Once again I saw the New York Times expose claiming America started in 1619 with the arrival of twenty odd slaves. The premise being America was built solely by the efforts of this slave labor. It is just a part of the apologetic stance the Times would have every white person in America assume. Well, because it was the white people that did all of that. It is the white people that have profited and prospered at the expense of African slaves. All white people today should be apologetic, pay reparations and be humble.
Well, let's review the facts. In 1619 what did eventually become America was nothing more than a British colony. So, one could say the British invasion didn't begin with the Beatles in February of 1964, no the British invaded " America " in 1597 at Roanoke Va. In 1619 these British citizens did purchase slaves from a Dutch trader. He had taken these slaves from a Spanish vessel. The British enslaved those folks and continued to enslave them for the next 167 years! That's correct. From 1619 until 1783 what we now call America was a British colony, inhabited by British citizens. English law prevailed. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in September of 1783 America was officially born. It was at that time Britain formally acknowledged our independence and relinquished all claims in north America. Seems to me the British are responsible for this slavery business.
Now we are all aware that the wheels of government turn slowly. After all we won the war in 1783 and it took three years for Britain to accept that. The following year, 1787, slavery was made illegal in the northwest territory. In 1808 the importation of slaves was made illegal! That's correct, twenty two years after gaining independence the United States of America banned the importation of slaves. Of course there were still slaves in America. Yes, they were important to industry in the south, namely the cotton industry that was labor intensive. As outrageous as it was it was an accepted practice at that time. Trying to get those southern plantation owners to relinquish their low cost labor force was going to be quite the legislative battle. In fact in 1861 the confederacy was formed in part based on just that. The Missouri compromise had already prohibited slavery north of the southern border of Missouri. There were already 19 free states and the southern plantation owners knew that would only increase in number. They seceded from the Union. In 1863 President Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation. That was just 77 years after we became the United States. Yes, that proclamation only applied to the south and was effectively worthless. You can't issue proclamation for other nations and the south definitely wasn't going to comply with that, still, the mold was set. On December the sixth 1865 the 13th amendment to the Constitution was ratified abolishing slavery throughout the United States of America. That was 82 years, 3 months, and 4 days since the treaty of Paris. A virtual whirlwind by political standards of time.
Remember the British? They were in control for 167 years and never did abolish the practice of slavery! In fact there are 167 countries in the world today that allow slavery. About 46 million people are in bondage right now! To name just a few of these nations, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and North Korea. Strangely the New York Times hasn't mentioned that at all. No, instead it is the Americans that abolished slavery over a eight two year span that is to blame! It is all white Americans that bear the responsibility!
Now I think we can all agree that slavery is wrong. I don't know anyone that would argue otherwise. Well I haven't talked to people in any of those 167 countries that allow slavery today, perhaps they woud support that. In fact, I expect they would and probably for the same reason as the southern plantation owners did, economics. Does it excuse any of that? No, it doesn't. But you can't rewrite history, you can't undo the past. All you can do is learn from it. It just seems to me that it was those white guys that wrote the constitution that planted the seed of freedom for all men. Seems to me it was the 360,000 Union soldiers that died in the civil war that did so for the freedom of all men. So maybe, just maybe instead of blaming AMERICANS that abolished that heinous institution after 82 years, Americans should be proud that they did so. Did they not declare, " We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. " Yes they did! They weren't Americans when they made that statement, in fact they risked their lives in declaring such, but they became Americans and stood by that declaration. It was brought to fruition in 82 years, 3 months and 4 days!
To sum it up I would paraphrase a certain freshman representative in Congress, " some body did something. " Yup, I'd say somebody did something alright.
Well, let's review the facts. In 1619 what did eventually become America was nothing more than a British colony. So, one could say the British invasion didn't begin with the Beatles in February of 1964, no the British invaded " America " in 1597 at Roanoke Va. In 1619 these British citizens did purchase slaves from a Dutch trader. He had taken these slaves from a Spanish vessel. The British enslaved those folks and continued to enslave them for the next 167 years! That's correct. From 1619 until 1783 what we now call America was a British colony, inhabited by British citizens. English law prevailed. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in September of 1783 America was officially born. It was at that time Britain formally acknowledged our independence and relinquished all claims in north America. Seems to me the British are responsible for this slavery business.
Now we are all aware that the wheels of government turn slowly. After all we won the war in 1783 and it took three years for Britain to accept that. The following year, 1787, slavery was made illegal in the northwest territory. In 1808 the importation of slaves was made illegal! That's correct, twenty two years after gaining independence the United States of America banned the importation of slaves. Of course there were still slaves in America. Yes, they were important to industry in the south, namely the cotton industry that was labor intensive. As outrageous as it was it was an accepted practice at that time. Trying to get those southern plantation owners to relinquish their low cost labor force was going to be quite the legislative battle. In fact in 1861 the confederacy was formed in part based on just that. The Missouri compromise had already prohibited slavery north of the southern border of Missouri. There were already 19 free states and the southern plantation owners knew that would only increase in number. They seceded from the Union. In 1863 President Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation. That was just 77 years after we became the United States. Yes, that proclamation only applied to the south and was effectively worthless. You can't issue proclamation for other nations and the south definitely wasn't going to comply with that, still, the mold was set. On December the sixth 1865 the 13th amendment to the Constitution was ratified abolishing slavery throughout the United States of America. That was 82 years, 3 months, and 4 days since the treaty of Paris. A virtual whirlwind by political standards of time.
Remember the British? They were in control for 167 years and never did abolish the practice of slavery! In fact there are 167 countries in the world today that allow slavery. About 46 million people are in bondage right now! To name just a few of these nations, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and North Korea. Strangely the New York Times hasn't mentioned that at all. No, instead it is the Americans that abolished slavery over a eight two year span that is to blame! It is all white Americans that bear the responsibility!
Now I think we can all agree that slavery is wrong. I don't know anyone that would argue otherwise. Well I haven't talked to people in any of those 167 countries that allow slavery today, perhaps they woud support that. In fact, I expect they would and probably for the same reason as the southern plantation owners did, economics. Does it excuse any of that? No, it doesn't. But you can't rewrite history, you can't undo the past. All you can do is learn from it. It just seems to me that it was those white guys that wrote the constitution that planted the seed of freedom for all men. Seems to me it was the 360,000 Union soldiers that died in the civil war that did so for the freedom of all men. So maybe, just maybe instead of blaming AMERICANS that abolished that heinous institution after 82 years, Americans should be proud that they did so. Did they not declare, " We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. " Yes they did! They weren't Americans when they made that statement, in fact they risked their lives in declaring such, but they became Americans and stood by that declaration. It was brought to fruition in 82 years, 3 months and 4 days!
To sum it up I would paraphrase a certain freshman representative in Congress, " some body did something. " Yup, I'd say somebody did something alright.
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