Who were some key figures in 19th-century anthropology?

The 19th century was a formative period for anthropology, with key figures laying the foundations for the discipline. Some of the most influential figures include:

1. Lewis Henry Morgan (1818–1881) – An American anthropologist known for his work on kinship and social structure, as well as his theory of cultural evolution, which categorized societies into “savagery,” “barbarism,” and “civilization.”
2. Edward Burnett Tylor (1832–1917) – A British anthropologist considered one of the founders of cultural anthropology. He introduced the concept of cultural evolution and defined culture in a broad, modern sense.
3. Franz Boas (1858–1942) – Although his major contributions were in the early 20th century, Boas challenged 19th-century racial and evolutionary theories, advocating for cultural relativism and fieldwork-based anthropology.
4. James George Frazer (1854–1941) – Known for his work The Golden Bough (1890), which explored mythology, magic, and religion in a comparative framework.
5. Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) – A philosopher and early sociologist who applied evolutionary theory to human societies, influencing early anthropological thought.
6. Johann Jakob Bachofen (1815–1887) – A Swiss anthropologist who theorized about matriarchy in early human societies.
7. Augustus Pitt-Rivers (1827–1900) – An archaeologist and ethnologist who advanced typological classification in archaeology, emphasizing the study of material culture.

These scholars helped shape anthropology’s early methodologies and theories, many of which were later revised or critiqued in the 20th century.