The theory of Social Darwinism appealed to many in the late 19th century because people were trying to justify their own wealth and make themselves feel better about not helping the less fortunate. Social Darwinism was the concept that some races and some successful businessmen were biologically and just socially the fittest and therefore deserved their fortunes. This theory helped push a racist and excluding government. Rich businessmen used this theory to help fight government programmes to help the poor.
The theory of Social Darwinism definitely appealed to rich white men more than anyone else. It let them have an explanation for why they were rich, and for why they didn't have to feel bad or help anyone else. They used Social Darwinism to portray the idea that helping the poor was a waste of time and that it would only set humanity backward. Politics in this time were only helpful to white men so an explanation to as why they were successful and why they could monopolize the world was very welcome to them.
Social Darwinism was the least helpful to people of color, immigrants, and the lower class. It let rich whites have an excuse to claim that those from places like Eastern Europe were less sophisticated and less welcome than people from England and Ireland. The whole theory was based on the fact that if the poor got support then they would just become a plaque to society and that instead of letting them grow and thrive we should let them die off. The idea of Social Darwinism started to die off with the rise of the Nazi party when rich whites finally did not want themselves in association with such a backwards idea.
Works Cited
“Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-gilded-age/gilded-age/a/social-darwinism-in-the-gilded-age.
“Why Did Social Darwinism Have Such Broad Appeal?” Enotes.com, Enotes.com, www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-did-social-darwinism-have-such-broad-appeal-464649.
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