"prejudice", n. [OED3], with respect to race, 1776

[Joel S. Berson]

I had previously sent the following to Jesse, who (if I may quote him
without permission) replied to me "Thanks. A great leap backwards!"
(I'm always happy to contribute to progress.)  I'm publicizing it in
case any of the more diligent here wish to look further into the
1770s or earlier.  Note that this is "prejudice" specifically in the
context of race.

Joel

>Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:14:08 -0500
>To: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com>
>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at att.net>
>Subject: "prejudice", n.
>
>Jesse,
>
>Prejudice n., 1.a, says "(now) spec. unreasoned dislike, hostility,
>or antagonism towards, or discrimination against, a race, sex, or
>other class of people."  But the quotations don't seem to show this
>sense clearly until the 1890 (or perhaps 1861) quotations, and not
>until 1973 for prejudice against a race.  I offer the following, from 1776:
>
>"If we could only divest ourselves of those strong prejudices, which
>have insensibly fixed on our minds, and consider them [Africans] as,
>by nature, and by right, on a level with our brethren and children,
>and those of our neighbors."
>
>[Samuel Hopkins], "A Dialogue Concerning the Slavery of the
>Africans; Shewing It To Be the Duty and Interest of the American
>Colonies to Emancipate All Their African Slaves ... (Norwich
>[Conn.]: Printed and sold by Judah P. Spooner., 1776).  Page 34.
>
>Quoted in Winthrop Jordan, "White Over Black" (Univ. of North
>Carolina Press, 1968), p. 276.  Apparently in Early American
>Imprints; Evans 14804.
>
>The same page in "White Over Black" contains a quotation from 1772
>(David Cooper), but the connection from "prejudice" to "people with
>a black skin" requires more context.
>
>Joel

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