A documentary history of racism in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present.
European Racism provides more than 130 primary sourcesfrom religious tracts, legal codes, and government edicts, to novel excerpts, paintings, and songsto help readers trace the development and spread of racism in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The volume is organized into six chapters revealing how Europeans developed racist attitudes toward various groups: Jews, Muslims, Black Africans, Asians, the Romani, and global Indigenous Peoples. The editors highlight how racism intersects with gender roles, sexual identities, economic status, religious affiliation, national origin, and military alliances, while also stressing moments of historical anti-racist resistance.
Authors provide a general volume introduction and six section introductions, and contextualizing headnotes accompany each document; as well, marginal glossing throughout helps students with unfamiliar references and terminology.
Recenzijas
This superb and wide-ranging collection demonstrates how racist discourses never emerge in isolation but feed and bleed on one other. Science, religion, and humanitarian care are all invoked in overtly high-minded rationales supporting programs of protection and purification, but the underlying motivations are consistently low, violent, purgative, and exploitative. The editors have sourced pamphlets, letters, laws, treatises, images, and news reports across the range of subjects and periods to show how these ideas spread across genres and periods. Each section and document is carefully framed with explanations that clarify terms and contexts, identify antecedents, parallels, and outcomes, and demonstrate how Europeans constructed, projected, and weaponized race from the ancient to the modern period. An indispensable resource for anyone wanting to understand, research, or teach how Europeans have thought, written, and acted on race. Nicholas Terpstra, University of Toronto
A timely and useful collection of documents that span an enormous range and offer a comprehensive accounting of the varieties of racism perpetrated in Europe over hundreds of years. Well-chosen documents and clearly written introductions make this an ideal companion for teaching and a valuable resource for students. Philippa Levine, The University of Texas at Austin
Introduction
Chronology
Questions to ConsiderPart 1: Racism Against Jewish Peoples
Introduction
1. From John 8:3159, 18:3340. 19:17, 12, 1416 (Revised Standard Version)
2. From Thomas of Monmouth, 'The Life and Miracles of St. William of Norwich'
(c. 1173)
3. Image: Crucifixion of William of Norwich, from a Church in Loddon, UK
(15th Century)
4. From The Bull of Pope Gregory X (1272)
5. Example of a Purity of Blood Law: Anonymous, Sentencia-Estatuto de Toledo
(1449)
6. Image: Woodcut Portraying the 1475 Death of Simon of Trent (1493)
7. From Martin Luther, On the Jews and Their Lies (1543)
8. From Edward Nicholas, An Apology for the Honorable Nation of the Jews
(1648)
9. From William Prynne, A Short Demurrer to the Jewes (1656)
10. From D.L., Israels Condition and Cause Pleaded (1656)
11. From Jan Jacob Mauricius, Account of a Ritual Murder Accusation in
Nijmegen (1715)
12. Images of the Judensau, Frankfurt (18th Century)
13. From Frederick William III, King of Prussia, 'Edict Concerning the Civil
Status of the Jews in the Prussian State' (1812)
14. Caricature: Thomas Rowlandson, Ladies Trading on Their Own Bottom or
Solomon Enjoys Himself with Two Pretty Christian Girls (1810)
15. From Mary Antin, 'A Little Jewish Girl in the Russian Pale' (1890)
16. Caricature: Émile Courtet, 'Jewish Virtues According to Galls Method'
(1893) and Photograph of Alfred Dreyfus (1894)
17. 'Jewish Massacre Denounced: East Side Mass Meeting Plans to Help the
Victims of Russians in Kishinev' (1903)
18. From Thomas Athol Joyce and Northcote W. Thomas, Women of All Nations. A
Record of their Characteristics, Habits, Manners, Customs, and Influence
(1909)
19. Julius Streicher, 'The Murderous People' (1934)
20. Pages from the Childrens Storybook The Poisonous Mushroom and the Board
Game: 'Jews Out!' (1938)
21. From Eta Fuchs Berk, Chosen: A Holocaust Memoir (1992)
22. From 'Conversation with Shaul Ladany, An Olympian Who Survived the
Holocaust and the Munich Massacre' (2020)
23. 'Anti-Semitism Continues to Mar Presidential Politics in Poland' (1990)
Part 2: Racism against Muslim Peoples
Introduction
24. A Spanish Muslim, Ibn awqal, Comments on Sexual Relations between Muslim
men and Christian Women (10th century)
25. Anonymous, Here after Followeth a Lytell Treatyse agaynst Mahumet and his
Cursed Secte (1530)
26. Martin Luther, On War Against the Turks (1529)
27. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, On War Against the Turks (De bello
turcico) (1530)
28. From Henrick van Haestens and Christoffel von Sichem, Abominations of the
Foremost Head Heretics (1608)
29. Ahmad bin Qasim (al-Hajan) in France, 161113: A Muslim Responds
30. From Henrick van Haestens, Abomination of the Head Heretics (1658)
31. From Book of a Thousand Questions (1657)
32. From Cornelius Hazart, Church History of the Entire World (1671)
33. From John Hughes, The Siege of Damascus. A Tragedy (1720)
34. From Voltaire, Mahomet: The ImpostorA Tragedy Marked with the Variations
of the Manager's Book at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane (1796)
35. Hymn: Charles Wesley, Sun of Unclouded Righteousness (1758)
36. Paintings: Jean-Léon Gérōme, Pool in a Harem (1876) and Snake Charmer
(1879)
37. Eliza Fay, 'Letter: On Board Ship, in the Red Sea, Near Suez,' Original
Letters from India (1779)
38. Russian Anti-Turkish World War I Propaganda Poster: 'Turkish Cowardice
and Valiant Prowess' (1914)
39. Correspondence about Moulvi Sadruddin, Imam of the Woking Mosque, and the
Burial of Muslim Soldiers in England (1915)
40. From Mahfoud Rezigat, 'It Was a Horrible Night' (1961)
41. The Heidelberg Circle, 'Heidelberg Manifesto' (1982)
42. Photo: Jochen Eckel, The Solingen Arson Attack (1993)
43. From 'The Courage of a Mother: Kadefa Rizvanovi,' (19921995)
44. 'UN Rights Chief Appalled at Recent Treatment of Refugees, Migrants by
Hungarian Authorities' (2015)
45. Hillary Margolis, 'Denmarks Face Veil Ban Latest in Harmful Trend'
(2018)
46. United Nations Secretary-General's Video Message on the International Day
to Combat Islamophobia (2021)
Part 3: Racism Against Black Peoples
Introduction
47. Image: The 'Blemmyes' (A European Representation of Africans) (c. 1400s)
48. From George Best, A Trve Discovrse of the Late Voyage of Discouerie
(1578)
49. Elizabeth I, 'An Open Letter to the Lord Mayor of London' (1596)
50. Duarte Lopez, A Reporte of the Kingdome of Congo (1597)
51. Johan Isaksson Pontanus, Historical Description of the Very Widely Famed
Merchant City of Amsterdam (1614)
52. Pieter Jansz Twiscks Story of the Black Moor and the Jesuit, from his
History of the Fall of Tyranny (1620)
53. Sir Thomas Herbert, A Relation of Some Yeares Travaile ... Africa (1634)
54. A True Relation of the Inhumane and Unparalleld Actions, and Barbarous
Murders of Negroes or Moors: Committed on three English-men in Old Calabar in
Guinny (1672)
55. From George Keith, An Exhortation & Caution to Friends Concerning Buying
or Keeping of Negroes (1693)
56. From Edward Long, The History of Jamaica (1774)
57. William Cowper, The Negros Complaint: A Poem (1788)
58. Olaudah Equiano Describes Conditions on a Slave Ship Crossing the
Atlantic, in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789)
59. Society for the Friends of Blacks in Paris, 'Address to the National
Assembly for the Abolition of the Trade in Blacks' (1790)
60. Advertisement: Just Arrived from London the Hottentot Venus: The Only
One Ever Exhibited in Europe (c. 1810)
61. Advertisement: A Black Man Buying some of J. Morison's Pills, Hoping They
Will Make Him White (c. 1825)
62. From Josiah Clark Nott and George Gliddon, Types of Mankind or
Ethnological Researches, Based upon the Ancient Monuments, Paintings,
Sculptures, and Crania of Races, and upon the Natural, Geographical,
Philological and Biblical History (1854)
63. From Arthur de Gobineau, The Inequality of Human Races (185355)
64. Advertisement: The Zulu Kaffirs, or WILD MEN! of Africa (1861)
65. Advertisement: Pears' Soap: Matchless for the Complexion (c. 1880)
66. From Manuel Timbu, Eyewitness Account of Genocide in German Southwest
Africa in Report on the Natives of South-West Africa and Their Treatment by
Germany (1918)
67. From Karl Pearson, National Life from the Standpoint of Science (1905)
68. 'A Plan to Highlight the Academic and Professional Accomplishments of
Coloured Men' (1913)
69. From E.D. Morel, The Horror on the Rhine (1921)
70. Poster: a Degenerate Music Exhibition in Nazi Germany (1938)
71. From Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks (1952)
72. Enoch Powell, 'Rivers of Blood' Speech (1968)
73. Afrophobia in European School Curriculums, European Network Against
Racism Shadow Report, 20142015 (2015)
Part 4: Racism Against Asian Peoples
Introduction
74. Marco Polos Account of Mongolian China, from 'The Travels of Marco Polo'
(c. 1295)
75. From a Translated Spanish Pamphlet called 'News from China' (1577)
76. From Peter Martyr dAnghieras The History of Travayle in the West and
East Indies, and other Countreys Lying Eyther Way (1577)
77. From Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, His Discours of Voyages into the Easte
and West Indies (1598)
78. From José de Acosta, The Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and
West Indies (1604)
79. From Johan Isaksson Pontanus, Historical Description of the Very Widely
Famed Merchant City of Amsterdam (1614)
80. From Cornelius Hazar, Church History of the Entire World, 1671: A
Netherlandic Jesuits perspective on the Mongols (Tartars)
81. From Louis de Gaya and Thomas Brown, Marriage Ceremonies (1703)
82. Leaflet: Advertising the Appearances by "Two Chinese Ladies" in Elaborate
National Costume, Singing and Playing Traditional Chinese Instruments (1826)
83. Arthur de Gobineau on Characteristics of the 'Yellow Race' in The
Inequality of Human Races (1855)
84. From Joseph Salter, The Asiatic in England: Sketches of Sixteen Years
Work Among Orientals (1873)
85. From Fanny L. Rains, Travel Writings on Domestic Life in Singapore
(1878)
86. Political Cartoon: Henri Meyer, 'Chinathe Cake of Kings and ... of
Emperors' (1898)
87. From Pierre Loti, Carmen Sylva and Sketches from the Orient (1912)
88. From P. Daryl Klein, Second Lieutenant in the World War I Chinese Labour
Corp (1919)
89. From George Orwell, Burmese Days (1934)
90. Images: British Anti-Japanese Images from World War II (194345)
91. Susanné Seong-Eun Bergsten, 'Abused and ShunnedBeing of Asian Descent in
Sweden during COVID-19' (2020)
92. 'Six Years a Slave: Indian Farm Workers Exploited in Italy' (2021)
Part 5: Racism Against Romani Peoples
Introduction
93. Illustration: The First Roma in Bern, Switzerland (1484)
94. From King Henry VIII of Englands Statute against Egyptians (1530/31)
95. From King Philip and Queen Mary of England, 'Egyptians Act' (1554)
96. Queen Elizabeth I of England, 'For the Punishment of Vagabonds calling
themselves Egyptians' (1563)
97. Thomas Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-Light. Or The Bell-Mans Second
(1609)
98. From Samuel Rid, The Art of Juggling or Legerdemain (1612)
99. From King George III of Great Britain, Repeal of the Egyptians Act
(1783)
100. 'The Gipsies,' The Times (1816)
101. From Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831)
102. Engraving: A Family of Gypsies Sit in their Camp with a Child they have
Stolen (1840)
103. Trading Card: The Gypsy Fortune Teller (c. 187090)
104. From 'Gypsies of Hungary' (1909)
105. From Cesare Lombrosos Criminological Classification of Romani as
Atavistic Criminals in Criminal Man (1911)
106. Heinrich Himmler, 'Fighting the Gypsy Plague' (1938)
107. Photo: Anthropologist Eva Justin Creating a Plaster Cast on a Romani Man
(1938)
108. Holocaust Biographies of Maria Sava Moise and Stefan Moise (1943)
109. Great Britain House of Commons Debate on Gypsies in Dartford (1962)
110. Elena Gorolovį Describes her Forced Sterilization by the Czechoslovakian
Government (2009)
111. European Roma Rights Centre, 'Mob Violence Against Roma in Poland,' Roma
Rights Journal (1997)
112. Bernard Rorke, 'A Spectre is Haunting EuropeSpike in Anti-Roma Pogroms
as EU Election Campaigns Kick Off' (2019)
Part
6. Racism Against Indigenous Peoples
Introduction
113. Spanish Bishop Condemns Spanish Treatment of Indigenous Peoples:
Bartolomé de las Casas, The Spanish Colonie (1552, 1581)
114. Image: Jodocus Hondiuss Illustration of the Headless People of Guiana
(1599)
115. Anonymous, Description of the Samoyeden Land in Tartary (1612)
116. King Charles Is Decree against Irish Beggars (1629)
117. From Edmund Campion, Two Histories of Ireland (1633)
118. Henry More on Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, from his An
Explanation of the Grand Mystery of Godliness (1660)
119. From Georgius Hornius and Balthasar Bekker, Church History, from the
Creation of the World until the Year of the Lord (1666, 1685)
120. From Cristobal Acuna, Voyages and Discoveries in South-America (1698)
121. From Denis Diderot, Supplement to Bougainvilles Voyage (1772)
122. Image: Laplanders and Rein Deer as Exhibitions at the Egyptian Hall,
Piccadilly (1822)
123. Charles Dickens on the 'The Noble Savage' (1853)
124. From The Diary of Abraham Ulrikab (1880)
125. From Dr. Rudolf Virchow, 'Eskimos at the Berlin Zoo,' Zeitschrift für
Ethnologie (1880)
126. Advertisements: Rolls's Best Virginia Tobacco (c. 1700s); Warpath
Tobacco (c. 1885); 'Cigar Store Indian' (2022)
127. From Benjamin Douglas Howard, Life with Trans-Siberian Savages (1893)
128. From Strickland Constable, Ireland from One or Two Neglected Points of
View (1899)
129. From Paul Gauguin. Noa Noa. The Tahitian Journal (1901) and Three
Tahitian Women (1896)
130. From James Bryce, 'The Relations of the Advanced and the Backward Races
of Mankind' (1902)
131. 1925 Russian Commentary on the Giliak Peoples, from Bruce Grant, In the
Soviet House of Culture: A Century of Perestroikas (1995)
132. From Reginald Ruggles Gates, 'The Australian Aborigines in a New
Setting,' Man, The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and
Ireland (1960)
133. United Nations, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)
134. Nina Berglund, 'Sįmi Still Battling Discrimination' (2016)
Questions for Further Discussion
Select Bibliography
Chronological Table of Contents
Further Reading
Lisa M. Todd is Professor and Chair of Historical Studies at the University of New Brunswick. She is the author of Sexual Treason in Germany during the First World War and co-editor of A Cultural History of War in the Modern Age.Gary K. Waite is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of New Brunswick. He is the author of several books, including Jews and Muslims in Seventeenth-Century Discourse: From Religious Enemies to Allies and Friends, and co-editor of Exile and Religious Identities, 15001800.
