--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I read not amiss, this powerful race…" description: "\"If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down upon Mexico, down upon Central and South America, out upon the islands of the sea, over upon Afr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg" --- # If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down… ![“If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down upon Mexico, down upon Central and South America, out upon the islands of the sea, over upon Africa and beyond. And can any one doubt that the results of this competition of races will be the 'survival of the fittest?'” quote by Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg) > “If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down upon Mexico, down upon Central and South America, out upon the islands of the sea, over upon Africa and beyond. And can any one doubt that the results of this competition of races will be the 'survival of the fittest?'” [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial competition drives expansion, echoing survival‑of‑the‑fittest. **In simple terms:** Races compete for dominance across continents. Key Takeaway Recognize the dangers of social Darwinism. Themes race expansion survival social Darwinism Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - colonial policy - immigration debates - environmental competition Key Concepts history geopolitics ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does this perspective affect modern policy? - Can societies thrive without competition? A Different Perspective Simplistic view ignores cooperation and ethics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Beyond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond/) [Central](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Fittest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fittest/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Mexico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexico/) [Move](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/move/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-race-497113/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/races/) [Races Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/races-survival-497114/) [Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south/) [South america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-america/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Fittest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-fittest/) [Survival of the fittest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-of-the-fittest/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [This survival of the fittest implies multiplication of the fittest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/this-survival-of-the-fittest-implies-multiplication-of-the-fittest-2/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [You have to have an attitude that nothing's gonna stop me. I think that's just my New York kind of attitude - survival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-sousa/you-have-to-have-an-attitude-that-nothing-s-gonna-stop-me-i-think/) [Melissa De Sousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-sousa/) > [“I see it now. There are no rules. It's survival of the fittest”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-see-it-now-there-are-no-rules-it-s-survival-of-the-fittest/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [When most of us hear the phrase, 'survival of the fittest,' we assume it originated with Charles Darwin. It did not. The phrase doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-a-barker/when-most-of-us-hear-the-phrase-survival-of-the-fittest-we-assume-it/) [Joel A. Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-a-barker/) > [“Survival of the fittest, motherfucker.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-gordon/survival-of-the-fittest-motherfucker/) [H.D. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-gordon/) > [A long time ago a very powerful race of Indians lived here. They were from another cycle; their being was of another composition. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-long-time-ago-a-very-powerful-race-of-indians-lived-here-they-were/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The year 2100 will see eugenics universally established. In past ages, the law governing the survival of the fittest roughly weeded out the less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/the-year-2100-will-see-eugenics-universally-established-in-past-ages/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [I know that in the battle of ideas, Republican politicians are at a distinct disadvantage. Their fundamental philosophy - which I characterize as survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-know-that-in-the-battle-of-ideas-republican-politicians-are-at-a/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [“The fittest person survives! The fighting man succeeds! He who Fights to Fit, will Survive to Succeed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-fittest-person-survives-the-fighting-man-succeeds-he-who-fights/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I'm loyal to a fault - even though I've been to hell and back with Vince McMahon, I would never to do anything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk-hogan/i-m-loyal-to-a-fault-even-though-i-ve-been-to-hell-and-back-with/) [Hulk Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk-hogan/) > [There are a lot of comedians that were bullied and picked on, and that's why they became comedians. Survival of the fittest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-haddish/there-are-a-lot-of-comedians-that-were-bullied-and-picked-on-and-that/) [Tiffany Haddish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-haddish/) > [Survival of the fittest led to "nature red in tooth and claw" and this is not sufficiently wishy-washy for modern scientists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-standen/survival-of-the-fittest-led-to-nature-red-in-tooth-and-claw-and-this/) [Anthony Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-standen/) > [“It felt to me as if we were all involved in some kind of twisted, South-of-the-Border, Darwinian, "Survival of The Fittest" experiment. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/it-felt-to-me-as-if-we-were-all-involved-in-some-kind-of-twisted/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [There's no such things as survival of the fittest. Survival of the most adequate, maybe. It doesn't matter whether a solution's optimal. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/there-s-no-such-things-as-survival-of-the-fittest-survival-of-the/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) > [The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-smalley/the-survival-of-the-fittest-is-the-ageless-law-of-nature-but-the/) [Dave Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-smalley/) ## More by Josiah Strong > [The rich are richer, and the poor are poorer, in the city than elsewhere; and, as a rule, the greater are the riches of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/the-rich-are-richer-and-the-poor-are-poorer-in-the-city-than/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [We have seen... that, although England is by far the richest nation of Europe, we have already outstripped her in the race after wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/we-have-seen-that-although-england-is-by-far-the-richest-nation-of/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Furthermore, it is significant that the marked characteristics of this race are being here emphasized most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/furthermore-it-is-significant-that-the-marked-characteristics-of-this/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [There the union of Church and State tends strongly to paralyze some of the members of the body of Christ. Here there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/there-the-union-of-church-and-state-tends-strongly-to-paralyze-some/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Our aristocracy, unlike that of Europe, is open to all comers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/our-aristocracy-unlike-that-of-europe-is-open-to-all-comers/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [The city has become a serious menace to our civilization It has a peculiar attraction for the immigrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/the-city-has-become-a-serious-menace-to-our-civilization-it-has-a/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Our fifty principal cities contain 39.3 per cent of our entire German population, and 45.8 per cent of the Irish. Our ten larger cities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/our-fifty-principal-cities-contain-39-3-per-cent-of-our-entire-german/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [It may be easily shown, and is of no small significance, that the two great ideas of which the Anglo-Saxon is the exponent are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/it-may-be-easily-shown-and-is-of-no-small-significance-that-the-two/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Long before the thousand millions are here, the mighty centrifugal tendency, inherent in this stock and strengthened in the United States, will assert itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/long-before-the-thousand-millions-are-here-the-mighty-centrifugal/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Heretofore there has always been in the history of the world a comparatively unoccupied land westward, into which the crowded countries of the East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/heretofore-there-has-always-been-in-the-history-of-the-world-a/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [It is not necessary to argue to those for whom I write that the two great needs of mankind, that all men may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/it-is-not-necessary-to-argue-to-those-for-whom-i-write-that-the-two/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [The time is coming when the pressure of population on the means of subsistence will be felt here as it is now felt in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/the-time-is-coming-when-the-pressure-of-population-on-the-means-of/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [The Anglo-Saxon has established himself in climates totally diverse - Canada, South Africa, and India - and, through several generations, has preserved his essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/the-anglo-saxon-has-established-himself-in-climates-totally-diverse/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [In Europe the various ranks of society are, like the strata of the earth, fixed and fossilized. There can be no great change without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/in-europe-the-various-ranks-of-society-are-like-the-strata-of-the/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [There are no more new worlds. The unoccupied arable lands of the earth are limited, and will soon be taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/there-are-no-more-new-worlds-the-unoccupied-arable-lands-of-the-earth/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) [Explore all 24 Josiah Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) ## More Africa quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [South Africa needs a second liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mugabe/south-africa-needs-a-second-liberation/) [Robert Mugabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mugabe/) > [There's a place in Botswana where there are 100,000 elephants living in a single population. Think of the amount of space they need. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/) [Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/africa-for-the-africans-at-home-and-abroad/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [In Africa, animals and the natural landscape allow local communities to support themselves, as there is a constant source of money from tourism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lidington/in-africa-animals-and-the-natural-landscape-allow-local-communities/) [David Lidington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lidington/) > [My mom is from Ghana, and my dad is from Detroit, so I would go back and forth to Africa a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-richardson/my-mom-is-from-ghana-and-my-dad-is-from-detroit-so-i-would-go-back/) [Sam Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-richardson/) > [I've never been invited to do an exhibition or do a talk in England, except once, about 10 years ago. I've given talks all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wildsmith/i-ve-never-been-invited-to-do-an-exhibition-or-do-a-talk-in-england/) [Brian Wildsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wildsmith/) > [I represent my country, but I also represent the continent of Africa when I play in Europe. That's why it's important to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-toure/i-represent-my-country-but-i-also-represent-the-continent-of-africa/) [Yaya Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-toure/) > [What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. We need to create a new breed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hani/what-we-need-in-south-africa-is-for-egos-to-be-suppressed-in-favour/) [Chris Hani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hani/) > [I was learning to track rhinoceroses in Africa and tracked right up on an animal that really I thought was going to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-was-learning-to-track-rhinoceroses-in-africa-and-tracked-right-up/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [I am interested in bringing Africa to the foot of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/i-am-interested-in-bringing-africa-to-the-foot-of-the-cross/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [My mother is a huge fan of my work. I told her about 'Coraline' long before the film was made, and she got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/my-mother-is-a-huge-fan-of-my-work-i-told-her-about-coraline-long/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) [Browse all 1,665 Africa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down upon Mexico, down upon Central and South America, out upon the islands of the sea, over upon Africa and beyond. And can any one doubt that the results of this competition of races will be the 'survival of the fittest?'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josiah Strong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-will-move-down-upon-mexico/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Africa" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-will-move-down-upon-mexico/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c16/josiah-strong-24827_africa_if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-w_2442153.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I read not amiss, this powerful race will move down upon Mexico, down upon Central and South America, out…” — Josiah Strong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Josiah Strong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I read not amiss, this...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-will-move-down-upon-mexico/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/if-i-read-not-amiss-this-powerful-race-will-move-down-upon-mexico/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```