How Racism Began as White-on-White Violence

<p>The 1500s and 1600s in England and Europe were anything but gentle times. People were routinely burned at the stake for religious heresy, a practice that began in the twelfth century and continued through 1612. Torture was an official instrument of the English government until 1640. The famous Tower of London was, in part, a huge torture chamber.</p> <p>Indeed, during much of the Dark Middle Ages (roughly 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.)in England, torture wasn&rsquo;t just wildly popular; it was a spectator sport. As historian Sean McGlynn notes, &ldquo;Throughout the whole medieval period there was popular demand for malefactors to receive punishment that was both harsh and purposefully terrifying&hellip;.Mutilations sent out a message of warning and deterrence&hellip;.with few prisons and no police force, severe punishment was deemed invaluable as a deterrent to crime.&rdquo;</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@rmenakem/how-racism-began-as-white-on-white-violence-55b43ec1ccf3"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>
Tags: White Violence