All Flashcards
What was the effect of Virginia's 1662 law?
Established hereditary slavery based on the mother's status.
How did laws define racial categories during slavery?
Tied race to rights and status, reinforced racial hierarchies.
How did legal systems shape racial identity?
Through laws like 'partus' and the 'one-drop rule'.
Compare biological race vs. social construct of race.
Biological race: flawed, lacks scientific basis. Social construct: created by society to maintain power.
Compare phenotype and ancestry.
Phenotype: physical traits, not always accurate ancestry. Ancestry: genetic heritage.
Compare hypodescent and the one-drop rule.
Hypodescent: assigns to subordinate parent's race. One-drop: any African ancestry = Black.
Define 'Partus Sequitur Ventrem'.
Legal principle: child's status follows the mother's; key in hereditary slavery.
What is a 'social construct'?
Concept created by society, not biological reality; race is a prime example.
Define 'phenotype'.
Observable physical traits like skin color, influencing racial perceptions.
What is 'hypodescent'?
Assigning a person to the racial group of their socially subordinate parent.
Define the 'one-drop rule'.
Classifying someone with any African ancestry as Black.
What is 'hereditary slavery'?
Slavery that is passed down through generations, often via the mother.
Define 'commodification of reproduction'.
Treating enslaved women's reproductive abilities as a valuable asset.
Define 'white supremacy'.
The belief that white people are superior to people of other races.
What is a 'multiracial identity'?
An identity that encompasses more than one racial background.
Define 'racial hierarchy'.
A system of stratification based on perceived racial differences.