Introduction Edmund Morgan was right in asserting that racism was a smokescreen used as a dividing line in society. During the early periods of slavery, elites used racial justifications to divide free blacks from free whites, as both groups were perceived as dangerous. However, in subsequent years, this strategy was used to create the illusion of difference among various categories of whites and blacks; such as middle-class whites and blacks, educated whites and uneducated minorities, music enthusiasts of black and colored races, as well. In essence, racism was a tool used to divide and conquer the highly diverse citizens of the United States. It was part of a diversion strategy that would protect the interests of the elite by deflating attention away from the real problems of society. The phenomenon of racism kept many whites deluded about their superiority when authorities and the elite enjoyed real economic and political power. Analysis Racism in the 16th Century Horsman (387) explains that Anglo-Saxon racial superiority began “as far back as the 16th and 17th century”. However, those who prescribed to it utilized it to achieve different means from their successors in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 1500s, the British were spreading their wings in the Americas and establishing colonies there. They had few enemies during this process, so their version of racial superiority largely focused on freedom and civil liberties. However, as the colonists settled in the Americas, they started using labor from white servants and black slaves. However, slavery quickly became a popular option for plantation owners because slaves provided their services throughout their lifetime. These resource owners needed a concrete reason to maintain a constant stream of labor in their firms, and they turned to racism. By giving poor whites a few privileges and trampling the rights of blacks, the land elites made it seem rational to keep blacks as slaves. They, therefore, protected their economic interests by lending poor whites emotional security. The deprived white man was oblivious to his economic status because of his racial association with the economically-empowered land elite. Racist thought in the 17th Century In the 1600s, the elite continued to protect their interests by passing laws that absolved them from taking responsibility for their actions. Hickman (1174) explains this relationship fairly critically. Whites created boundaries around the black race in order to protect themselves economically. For instance, at the time, many slave owners fornicated and raped their black slaves. Some of them bore children who were Mulatto. In 1662, Virginia passed a statue that kept Mulattos in the black side of the union. The law stated that the condition of the offspring of a white and black couple should be decided on the basis of the mother’s lineage. Not only did this deviate from the traditional common law practice, but it also mirrored the legal state of farm animals. White landowners absolved themselves from the responsibilities of caring for illegitimate children, which preserved their wealth. Additionally, it ensured that Mulattos remained slaves. “These offspring became the property and the responsibility of the woman’s master.” (Hickman 1176). He not only failed to acknowledge his offspring but used them as property. M