🧐Consider the possibility of the founding fathers crafting a Constitution so powerful in its legal structure that it would effectively abolish the institution of slavery as soon as it was ratified For Black Americans, the 4th of July means something else since the people who started the country owned slaves. The hypocrisy of celebrating independence and freedom while their ancestors were in chains is a stark reality that cannot be ignored. But what if the founding fathers had taken a different path, one that unequivocally opposed slavery from the very beginning? Picture a United States Declaration of Independence meticulously crafted by founding fathers who unwaveringly stood against slavery. Now, take a leap of imagination and envision them going a step beyond, crafting a Constitution filled with a comprehensive legal framework that possesses the power to eliminate the practice of slavery completely and permanently. What if they had enshrined the principle of equality for all into our nation's founding document? If the founding fathers had been unwavering in their commitment to justice and equality, the United States would have looked very different today. The stain of slavery would not have tainted the nation's history, and the struggles and injustices faced by American Descendants of Slavery would have been avoided. The legacy of systemic racism and inequality that continues to plague our society may have never taken root, paving the way for a more just and equitable future for all. While this alternate reality may exist only in our imaginations, it serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that the past can have on the present. By questioning the narratives that have shaped our society, we can begin to challenge the status quo and strive for a more inclusive and equitable future. The Fourth of July may not have the same meaning for American Descendants of Slavery, but by reimagining history and considering what could have been, we can work towards a future where freedom and equality are truly universal. 07-04-24 @12:44 AM EST #ChangePolicy
Did you know The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, provided a loophole that allowed for the mass incarceration of newly freed slaves.
Honestly, it goes back even further, for me. It’s hard to comprehend a people celebrating their independence on stolen land. Meanwhile, exerting misplaced authority insomuch as to systematically enslave Native/Indigenous Americans and kidnapped Africans, alike. There are so many layers to this discussion. I’m afraid this onion will continue to make us cry, being only partially peeled.
Every single time i hear someone say, "The founding fathers would be turning in their graves if they saw what was happening to this country", or "USA is no longer a true democracy".... I ask them if they realize the founding fathers founded the USA via support of indigenous genocide, land theft, and chattel enslavement of Africans. I ask them how these violent foundations would or could ever manifest as anything but continued violence, systemically, amongst the status quo-- especially the descendants of men like these or people who uphold the paradigms of violence and exploitation that epitomize supremacist/colonization/colonial/plantation logic. This post spoke to me!
No here are the facts, plan and simple.The North represented Congress and the American Creed:Human Rights for All by ALL MEANS NECESSARY. While the South led by , washington, rose up and aggressively threatened Congress and the American People, if they did not exclude Blacks from the Constitution. The Constitution was a war between AMERICA (HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL) & white supremacy,BLACK LIVES DO NOT MATTER. The man, washington, and the rest of the men our Educators praise as our Founders/Fathers are not the Fathers of HUMAN RIGHTS. No a man can only be the Founder & Father of what he has established. The record shows , washington, is the Founder & Father of BLACK LIVES DO NOT MATTER. Today is our Independence Day, a day ACCOMPLISHED & ESTABLISHED BY The Great Moralistic,JOHN ADAMS. Why no Praise,Honor nor even words of Appreciation. JOHN ADAMS, is one of the TRUE FOUNDING FATHERS OF AMERICA, HUMAN RIGHTS and ,washington, is the True Founding Father of white supremacy,BLACK LIVES DO NOT MATTER. Our Educators cannot hide the spots of,washington. The man is a white supremacists.
I assess most founding fathers intended to set the stage to end slavery but had to compromise to keep the fledgling union together (Art 1, Section 9, Clause 1). As we know, slavery didn’t end until the Civil War. Your point is well taken, which is why the Juneteenth holiday is important to mark the extension of freedom to all Americans.
I just attended a 4th of July parade in California and it was packed full of Patriotic black people. They have all the rights of anyone else. If you really take a comprehensive view of Human History, it's impossible to not be thankful for the US Constitution and the men who made it happen. Regardless of who your ancestors are.
Thanks. Thoughts. There would have been no independence and no Constitution. The white Southern elites demanded toleration of slavery as the price of going along with all this. Unequal representation in the Senate (two Senators, regardless of population) and yet counting slaves as persons for allocating seats in the House (3/5ths. but still counting them as persons). Slavery might have ended earlier and without a war - England was anti-slavery, but allowed it in America and the Caribbean. Had England had its way, the trade in slaves from Africa would have ended sooner. It can be a difficult conversation. Slavery was unimaginably horrible. At the same time both the enslaved and the masters are our cultural and often biological ancestors. So, we look at these men's lives and judge them, and compare the to ourselves. But, answering the question, in my humble opinion, we all would have been better off. Slavery kept labor out of the marketplace chaining in low productivity employment. Slavery cost us these people's creativity etc., so we had fewer inventions. Slavery artificially propped up an inefficient industrial scale farm economy that should have failed.
This is what the election should be about. . . FREEDOM. . . . Freedom from repeating all the worst mistakes of the past. Freedom to not be told what to do, how to be, what not to do with one's own body, who not to love, how far you can go in your profession because of a physical trait you are born with, and all the rest of it, according to power-hungry egotistical old white men who have no idea what they're talking about. I'm feeling disgusted with it lately and not exactly ready for fireworks.
Founder and Chief Research Officer @ Change-Policy
1wIn 1765, George Washington was frequently referred to as the wealthiest man in America, although it is likely that he did not rank among the top 10 richest individuals. Regardless, he was undeniably affluent, with a vast amount of wealth primarily in land - owning over 54,000 acres, including 8,000 acres at Mount Vernon and an additional 4,000 acres in Virginia's Dismal Swamp, most of which he had obtained for speculative purposes.