial profiling in the society. Further, social Darwinism argued that the poor were weak while the rich were strong, leading to a separation in social statuses. This created social classes, with the rich looking down upon the poor. Darwinism also believed that it was only the strongest and fittest that could survive in the struggle for limited resources.
Immigrant Experience as Shaped by Eugenics and Social Darwinism
Immigrant experienced was shaped by social Darwinism and eugenics in various ways during the 1900s. This was mainly because it led to social stratification, and lead to immigrants being considered endangered in terms of their culture...