White Supremacy - A Short History

When did whiteness begin? Was its rise inevitable? In this powerful history, John Broich traces the emergence, evolution and contradictions of white supremacy, from its roots in the British empire, to the racial politics of the present. Focussing on the English-speaking world, he examines how ideas of whiteness connect to the history of slavery, Enlightenment thought, European colonialism, Social Darwinism and eugenics, fascism and capitalism. Far from being the natural order of things, Broich demonstrates that white supremacy is a brittle concept. For centuries, it has been constantly shifting, rebranding, and justifying itself in the face of resistance. The oft-repeated excuse that its architects were simply "men of their time" collapses under scrutiny. With brutal honesty, Broich exposes the lies embedded in the grim biography of an invented race. White Supremacy calls for a deeper understanding of the past, that we might undo its grip on the present.

List of contents

Introduction; Part I. The Long Evolution of a 'Master Race' and 'Slave Race': 1. Before Whiteness, 400s BCE-1600; 2. The Emergence of Whiteness - Gradually and Suddenly, 1400-1730s; 3. Defining Whiteness through the 'Enlightenment,' 1600-1800; Part II. Redefining the 'Master' and Inventing the White Man's Burden: 4. The Empire of Whiteness, 1600-1830s; 5. Between White Father and Elimination, 1800-1865; 6. Creating the White Man's Burden, 1865-1930s; 7. White Supremacy's Death-Grip, 1930s-Present; Final Reflections and Prospects for the Future.

About the author

John Broich is Associate Professor of History at Case Wetern Reserve University. His previous books include Squadron: Ending the African Slave Trade (2022) and Blood, Oil, and the Axis (2022) and he has written for the Guardian, Washington Post and BBC History Magazine.

Product details

• Authors: John Broich, Broich John
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 01.02.2026
• EAN: 9781009627696
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0962769-6
• Subjects: Non-fiction book; History of Ideas, European History, HISTORY / World, General & world history, Colonialism & imperialism, Fascism & Nazism, Social discrimination & inequality, Colonialism and imperialism, General and world history, Far-right political ideologies and movements, History of the Americas, Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies, Slavery & abolition of slavery, Western philosophy: Enlightenment, Racism and racial discrimination / Anti-racism, Slavery, enslaved persons and abolition of slavery