Why Did Europeans Come to View Race as So Important

Why did Europeans come to view race as so important by the 1700s?

A) They were seeking explanations for why so many native people died when Europeans came into contact with them.
B) They were trying to divide Europe into nation-states, not just kingdoms, and wanted to do so along racial lines.
C) Racial hierarchies justified the permanent enslavement of Africans-even over generations.
D) They were seeking to apply Darwin's theory of evolution to human cultures.