What did people believe before wegener?

Before Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century, most scientists believed in the concept of static continents, which held that the Earth's landmasses had remained in fixed positions for millions of years. The prevailing view was largely influenced by geologists like Charles Lyell, who emphasized uniformitarianism—the idea that the Earth's features were shaped by slow, gradual processes. Additionally, many subscribed to the notion that the continents were created independently and did not interact significantly. Wegener's ideas challenged this perspective by suggesting that continents were once joined together and gradually drifted apart over time.