Pharaohs in Dixieland – how 19th-century America reimagined Egypt to justify racism and slavery
- Written by Charles Vanthournout, Ph.D. Student in Ancient History, Université de Lorraine
In the American South, ancient Egypt and its pharaohs became a way to justify slavery.Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty ImagesWhen Napoleon embarked upon a military expedition into Egypt in 1798, he brought with him a team of scholars, scientists and artists. Together, they produced the monumental “Description de l’Égypte,&rdqu...








