Paul Austin
Banned
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But until the 1800s, racism, racial discrimination and conflict between races was considered a correct norm.
Thats not 100% correct. Whilst obviously there are records of racism through out history there are also records of what we'd call multiculturalism today too & racism wasnt really a western wide, universally accepted correct norm untill a Papal Bull in the 15th century, relating to slavery & then it only really grew out of a religious difference, rather than a racial one.
I cant recall the exact date but sometime between the mid & late 15th century the pope issued a papal bull declaring the west couldnt enslave christians, but pagans (deemed inferior because of their lack of faith) were deemed fair game.
Put that into context, given that around 100 years later the trans-atlantic slave trade was going to begin, & need millions of slaves, & the easiest to procure, & abundent source of pagans were Africans, it lead to their wide spread exploitation, & whilst there are records of racism prior to that it is only at that point that the inferiority of races theory became universal across the west (prior to that it was regional & sporadic & frequently non-existant).
So really, western wide, institutionally supported racism only really gained popular traction in around the 16th century, born from religious & economic roots, rather than racial ones, & was in decline within a couple of centuries.