Distorted history in the USA...Slavery.

[Manimal]

Growing up, going to the worst schools in the State, I always had some interesting teachers who were also activists...I just didn't realize it at the time. The history classes/lessons truly told a distorted truth about the way of the world. This kind of thing was never taught to us.

Something I learned as an Adult about Slavery is that the Nation of Ghana was built by/through the Ashanti Tribe. The Ashanti Tribe were the largest Exporters of Slaves in Africa. I was taught that "White People" went into Africa and captured slaves, but this was mostly untrue. I also did not grow up being taught that the Barbary Wars were about ending the Enslavement of European women, who were regularly enslaved and traded by North Africans at the time.

In modern times I've seen Nancy Pelosi and others in Congress celebrate Ghana and the Ashanti Tribe through photo-ops wearing the Ashanti Kente Cloth:

And most recently, I learned about this Celebration of Colonialism in Ghana, where they dress in White Face and celebrate the slave traders that made them the richest nation in Africa.

In Ghana, the New Year Starts With a Fancy Dress Masquerade

Once a colonial tradition, a creative festival has been elevated to new heights.

www.atlasobscura.com

It's important to remember that History is "His-story"...with "he" being the victor. The stories told are different around the world, perspective and all.

 

[John_]

Nice brief primer, Manimal.

 

[Peacemaker]

Most everything about slavery in the US is distorted. The only clear truth regrettably, there was slavery in the US for a period of time.

 

[Bolt Head]

I can get longwinded about slavery in the USA but I'll keep it short for now.
Slavery here has been over for over 150 years. No one alive now had anything to do with it.

What about the Holocaust? Over a period of 4-5 years, ended in 1945, a total of some 11,000,000 people were murdered.

Further back in the late 1700s, the French Revolution, Reign of Terror, estimated to be upwards of 17,000 people were guillotined in a very short period of time.

Back to slavery in the US, all the black slave owners routinely get a pass.

Slavery in the US is a dead horse beaten beyond a pulp.

 

[billy82269]

Good post... I learned through some friends genealogy research that slavery really didn't end with the civil war, at least not for Native Americans... An acquaintances Choctaw great great great grandmother was traded by her family to a wealthy family to be a servant for a bushel of sweet potatoes in the 1880s.

 

[hotbiggun]

There are more kidnapped women and slaves right now than there has ever been in human history.

 

[Fordfella]

Good post... I learned through some friends genealogy research that slavery really didn't end with the civil war, at least not for Native Americans... An acquaintances Choctaw great great great grandmother was traded by her family to a wealthy family to be a servant for a bushel of sweet potatoes in the 1880s.

My father knew a lady who, as a child was traded for a bottle of whiskey. That was the state of "adoption" at the time.

 

[Cajun Camper]

I’ve always said that the Black Community needs to go to Africa & trace their lineage to whatever tribe sold their ancestors into slavery & start getting their reparations there. Having spent time in Nigeria human life still isn’t worth a plug nickel.

 

[Manimal]

There are more kidnapped women and slaves right now than there has ever been in human history.

There are apx 65,000,000 known slaves today in the world, far more than in US history. Many of them are making our clothes and technology.

There were only apx 19,000 slaves imported to the USA from Africa during the slave trade.

 

[Abby Normal]

If you ever seen the show Finding Your Roots on pbs the show hosted Henry Louis Gates he loves the gotcha moment when he revels weather or not someone in your family owned slaves, or fought for the Confederacy. He has had a few Black guest whose ancestors owned slaves. Besides being Dumbfounded, the excuses come flying out that they must have been Good Slave Owners.
The best one was Bryant Gumbel when he found out that in NOLa his black great grandfather signed up to fight for the Confederacy. He didn’t get to fight but the look on Gumbel’s face was priceless.
Slavery is much more complex than the 1619 Project would ever admit too.

 

[DBMJR1]

It is frowned upon to suggest that Eli Whitney was the one to free slaves.

 

[Bolt Head]

There are apx 65,000,000 known slaves today in the world, far more than in US history. Many of them are making our clothes and technology.

There were only apx 19,000 slaves imported to the USA from Africa during the slave trade.

There are currently many slaves in Thailand alone. So many people focus on the long-abolished US slavery while completely ignoring the current slavery throughout the world.

I just focus on my own life. I actually have control over that. LOL

 

[John_]

It is frowned upon to suggest that Eli Whitney was the one to free slaves.

"Whitney believed that his cotton gin would reduce the demand for enslaved labor and would help hasten the end of southern slavery. Paradoxically, the cotton gin, a labor-saving device, helped preserve and prolong slavery in the United States for another 70 years." (source: wikipedia)

Cotton gin effectively boosted the profits in growing cotton. Way more efficient harvesting method.

"According to the Global Slavery Index, nearly 500,000 people are believed to be currently enslaved within Thailand's borders – and a significant number of them are likely to be out at sea." (source: www.theguardian.com)

 

[tim9lives]

​

The Slavery Narrative is skewed.

Trans-Saharan slave trade- Wiki​

Trans-Saharan slave trade - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Abby Normal]

 

[Manimal]

I found this interesting to go through: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713436?seq=4

 

[Magdump]

Yeah, a lot of history gets rewritten and unwritten over the years. Wish the true history of the civil war, slavery and other such things was common knowledge, instead of the race dividing garbage the mainstream media spews daily.
Add to that the complete and true history of the Democratic Party and how it relates to Black history in the US. I’m pretty sure there would be more black Republicans if that history was common knowledge. Maybe a lot less trouble in the nation too.