An American Legacy

For many Americans, the rise of white supremacy is a recent phenomenon. The truth is quite the contrary. In this book, David R. Morse details how racism and nativism have been constants in America, from the founding of Jamestown to the administration of Donald Trump. The most egregious example of racism has been directed at African Americans, who came to this country not of their own free will, but as slaves. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, to Black Lives Matter, the struggle for equality has been ongoing and so often contested by Whites. Additionally, as various immigrant groups have come to the U.S., the public and the government have responded by vilifying them, often with violence, once they arrive. This book makes a cogent argument that people who are, or were, different from the country's white Anglo founders have always been viewed with suspicion. At the same time, Blacks and immigrant groups have contributed to the nation's growth and the development of a national identity. With individual chapters for specific ethnic groups, this book explores the implications of race and ethnicity on science and the Census, and how racial classifications and theories have changed over time. Morse also looks to the future and examines various evidence that points to the role of race in the coming decades, as America's White population approaches less than half the U.S. population.