An Excerpt from American physician, Charles Caldwell’s: Thoughts on the Original Unity of the Human Race Caldwell, Charles. Rev.ed., Cincinnati: J.A. and U.P. James, 1852 Born in Caswell County, North Carolina on May 14, 1772, Dr. Charles Caldwell was the son of a devout Presbyterian father who served as an elder in the community congregation. Determined to have his son educated and trained in the Presbyterian clerical ministry, Caldwell, Sr. arranged to have Charles sent to boarding school in North Carolina to receive classical instruction in English, Latin, and Greek as well both the Old and New Testaments. Caldwell recalled his father’s challenge to excel to the top of his class in all subjects, scholarly and religious, as an early prompt toward attaining superior personal achievement. His determination for accomplishment was so strong that he possibly originated the phrase “succeed or die trying” for his emphatic parting words to his favorite sister, Sally, were that he would be “better…or nothing. I am resolved to excel, or kill myself by the effort.” (Caldwell, 1855) Such resolve paid off, and Caldwell did surpass his fellow classmates. However, this early familiarity with Scripture provided Caldwell with what he termed a certain “freedom of thought and opinion respecting them” that induced him “to endeavor to analyze and examine certain portions of them [Biblical text] precisely as I did other writings, and ascertain the definite purpose for which they are designed.” From his youthful critical approach to Scripture, Caldwell formulated a view of religion that would mold his future scientific pursuits into the origin of mankind immensely. He concluded that religion must be separated from science entirely, stating that religion was intended solely for “high and heavenly things and not in matters pertaining merely to earth,” where physical science takes the necessary objective approach to revealing nature. For this reason, Caldwell gave up the pursuit of a life as a Presbyterian minister in exchange for the study of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1791 under Dr. Benjamin Rush. Upon graduation in 1796, Caldwell would go on to become a very prominent nineteenth century physician distinguishing himself professionally during a yellow-fever epidemic in 1793 and accepting a professorship of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania in 1810. (Caldwell, 1855) His status in American society only grew with his establishment of medical schools at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY in 1819, and later at Louisville in 1837.
Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself,” is written by Bud Caldwell, an orphan in Flint, Michigan. He makes these rules as he learns that he has to do something in order to achieve what he needs. Bud Caldwell has gone through challenges since the age of 6, and tries to survive in a world that discriminates and treats the orphans unfairly. In this book, he remains to live and survive by using the rules he has made. Bud’s rules especially #118, 3, and 8 shows that he used his rules to survive.
In his Letter to The Grand Duchess Christina, Galileo challenged the widely accepted religious beliefs of the time, claiming that the conflict lies in their interpretation, not the context. In Galileo’s eyes science was an extremely useful tool that could and should have been used in interpreting the Scriptures. He argued that “the intention of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven not how heaven goes” (Grand Duchess). The purpose of science was not to counter what the bible teaches; rather its purpose was to help explain the teachings of the scriptures. Furthermore, it was “prudent to affirm that the holy Bible can never speak untruth-whenever its true meaning is understood” (Grand Duchess). However, because of the terminology in which the bible was presented the perception of what the Scripture defined as truth was skewed. The Bible was written so that the common man could understand it and follow its commandments. The people also showed a greater inte...
He was a man whose very words struck fear into the hearts of his listeners. Acknowledged as one of the most powerful religious speakers of the era, he spearheaded the Great Awakening. “This was a time when the intense fervor of the first Puritans had subsided somewhat” (Heyrmen 1) due to a resurgence of religious zeal (Stein 1) in colonists through faith rather than predestination. Jonathan Edwards however sought to arouse the religious intensity of the colonists (Edwards 1) through his preaching. But how and why was Edwards so successful? What influenced him? How did he use diction and symbolism to persuade his listener, and what was the reaction to his teachings? In order to understand these questions one must look at his life and works to understand how he was successful. In his most influential sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Jonathan Edwards’ persuasive language awakened the religious fervor that lay dormant in colonial Americans and made him the most famous puritan minister of the Great Awakening in North America.
The stirpiculture experiment, named by John Noyes, began in 1869 as a project to create a race of geniuses. Noyes ideology stemmed from Darwin’s Origin of Species which promoted the “survival of the fittest” (Carden 61). The selection process was vigorous, including submitting an application to a cabinet of central members who would make the final decision of whether the couple would suffice for the experiment (Whitworth 130). A majority of couples selected their own mates, while a quarter were suggested pairs by the committee (Carden 62). The Oneida founder strived to reach this superior race through the careful selection of healthy, beautiful, and intelligent couples. Noyes and the cabinet’s criterion involved being very spiritually refined, while his son Theodore looked more at the physical condition of the prospective candidates. As early as 1859, women were prescribed to enjoy fresh air, the outdoors and the continual development of mental and spiritual qualities (Kern 263). Women were a necessary part of the eugenics experiment, but Noyes and others thought the choice of the fathers was the key to selective breeding (Kern 232).
the historical features of eugenic theory while presenting a new veneer, hesitant to argue outright for the inferiority of particular racialized or classed bodies.
Different ideas were being expressed through The Second Great Awakening. The religious focus was now turning to God’s mercy and benevolence, which sparked other beliefs and ideas. People started believing that they could control their own fate. Worship services consisted of singing hymns and personal testimonies to make it more emotional. Many found religion as a soft comfort during the difficulties of this time period. Charles Finney was one of the most effective evangelists of the time. He entertained and edified, preached on conviction, repentance, and reformation (DOC B). The belief that parents could contribute to their child’s salvation led women to want to spiritually educate their children. Spiritually educating led to the belief that education was important. Schools were started to educate children while they were young. Many lower-class families had to go to high extremes to put their children in school. Children were needed to help work in the homes, but families saw that education was important, and they would allow their children to attend half a day or more of schooling (DOC E). Religion and education was becoming better known throughout society. America saw they needed to apply higher principles to gain benefits of the highest physical, intellectual, and moral education in order to be a gre...
Biological advancements such as Darwinism and Mendelian genetics had a profound impact on the study of race in the scientific community. These new concepts eventually led some scientists to question the validity of traditional notions about race. The resulting debates continue even today. The idea of race, especially in citizens of this country, evokes strong feelings because of the enormous social implications associated with racial identity. The social connotations of racial categories have had a profound influence on the way scientists understand human variation. Early ideas of race were colored by these connotations, and they still play a critical role in the way we understand race today. This paper will explore, with an emphasis on historical context, the current debates over whether to continue to inlude race in scientific, and especially medical, studies.
Bailey, Thomas A. The American Spirit. (Lexington: D. C. Health and Company, 1991) , 666.
“Differentiated races are fixed either by nature or God. You cannot escape your racial classification (Weidman, 2006).” This is the fifth basic belief of ideology and instantly establishes a basis on why race has survived in the twentieth century. There will always be scientists, philosophers, doctors and historians examining the origins and the continuation of race. By examining their research we are able understand this color line and how it has impacted the twentieth century.
The beginnings of racial difference can be traced back to the Age of Exploration, during which England was expanding its trading routes and was highly involved with trade in Africa. The English traders noticed distinguishing differences between themselves and the African people, both in physical appearance and cultural primitiveness. It was not until the 18th century when the word race began to enter languages and vocabularies, and this idea of a difference between peoples was prodded further into existence through the work of Carolus Linnaeus. Linnaeus composed a list of subspecies of human beings based on racial differences. There were several other scientists, such Georges Cuvier and Charles Darwin, as who created subspecies of man. Social Darwinism, alluded to the concept that eventually one greater subspecies of man would prevail and be the most elite of all of human kind. These lists often categorized the order of species with the white, European man at the top of the list and the darker skinned, African man at the bottom. An example of a concept of categorization was the Great Chain of Being, through which all things, including man and the subspecies of man, are given ...
...The most profound conclusion on the concept of race is the argument that the term is not a biologically innate fixture. Despite the discredited nature of the concept of ‘race’, the idea stills “exerts a powerful influence in everyday language and ideology”. (Jary & Jary, 2000: pp503-4) This disputes the assumption that racial divisions reflect fundamental genetic differences.
The real war was among spiritual powers. By the time the precocious Jonathan was old enough to read, he would have discovered that one of the most fascinating book in his father’s library was uncle’s The Redeemed Captive, Returning to Zion. John Williams’ vivid narratives recounted the horrors of the Indians attacks. It was an awful plight of the souls of poor Indians subject to the deceptions of antichrist. Jonathan, his only son, followed closely in his father’s footstep (Marsden 15 – 17). Jonathan Edwards from 1703 – 1758 was perhaps the outstanding American theologian and certainly the ablest American philosopher to writer before the great period of Charles S. Peirce in 1839 to 1914, William James in 1842 to 1910, Josiah Royce in 1855 to 1916, John Dewey 1859 to 1952, and George Santayana 1863 to 1952 they were judged over two centuries, but Jonathan Edwards stands out as one of America’s great original minds. He was considered as the foundation stone in the history of American philosophy and the unique theological and philosophical formulated (Zakai 29). Edwards was born in the east parish of Windsor, now the town of South Windsor, Connecticut on October 5, 1703. He was the only son in a family of eleven children his parent were Rev. Timothy Edwards and Esther Stoddard Edwards the daughter of the Rev. Solomon Stoddard of Northampton, Massachusetts. During Edwards’s youth, he was nurtured and instructed in Reformed theology and the practice of puritan piety. At age of thirteen he was admitted to Yale College in 1718 because his father was tutoring at the Yale College he find easily. Edwards’s course of study was including classical and biblical languages, logic, and natural philosophy. When Edwards was at Yale College in 1717 to 1718, he was inspired by the philosopher of Mr. Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. He became acquainted with the ideas of the scientific revelation and the early
“The lack of conflict between science and religion arises from a lack of overlap between their respective domains of professional expertise—science in the empirical constitution of the universe, and religion in the search for proper ethical values and the spiritual meaning of our lives. The attainment of wisdom in a full life requires extensive attention to both domains—for a great book tells us that the truth can make us free and that we will live in optimal harmony with our fellows when we learn to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.”
Early American society revolved around religion. Your destination was predetermined before you were even born. Whether you did good works or bad works on this earth it did not change the outcome of someone going to heaven or hell. The works by Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Jonathan Edwards show us the religion in early American culture. No matter how hard life gets you down these people never let that bother them, and they realized that God has a plan for everything. One’s past does not determine ones future and we learned that through the readings by Bradstreet, Taylor, and Wheatley.
Mann, Thomas. “Disorder and Early Sorrow.” The Cooper Union . 1925. Web. 3 Mar 2010.