Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

abolitionist movement, which sought to

end slavery. She traveled widely, spoke at

public meetings, and began to take an

interest in women’s issues.

At the time, women in the United States

did not have the right to vote. To fight

this injustice, Anthony and her friend

Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the

NationalWoman Suffrage Association

(NWSA) in 1869. “Suffrage” means the

right to vote.

To draw attention to the struggle,

Anthony tried to vote in the 1872 presidential

election. She was arrested, but

she refused to pay her fine. In 1890 the

NWSA merged with another group to

form the National AmericanWoman

Suffrage Association. Anthony was president

from 1892 to 1900.

Susan B. Anthony died on March 13,

1906, in Rochester, New York. In 1920

the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

gave voting rights to women in

all states.

#More to explore

Abolitionist Movement • Stanton,

Elizabeth Cady •Women’s Rights

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human

beings and their cultures, from

prehistoric times to today. The people

who practice anthropology are called

Susan B. Anthony

Some anthropologists study how certain

groups of people live. They may travel to

remote places, such as the Ituri Forest in

central Africa, to observe these groups.

140 Anthropology BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

anthropologists. Anthropologists often

compare different human communities.

They try to determine their similarities

and differences. By doing this,

anthropologists hope to increase their

knowledge about humanity as a whole,

as well as about specific groups of

people.

Anthropology has two main divisions:

physical and cultural. Physical anthropologists

study the physical features of

humans. Cultural anthropologists examine

human cultures. Both these kinds of

anthropology may include the study of

prehistoric, ancient, and modern

humans.

Physical Anthropology

Physical anthropology is related to the

science called biology. Physical anthropologists

examine differences in human

physical features. They often study

human genes. These are the things that

pass along traits from parents to their

children. They may also measure the

shape, size, and structure of body parts

or properties such as blood types.

Some physical anthropologists compare

the physical features among people from

different geographic areas. Others may

examine what makes humans physically

different from other animals, such as

apes. Some physical anthropologists

study the remains of prehistoric humans

to learn about human origins. They try

to determine how and when modern

humans developed from early forms of

humans and from nonhuman ancestors.

In other words, they study human evolution.

In the past, some physical

anthropologists divided people into

races. They ranked the races based on

such features as skull size and skin

color. They thought that some races

were better than others. However, that

idea came from prejudices, not from

true science. In the late 20th century

anthropologists found that modern

humans are all very similar in their

genes. In fact, there is no scientific basis

for dividing people into races.

Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropology is a social science,

or a field of study concerned with

human societies. Cultural anthropologists

study many aspects of human cultures,

in different places and times.

These may include art, language, religion,

clothing, customs, and social

structure. Anthropologists try not to

judge a culture’s practices as good or

bad. Instead, they try to find out what

the practices mean to the people of that

culture. They also compare the practices

of various societies.

Some anthropologists study the bones and

other remains of humans.

Margaret

Mead of the

United States

was a famous

anthropologist.

She studied

the

peoples of

Oceania during

the mid-

1900s.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Anthropology 141

 

Archaeology is one type of cultural

anthropology. Archaeologists uncover

and study pottery, tools, and other

objects left by prehistoric and ancient

peoples. They try to learn how such

peoples lived.

In the 1800s and early 1900s most cultural

anthropologists were from western

Europe or the United States. They usually

traveled to another part of the

world, such as Africa or Asia, to study

different cultures. Today cultural anthropologists

from all around the world

study a wide variety of human groups.

For instance, they may study small fishing

villages, gangs in big cities, religious

groups, or large companies.

#More to explore

Archaeology • Biology • Culture

• Evolution • Genetics • Human Origins

• Social Science

Antibiotic

Doctors sometimes treat patients with a

type of medicine called an antibiotic.

Antibiotics treat illnesses and infections

caused by bacteria, or tiny organisms.

Antibiotics can come in the form of a

pill, a liquid, a cream, or a shot. One of

the first widely used antibiotics was

penicillin. It was discovered in 1928.

Doctors use antibiotics to cure serious

diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis,

and meningitis. Antibiotics can also

fight common problems such as acne

and strep throat. Antibiotics do not

work against common colds or other

illnesses caused by a virus.