Final answer:
European claims of racial superiority were institutionalized through slavery, discriminatory laws, and colonialism, leading to a long-term system that favored white individuals and marginalized 'non-whites', with ongoing consequences in recognition and opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reasons Europeans historically did not give credit to "non-whites" stem from a complex interplay of race, economics, and power dynamics. European ideas of racial superiority were cemented through the transatlantic slave trade, a brutal system that treated Africans as chattel and coded racism into law and policy. Over time, this led to a societal structure that favored whites, evidenced by laws like the United States Naturalization Law of 1790, which limited citizenship to "free white persons." Furthermore, racial prejudice permeated European colonial practices globally, where the belief in white superiority justified systems of oppression and extraterritorial privileges in non-white countries. In the Americas, a caste system evolved where whiteness correlated with social status, excluding people of color from the benefits afforded to whites. This historical context illuminates the ongoing effects of racism and the disparity in recognition and opportunity for people of color compared to their white counterparts.