The 1619 Project is an epic thesis by The New York Times to pretty much flip American history on its head.
One of the things I have repeatedly seen in reference to the 1619 project, and previously as justification for reparations is perfectly encapsulated in this Tweet:
Today is the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans reaching Virginia’s shore. The story of those who built the American economy, creating wealth for all but themselves, is not just African-American history: it is American history. #1619Projecthttps://t.co/LJryeknEt5
— Michael Bennet (@MichaelBennet) August 20, 2019
It’s this part right here: “The story of those who built the American economy, creating wealth for all but themselves.”
I’ve have seen it said other ways like “America was built on their backs” or something similar.
This really gores my ox.
There is a lot we can talk about when it comes to the historical mistreatment of Black Americans. There are things we can do to help Black America now.
But looking at historical data, Blacks made up about 19% of the population in the 1700s, dropping to 15% by the mid 1800s, and staying at about 12-13% of the population for the last half-century.
The decrease in Black percentage of the population in the mid 1800s corresponds to the first huge wave of Irish immigrants, and the increase in the US population thought waves of European immigrants through the early 1900s.
I’m sorry, but the idea that the American economy was built by only 15-20% of the population is both ridiculously inaccurate and offensive to every immigrant who came here to build a better life for themselves.
My great-grandfather was an ironworker in New York City. My dad took me to NYC one time and took me on a tour of the skyscrapers, pointing out the ones his grandfather worked on to build the skyline of the city. It was the tour his grandfather took him on when he was a boy.
I can’t imagine anything more racially divisive than pushing the idea that slavery built America and the only work done by white people was to lift a hand to crack a whip.
Then again, racial divisiveness seems to be the sole purpose of The New York Times and Democrat party.
Lie, cheat, steal the motto of the Dems
Some of my ancestors immigrated from England in the 1870s and dug coal in southern Wyoming. Coal that fueled the railroads, and the post Civil War industrial boom. Others of my ancestors immigrated from England in the 1860s and crossed the plains pulling a hand cart (they couldn’t afford a team of oxen). They settled in Utah and Idaho growing food for an expanding nation. Yes, of course, human slavery was (and is) an abomination. However, barring disability or disease, every immigrant from Europe, Asia and Africa worked damned hard to make a better life for their family and in the process turned the United States into the economic power house that it is today.
Thought- what about the CHINESE SLAVES who built the railroads?????
A couple of minor dissents from the 1619 Project,
– John Casor was the first person of African descent to be declared a slave in the Colonies, in 1655. He lost his civil lawsuit to a former indentured servant from Africa who introduced the Colonies to African customs. (expect wiki to be revised heavily IAW 1619 project)
– No New World country that relied heavily on slave labor, more than the US, is on par with the USA on prosperity nor even on par with Old Europe. Not that correlation is causation, but slavery certainly seems to have retarded development in the New World geographic areas it was practiced.
– It current events, slavery by any other name name is still practised. These areas seem to be severely retarded.
Owning slaves is about status, and always has been. It’s not economically beneficial EXCEPT to the slave-takers and traders. Between lower productivity and the cost of security, slave labor will always be out-produced by free markets.