The Largest Human Zoo In History Was a Western Shame
Horrifying history of exploitation.
Does flipping the name of human zoos to “ethnological expositions” make it more acceptable? Definitely, not.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, world travel became more common as the world turned into a global village.
From scientists to philosophers, different people began taking an interest in other cultures, but what’s saddening is how the travel was not solely educational. Instead, established societies had to show off their superiority to the uncivilized ones and one of such was ways was through human zoos. Let’s take a peek at them:
Human Zoos vs Freak Shows
The exhibitions of human zoos were abusive and cruel — the Brussels human zoo gained popularity when it began featuring a young African girl that visitors could feed from behind the fence.
The majority of the people exhibited in the zoo received no compensation — no social help or money. Sadly, many ended up in the “unmarked” graves when they died.
