What were the core beliefs of Social Darwinists? How did William Graham Sumner and Josiah Strong apply Social Darwinism to American society?
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should include:
1. Social Darwinists drew parallels between Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest" and the workings of modern society.
2. They argued that government intervention on behalf of workers and the poor distorted natural processes and were misguided, dangerous, and ultimately doomed to failure.
3. In essence, Social Darwinists distorted science in order to justify the exploitation of the poor and laboring classes.
4. William Graham Sumner used the ideas of Social Darwinism to justify the hierarchy and inequality of the industrial workplace, as well as the triumph of "Anglo Saxons" in North America.
5. The Reverend Josiah Strong drew on the ideas of Social Darwinism to claim that "civilized" whites would eventually displace "barbarous," dark-skinned peoples across North America and around the world.
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The 1980 Republican nominee, Ronald Reagan was
A) seriously limited by his age during the 1980 campaign. B) never a serious contender for the presidential nomination before 1980. C) a New Deal Democrat before World War II. D) a political newcomer without much charisma.
Compared to the Crusades, the activities of the conquistadors were both ________
A) better planned and less successful B) expensive and unsuccessful C) less organized and more destructive D) less bloody and less successful
One feature of the Columbian Exchange is that
a. the Native American populations dramatically increased. b. European crops grew in America, but American crops did not go to Europe. c. Europeans brought domesticated animals to American to breed and work. d. in the long run, it had little impact on American ecology.
According to Judaism, who did God choose to function as "father" to the Jewish people?
A) Muhammad B) Abraham C) Isaac D) Siddhartha E) Jesus