Unilineal Evolution Theory

The Theory of Unilineal Evolution as a Reflection of Colonialism in the Americas
Colonialism, is a term used to describe the practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one group of people to another. (Kohn 1) It involves the political and economic control over a dependent territory, and establishes a new territory or colony where the new settlers are in control and not the indigenous people. (Kohn 1) The concept of colonialism existed for thousands of years, however, it is most commonly associated with the formation of the European colonies in the Americas beginning in the early sixteenth century. In my opinion, the concept of colonialism shares similar qualities to a theory which was formed three hundred years after the colonization
Morgan, incorporated his own ideas and personal beliefs to form his own interpretation of the theory of unilineal evolution. Morgan interprets the theory of unilineal evolution as a hierarchy of evolutionary development. This evolutionary hierarchy begins at the stage of “savagery” then progresses to the stage of “barbarism” and finishes progressing at the stage of “civilization”. (Theorists 23) The concept of an evolutionary hierarchy is similar to the “linear” progression model used by Edward Tylor and other social evolutionists. However, Morgan subdivided the evolutionary stages of savagery and barbarism into upper, middle, and lower segments. (Theorists 24) Morgan claims that each of the evolutionary stages, are classified by looking at the patterns or identification markers of four sets of cultural achievements. (Theorists 23) These four sets of cultural achievements include; inventions and discoveries, the idea of government, the organization of family, and the concept of property. (Theorists
I believe that unilineal evolution and colonialism share the same similarities between them because the theory of unilineal evolution cannot exist without the influence colonialism brought to the world. One of the similarities that unilineal evolution and colonialism share among one another is the classification of ingenious societies of the Americas and the Western European societies. When the first European settlers arrived in the Americas, they needed to establish a new system which emphasizes the political and economic control of their newly controlled territory. (Kohn 1) This new system otherwise known as colonialism is based on a worldview which is centered on the judging another society based upon the values of European society. European ethnocentrism, in my opinion is one of the main similarities between colonialism and the theory of unilineal evolution. Since unilineal evolution emphasizes the classification of all human societies and cultures through a process of evolutionary stages, I believe the Europeans used unilineal evolution to classify their society as the pinnacle of the “civilized” stage of unilineal evolution and use their ethnocentric worldview to denounce all other societies in the indigenous societies in the Americas as “inferior” or “primitive”. Although the European worldview of colonialism resembles racial biases and the discrimination of the indigenous people