Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica
SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE TO PREMIUM
  • Home
  • Biographies
  • Animals & Nature
  • History & Society
  • Science & Tech
  • Geography & Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • ProCon
  • Money
  • Games & Quizzes
  • Videos
  • Today in History
  • Dictionary
  • New Articles
Biographies
  • Browse Biographies
Animals & Nature
  • Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
  • Environment
  • Fossils & Geologic Time
  • Insects & Other Invertebrates
  • Mammals
  • Plants
History & Society
  • History
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Society & Social Issues
Science & Tech
  • Health & Medicine
  • Science
  • Technology
Geography & Travel
  • Geography & Travel
Arts & Culture
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Literature
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Visual Arts
  • Image Galleries
  • Podcasts
  • Summaries
  • Top Questions
  • Lists and Stories
  • Britannica Kids
Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
WASP
References
Britannica AI Icon

WASP

American social group
Also known as: white Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  EncyclopƦdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Learn about this topic in these articles:

  • Mainline Protestant steeple
    mainline Protestantism
    / Demographics and decline

    The term WASP—an acronym for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant—refers to the historically dominant social group in the United States whose cultural values and institutions were largely shaped by mainline Protestant traditions. These denominations provided much of the moral framework, social respectability, and leadership that defined the American elite…

    Read More

    The term WASP—an acronym for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant—refers to the historically dominant social group in the United States whose cultural values and institutions were largely shaped by mainline Protestant traditions. These denominations provided much of the moral framework, social respectability, and leadership that defined the American elite…

    Read More