Lothrop Stoddard’s 1920 book, The Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy, articulated anxieties about demographic changes and the potential for non-white populations to challenge existing global power structures. It reflected and fueled racial prejudice and contributed to discriminatory policies in the early 20th century. The book warned of the decline of “white world-supremacy” due to rising birth rates in non-white nations and framed this demographic shift as a threat to Western civilization.
This work played a significant role in shaping racial discourse and influencing political thought during a period marked by heightened nationalism and anxieties about global stability following World War I. Understanding the books arguments and their historical context is crucial for analyzing the evolution of racial ideologies and their impact on international relations in the 20th century. It serves as a cautionary example of how pseudo-scientific theories can be used to justify prejudice and discrimination.
