<I>White Supremacy and Negro Subordination; Or, Negroes A Subordinate Race, And (So-Called) Slavery its Normal Condition.</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1867; Printed 1868
name: label: Written by
content: Dr. John H. Van Evrie, American, 1814 - 1896
label: Published by
content: Van Evrie, Horton & Co., American, 1860 - 1870
label: Printed by
content: Smith & McDougal, American, 1860 - 1884
notes: label: Description
content: A second edition of White Supremacy and Negro Subordination, by J. H. Van Evrie, a hardbound book covered in blue leather. The cover itself is blank, the spine of the book has the title [WHITE / SUPREMACY / and / NEGRO / SUBORDINATION / VAN EVRIE] in gold lettering with a makers stamp on the bottom that state [VE&Co]. There are approximately 410 pages. The stated intention of the book is to demonstrate “that the so-called slavery of the South was the Negro’s normal or natural condition.” Evrie cites phrenology, physical anthropology, comparative anatomy, and biological determinism in support of the argument that the enslaved were absolutely dependent on their masters. The work begins with a page of four illustrated figures and page numbers. Throughout the book, there are six colored lithographs depicting stereotypical figures of different races. The first illustration on page 16 is a man standing on a colorful tiled floor with Washington, D.C. in the background and is titled [CAUCASIAN]. The other lithographs are not titled. On page 67, an African figure is pictured wearing a loose white garment with swords tucked into a red sash. Behind the individual is a desert background. The third illustration, on page 89, is a color plate depicting an Asian indvidual holding a smoking pipe with a long shaft, standing next to a bamboo table, with mountains and a pagoda in the background. On page 221, an American Indian figure is depicted wearing a beaded and feathered headdress and animal skin leggings with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He carries a spear and stands on a rock. An Eskimo figure is shown on page 269. He is depicted wearing fur garments and holding an ice fishing spear, with snow covered mountains in the background. The last illustration plate on page 308 depicts a black man seated and smoking a pipe. He wears red striped pants that are soiled and torn at the knee, a white shirt and tan vest. He is barefoot. The tall masts of ships are visible in the background. The back of the book includes pages of advertisements for other works including those published by Van Evrie, Horton & Co.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting symbols of hate or related to organized hate groups may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate history and culture.
place: label: Place printed
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Literature
label: Topic
content: Race discrimination
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
label: Topic
content: White supremacy movements
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Racist and Stereotypical Objects
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Thomas P. Steward
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.37
objectType: label: Type
content: books
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper, with leather
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 7 1/2 × 5 1/4 × 1 5/16 in. (19.1 × 13.3 × 3.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Open): 7 1/2 × 7 3/8 × 3 3/4 in. (19.1 × 18.7 × 9.5 cm)