white race

is a term European American colonists developed for themselves in the last half of the seventeenth century mainly to contrast themselves to those they had named as "blacks".

Consider too that, in its use for human groups, the word "white" was originally defined by the English colonists mainly in contrast with "black." According to Winthrop Jordan, the European American colonists developed the relatively new and distinctive term "white" for themselves in the last half of the seventeenth century mainly to contrast themselves to those they had named as "blacks." Prior to that time, European colonists mostly distinguished themselves as "Christians" in counterpoint to "Negroes" and "Indians." About 1680, they began con_ trasting themselves as "whites" with "Negroes," and soon with "blacks" (or "Africans").(28) p.15

Winthrop JordanThinkers

Winthrop Jordan