Something I just learned today. There were black slave owners.

My son came home from school today. We got into a political discussion. I was saying how communism is like slavery and the slave owner is the government. He said did you know that the largest slave owner in the south was a black woman and her son? They had 153 slaves. I said who told that. He said his teacher I said well I am sure that is not in the history books he said yep his teacher said it was not and that the books are full of falsehood.

So I did a little research.

http://americancivilwar.com/authors/black_slaveowners.htm

Yes that is absolutely true. It is also true that Africans kept each other as slaves. In fact the original African slaves in the new world were bought from other Africans and brought over here. It was only after demand exceeded supply that white slave traders started capturing free Africans to be used as slaves.

Neither of these points excuses the use of slavery, but it is interesting that our history has been rewriting to omit these facts. It's much like the rewrite that was done on American Indians. If you read a 50's or earlier history book you will see accounts of violent Indian attacks on settlers and towns that resulted in military reprisal. Nowadays, all the history books tell of is the trail of tears and leave students with the idea that all American Indians were peaceful tree hugging hippies. Until the evil white man came along. Where's the truth? Somewhere in the middle of course.

I am not saying it excuses slaves. My point is that in most cases as his teacher said it is not in the text books. That is my whole point and most schools do not teach that. One thing you are not told is that if I read the website right there were more black slave owners then white ones.

Pissedoffvulcan wrote:

One thing you are not told is that if I read the website right there were more black slave owners then white ones.

Percentage wise, more blacks were slave owners. Also they tended to be the large scale plantation owners. Although the percentages they use are really screwed up. They based percentages of white slave owners in the south to percentages of black slave owners in one city. 4.8 percent of whites out of 8 million in all the slave states. Compared to 28 percent of blacks out of 11,000 in one city. That makes that percentage comparison meaningless.

Thanks Eber.

Man that teacher is pretty gutsy teaching that kind of truth anymore. I did know that, but I did not realize it was that many.

I thought so to. ssvs

I think teaching anything not in the approved curriculum can get a teacher fired really fast. All it will take is one parent pitching a fit about this to the principal or school board.

Slavery is still going on. This is from an article I read today...

Quote :

In November 2009, Lual Achuil Akot, a forty-year old Christian Sudanese man, was freed from slavery. The Swiss organization Christian Solidarity International paid the ransom for his freedom as well as the ransom for 241 others who had been enslaved. Here is Lual’s story:

“I was abducted more than 20 years ago with my brother. We were separated that day and I never saw him again. My master, Amaran, gave me new name, Ismael, and forced me to pray like a Muslim and cultivate his crops.

“One day three other slaves and I tried to escape from our terrible situation. We were caught in a nearby forest and ordered to return. I agreed, but the others refused. My three friend’s hands were tied behind their backs and their heads were severed from their body with swords. I survived but was nearly killed by my master later when he saw his wife Fatima provide me with the same food as his children.

I will now go back to Korok, my home village. I was not sure that I would ever come back but I never gave up hope that God would eventually save me.”