Constructing Whiteness: The Origins of Race and Power in the Colonial World

Understanding the Origins of the Term “White People” and Its Colonial Legacy

The term “white people” might seem like a straightforward descriptor, yet its roots reveal a complex history shaped by colonialism, politics, and the legacy of slavery. Historian Dr. Nell Irvin Painter, author of The History of White People, and other researchers shed light on how and why this term came to be. Its evolution from obscure usage to a politically charged label served colonial and racial interests, revealing much about social divisions and the construction of race.

Before “White People”: Early Descriptors in Europe

Before “white people” became a widespread term, there was no single racial identifier for Europeans. In medieval Europe, people were identified by their nationality, religion, or class—such as English, Christian, noble, or peasant. The concept of “whiteness” did not exist as a racial category. As Dr. Painter notes, identity was rooted in local or cultural terms that underscored regional distinctions rather than a unified racial identity (Painter, 2010, pp. 22-25). Dr. Winthrop D. Jordan’s work, White Over Black, similarly examines early colonial attitudes and explains how British perceptions of Africans helped set the groundwork for defining whiteness by contrast (Jordan, 1968, pp. 44-46).

The Rise of Whiteness as a Racial Category

As colonial expansion intensified in the 17th century, Europeans began to encounter, enslave, and exploit people across Africa and the Americas. During this period, as Dr. Painter explains, “whiteness” emerged as a tool to distinguish European colonisers from the populations they sought to dominate (Painter, 2010, p. 50). Anthropologist Audrey Smedley, in Race in North America, also details how colonial powers started categorising people by skin colour to justify exploitation and subjugation (Smedley, 1993, p. 28).

Slavery in particular cemented this categorisation. Enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas, and “Black” became synonymous with their identity. In response, the concept of “white” took shape, becoming a way to define oneself against the racial “other” (Painter, 2010, p. 63). The historian Theodore W. Allen describes in The Invention of the White Race how the colonial elite used whiteness as a social and political tool to divide poor Europeans from enslaved Africans, thereby preventing solidarity among oppressed groups (Allen, 1994, pp. 37-39).

“White” as a Justification for Supremacy

The construction of “white” as a racial label was neither neutral nor accidental. Colonial societies adopted the term to legitimise systems of power that prioritised European interests and dehumanised Black and Indigenous populations (Painter, 2010, p. 88). David R. Roediger, in The Wages of Whiteness, argues that “whiteness” served as a form of social capital, offering Europeans a psychological benefit that compensated for economic hardships, thereby discouraging alliances with other marginalised groups (Roediger, 1991, pp. 13-15). Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning further explores how “white” and “Black” became institutionalised as categories that justified discriminatory laws and economic disparities (Kendi, 2016, pp. 75-78).

Legal scholar Cheryl I. Harris, in her paper “Whiteness as Property,” emphasises that whiteness functioned not only as a racial identity but as a form of privilege and entitlement, akin to property. This “property” value of whiteness reinforced its association with rights, economic benefits, and social status, securing the power structures of colonial and post-colonial societies (Harris, 1993, pp. 1716-1719).

The Colonial Legacy of “White People”

The historical construction of “white people” as a category is deeply tied to the colonial project. It was a tool designed to enforce hierarchies and maintain power by distinguishing who could hold rights and authority versus who could be oppressed. Dr. Painter and other scholars reveal that by constructing “whiteness,” colonial societies established a racial hierarchy that has had lasting impacts, shaping contemporary social, economic, and racial dynamics (Painter, 2010, pp. 150-153).

Why We Must Examine These Terms

Understanding the origins of terms like “white people” is crucial to dismantling the structures they uphold. Dr. Painter’s work, along with insights from Roediger, Allen, Kendi, and others, reminds us that “whiteness” was not an organic identity but rather a strategic tool of division, born of colonial ambition and sustained by the legacy of slavery. By examining the history of racial categories, we can see how language and labels shape power dynamics—and why it’s essential to confront and deconstruct these categories to move toward a more equitable world.

References

• Allen, T. W. (1994). The Invention of the White Race (Vol. 1). Verso.
• Harris, C. I. (1993). Whiteness as Property. Harvard Law Review, 106(8), 1707–1791.
• Jordan, W. D. (1968). White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550–1812. University of North Carolina Press.
• Kendi, I. X. (2016). Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Bold Type Books.
• Painter, N. I. (2010). The History of White People. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Roediger, D. R. (1991). The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class. Verso.
• Smedley, A. (1993). Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview. Westview Press.

Disclaimer: This post is an educational and research-based exploration of historical concepts related to race, drawing on respected scholars. Its purpose is to provide context and understanding around the origins of racial terminology, especially “whiteness” as a socially constructed category within colonial contexts. This analysis is intended solely for educational purposes, aiming to shed light on historical power structures and their lasting effects, rather than to promote any form of division, bias, or prejudice.