Samuel George Morton

Samuel George Morton (1799 – 1851) was an American physician and natural scientist. Morton, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became a highly regarded figure in the first half of the 19th century for his scientific writings on human anatomy and ethnology. He was a proponent of polygenism, the theory that different races have been created separately. His work was used to justify slavery in the United States.

Early life and education

Morton was born in Philadelphia on January 26, 1799. His parents, George Morton and Rebecca Pearsall, were of English Quaker ancestry. He attended Westtown School and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1820. After earning his medical degree, Morton travelled to Europe for further studies.

Career

Morton began his career as a practicing physician but soon turned to research. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1823. He served as professor of anatomy at Pennsylvania College from 1839 until his death. Morton's most significant work, Crania Americana (1839), compared the skulls of various ethnic groups and was a landmark study in the field of ethnology.

Controversy

Morton's research has been controversial because it was used to justify racism and slavery. His measurements of brain size were used to argue that whites were intellectually superior to other races. These findings have been widely discredited in the scientific community.

Death and legacy

Morton died on May 15, 1851, in Philadelphia. His collection of skulls, known as the "Morton Collection", is housed at the Penn Museum.

See also

• Scientific racism
• Polygenism
• Crania Americana

External links

• Morton Collection at the Penn Museum

Samuel George Morton Resources
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