Social Darwinism Analysis

Josiah Strong’s declaration of the success of the Anglo-Saxon race was influenced by the writings of Charles Darwin with his publications on the theory of evolution by natural selection. More specifically, Josiah Strong embraced the idea of social darwinism, an application of Darwin’s theory on the origin of species to success in society. He attributes the success of whites to subdue others and enforce institutions around the world is because of an innate superiority over other races. White supremacy through darwinism justified the United States’ imperialist actions under President Theodore Roosevelt and his Big Stick diplomacy. Interventionism led the United States into war with Spain over Cuba because insurrectos, or Cuban revolutionaries,
Washington and W.E.B DuBois’ beliefs differ greatly on the best course of action for blacks to advance and gain equality in the United States. Washington argues that blacks must slowly work up the social ladder through economic means, not demands for social change. He argues that young black men must educate themselves in trades, slowly advancing to a higher social status over time. W.E.B DuBois directly challenges Booker T. Washington’s argument by stating that Washington’s plan accepts and reinforces the belief of black inferiority. DuBois recognizes that there can be no economic success without any political power, civil rights, or higher education for blacks. He calls all blacks to assert the rights that they are due in order to be equals in society. DuBois created the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for the rights of black people in America, and it would later become one of the largest leaders in the civil rights movement. The labor movement also made greater strides in WWI with the Great Migration. Over a million southern blacks moved from the south for industrial jobs in the north and the west. As washington predicted, moving into better trade jobs led to more social acceptance in society, but movement into white communities also caused racial
The cultures of the North and the South led to the abandonment of slavery in the North. People believed that the South was stuck in the past with the archaic and cruel practice of slavery. Southern culture also clashed with the North for dominance. The cultures of the two regions were driven mainly by the industry of the North giving rise to populous cities while the South was dominated by vast aristocratic plantations. John Brown was the strongest example of the irreconcilable cultural difference that had grown between North and South before the civil war. John Brown’s strict and uncompromising stance on abolition led him to be involved in the brutal killings of five pro-slavery men in Kansas, and eventually the raid on the Harper’s Ferry arms depo. Southerners feared all of the North supported John Brown, while abolitionists in the North became more vocal and influential after Brown’s extreme activism. Fears of violent uprising or loss of their way of life drove the South to secede from the Union. Mere political differences or economic disparity alone between the North and South was not enough to cause a schism. The Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the acceptance of mutual concessions proved that moderate policies could stem conflict. Additionally, there was not significant economic concern in the North because of prosperous industry and trade. The South