Savage to Civilized: the Imperial Agenda on Display at the St. Louis World Fair of 1904

To hold an international exposition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries meant that a nation was wanting to secure a place among the most powerful and developed nations of the world. In order to present itself as an advanced civilization, the United States used events like its world fairs as opportunities to show off its progress and domination. In this age of imperialism, the best way for a country to accomplish this was for it to create exhibits depicting the ?savage? nature of other lesser developed nations. Social Darwinism and scientific racism were rampant in an attempt to legitimize the colonial policies of the time period and demonstrate the greatness of Western powers. The Louisiana Exposition of 1904 is the best example of this ideology as seen in the United States. Under the preface of ?educational exhibits? and ?studies in the field of man,? these anthropological displays not only showed that the United States was amongst the most advanced civilizations of the world, but they also validated Western involvement in these nations as a means to rescue them from barbarism.