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by leasheryn from Sarasota

Last Post 5 days, 11 hours Ago


A Brief History of Slavery
Jun 4, 2008 | 6:50 PM
Category: News
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Does anyone realize that there were more white slaves in America than there were black slaves.  The word slave itself is derived from the word slav or slavic meaning Eastern European. 

There were many types of slaves long before America was even discovered or earned it's rights as a country.  Anyone ever hear of Christians being slaves of the Roman Empire or perhaps the fact that Pharaoh kept the Isrealites in slavery during the time of Moses?  The Turks and the Arabs commonly captured both white men and women, keeping them as slaves or placing the women in harems.  Many of the men were made into Eunuchs so they would remain loyal to the sultan and leave the harems alone.  The Chinese even kept their own people as slaves. 

Human bondage or slavery long before the blacks were "victimized" in America.  However it is also a known fact that there were more WHITE slaves in America than there were black.  Many of the people who came to America during the late 1600 or early 1700 did not come of their own free will but were captured in England and brought to America as slaves.  There was also a penal colony in America, the same as in Australia, in which white European criminals were sent over and put to work as slaves.   

Even Captian John Smith of Pocohontas fame was once captured and  kept as a Turkish slave at one point in his long, interesting history. 

If everyone of white, Chinese, Jewish or even Hispanic origin who can trace their family history back far enough and found relatives who was once bond in slavery cried foul in the 21st century and demanded special priveleges, we would be in a heck of a mess.  Fortunately these people have long since moved away from anything thought of having been mistreated by the world and by history.   

So why can't the Blacks?  They were certainly not the only ones who were victims of slavery.  It seems that in studies the history of slavery, every nationality on the face of the earth were at one point or another kept as slaves.  Everyone else has overcome their history and has moved forward successfully. 

It is in fact counterproductive to continue discussing slavery as anything but a part of history that is over.  To continue to cling to the past means there is no forward movement and no hope for the future.  And that seems to be the message the blacks put out everytime the subject of slavery or the Civil War comes to light.  What they are telling us is that they refuse to move forward, they refuse to integrate like eveyone else has and that they refuse to let go of the past. 

My family is of Welsh heritage.  A great Welshman was once captured by the Irish and made a slave.  Yes, a Welsh slave in Ireland.  This man escape from bondage, returned to Wales and followed a path to Rome where he became a priest.  When he returned to his native Wales, he prepared himself for a great task and returned to Ireland bringing Christianity to a barbarian land.  This slave became a great man for having brought Christianity to Ireland.  To this day, we celebrate the life of this man on March 17.  Yes, St. Patrick--some white guy who was once a slave but left a great legacy. 

So whether anyone likes it or not, the blacks were not the only victims of slavery.  We all were at one time or another in the long history of the world.   

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thebradleys read my blog
Jun 5, 2008 | 7:14 AM

You make some excellent points.

To hear it, every black in America is descended from slaves. And only ONE black woman (who was profiled in the SP Times) acknowledges her ancestors fought on the side of the Confederacy. A salient fact that most blacks seem to prefer to overlook.

Every white American is finding themselves having to apologize for all related indiginities. Florida officially apologized. That includes all of its citizens, does it not?

I'm an American of Scandinavian, German, English AND Native American descent; NONE of my non-native ancestors came over before 1889, and I daresay there was never a Cherokee slave owner. (They had their own racial issues to deal with.) Many whites are descended from indentured servants and the majority of whites do not have wealth that would have afforded them slaves and servants in their heritage regardless the country they lived in. We ARE and have BEEN the teeming masses, the majority, the worker bees.

I resent mightily than I am classed as a group that must apologize at every turn just because I "turned up light." I have a disease that primarily affects racial "minorities." Trust me, I am paying for it.

The race card, and I will likely get flamed here, is being played as an excuse more and more. That is my perception, and until someone can explain to me quantifiably how that is not so, I see no reason to change that opinion.

So, where is the official apology to my Cherokee ancestors? The Trail of Tears was no walk in the park.
leasheryn read my blog
Jun 5, 2008 | 6:28 PM

Thank you for your input, Brad.

As I recall, Native Americans routinely captured members of other tribes and kept them as slaves. I don't believe there is a nation or nationality or group of people who did not enslave members of their own people. Even the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs kept slaves amongst their own people.

The blacks are only using slavery as an excuse. We are meant to pity them and feel guity because once upon a time they were slaves. Well, so was every other race on the face of the earth at one time or another. They were not the only ones but they seem to be the only ones who keep dragging it up continually.

I'm not buying into it. It's about time they pick themselves up by the bootstraps and make something of their lives instead of living on the benefit of the government.
Arky51 read my blog view my photos
Jun 5, 2008 | 10:38 PM

So why won't the Blacks, don't you mean??
For the same reason the Militant Feminists won't.
And, for the same reason the Gays and Lesbians won't.

Because, BEING A VICTIM IS EMPOWERING.
Victims are allowed to act irrationally.
Victims are allowed to act irresponsibly.
Victims are allowed to seek vendication.
Victims are allowed to lash out at people who did not victimize them.
Victims are allowed to create more Victims
(as long as they are not White, Heterosexual, Christian, Male).
Arky51 read my blog view my photos
Jun 5, 2008 | 10:40 PM

. . . as long as they are not White, Heterosexual, Christian, Male Victims, that is.
thebradleys read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:10 AM

Makes sense, Lea. But technically speaking, they were enslaving those within their own race....

What I would LOVE to hear is WHY there is no rage against the VERY PEOPLE who SOLD the blacks to the traders for transport to the Americas. Or would that be hitting too close to home?

I actually agree Arky. White, Heterosexual, Christian Males (WHCMs) ARE a minority, and until they get their collective butts ON THE SAME PAGE it's going to stay that way. Being married to WHCM myself, I see what he has to deal with daily.

He works with a woman who is biracial - black and white - but who espouts how racial AND sexist everyone is. My WHCM and the rest of the management team, also WHCMs (though one is Hispanic-HCM), cannot say or do a single thing about it. And yes, she is on the management team too.

When my husband was called in to cover an absentee, on the SAME day she was called in to cover another absentee, she was fuming all day about it being because she was black - and a woman. WHAT??????? Excuse me??????????? It's ridiculous. And it's tiresome.

It is for such reasons folks are getting sick to death of the race card.

Me? I've no tolerance for females that dither about and make excuses, so I tend to be rather abrupt with them, unsympathetic, and therefore come into contact with very few of them regularly. The ONLY thing that ticks me off about being female is the EXTREME care I have to take to make sure my daughter - or I - don't get raped or taken for simply going for a walk. Sexism IS alive and well, and the 5' tall little man next door spent
thebradleys read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:12 AM

the first five minutes he met me staring at my boobs and trying to flirt (he KNOWS I am married). Why should I be made to feel uncomfortable because the other person is a h@&ny little man with no respect or self control?

WHCMs need to band together and as a UNITED VOICE get things back under control. This is where the feminists are going to flame me, Arky: wives are (Colossians 3:18-25) charged to be submissive to their husbands ---but the husbands are charged to be doing the Lord's work and keeping things RIGHT. (No one reads that far since the first sentence is so inflammatory) It ain't a sexual thing, and shame on those who would make it so.

To all you victims out there: Quit looking for an apology. It ain't coming. You do NOT have a monopoly on misery. But as a FREE AMERICAN you DO have a responsibility. To quote one of your famous Democrats: Ask NOT what your country can do fdor you, ask what YOU can do for your COUNTRY.
yellowdog read my blog view my photos
Jun 6, 2008 | 7:16 AM

You are jealous Ark because WHCM's were NOT slaves in America....then you could be a victim too and maybe collect a pension or get an apology from Charlie..

Very thoughtful article, sheryn (as always).

Two points I would add.

1. Being Irish, my ancestors were treated as virtual slaves as were many of the early indentured settlers, Chines, italians, but they welcomed the opportunity because life in America was better than from where they came...it's not the same history for black slaves. Their history makes the "chip on the shoulder" somewhat understandable.

2. The segregation and societal abuse of blacks folks did not end in 1865..it continued unchallenged until the 60's and exists in many minds today.

If it HAD ended in 1865, I suspect fewer black persons would carry around that chip.

I cannot imagine how my life would have been different if I had been a black child, born in 1946, unable to eat in a white restaurant or sit in the front of the bus, fearful of being hanged by a mob..

I guarantee that I would have a BIG chip on my shoulder. Unless you have walked in another man's shoes...................

The unfortunate thing is that the chips we all have, keep us from being one people, color blind to race...ALL just Americans.
charli read my blog view my photos
Jun 6, 2008 | 5:11 PM

gang.... I am a white, senior, Franco, German, Hungarian, Irish, Jewish (by injection ;-) and conversion), baptized Catholic, raised Luthern, practiced the oldest religion of Paganism, American. Oh, I forgot to mention, I am a woman. If anyone has a right to protest, it is me! But will I? Only if it means someone using the "black" thing to get a job he/she is not qualified for but I am more than qualified for. I see no colors... unless it is brought to my attention.
charli read my blog view my photos
Jun 6, 2008 | 5:15 PM

thebradleys... sorry, I almost choked when reading your post... bi-racial woman who pulled the black woman thing! How dare she! Why couldn't she just use the "woman" issue? Nah... better to use the "black" thing, with the "woman" thing being secondary.
leasheryn read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:28 PM

YD, The Celtic people were the first on the British Isles and established themselves on that land long before the Angle/Saxons arrived. When the Angle/Saxons claimed the land, they called the Celts foreigners and chased them off the land and into the mountianous territory to the West. These were the Welsh people or Cymru. Many of them went across to Ireland and later back into Scotland. These people are still greatly mistreated by the English.
thebradleys read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:29 PM

Pretty shameful isn't it Charli? x.X My hubby stood there with his teeth in his mouth - I mean really, he CAN'T say what's he's thinking, and pointing out the obvious (that he was there, too, but white and male) would have made NO difference in her mind.

I truly feel for our guys in that position, they literally CANNOT respond and so MUST walk away. As a woman, though, while I COULD respond to her on the woman level, I could not respond to her race remarks even though SHE introduced it to the conversation, for fear of her shrieking over THAT.

Women like her have our guys by the you-know-whats and ain't nuthin' they can do about it... unless.... they (the WHCMs) get it together amongst themselves.

Provide leadership. Direction. Be strong. Shoulder burdens and responsibility. Take back what it means to be a man and BE the man. I think they got too feminized in the 80s and the rudder got removed in the process...

The herd sure is lookin' like it needs a thinnin', don't it?

(Good to see ya Charli!) :D
leasheryn read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:31 PM

Brad, many peoples were enslaving their own. Same with the African blacks. They more than welcomed the trade to North America and the wealth it brought them and SOLD their own people for material possessions. No one arrived on the coast of Africa and "stole" anyone. It was all done for profit. Although no black person would EVER admit that part.
leasheryn read my blog
Jun 6, 2008 | 6:37 PM

The problem with women and blacks is they are too busy being "victims" to be productive citizens. If you want to remove the boundaries between man and woman or white and black, YOU cannot be the one throwing up the boundaries. We are meant to work together and not seperately but it becomes more and more apparant that we are widening the divide by pulling either the race card or the black card everytime something goes wrong.
Charli, I too nearly choked when I read Brad's story about the bi-racial woman pulling the race/woman card. Seems to me, she's her own worst enemy. And I am, BTW, very much a woman and very much concerned about the direction women are taking.
yellowdog read my blog view my photos
Jun 6, 2008 | 8:06 PM

I offer a profound analysis of the nature of the sexes:

Men are stupid.

Women are crazy.

Now, there are exceptions (as is the case with all generalizations), but that pretty much sums it all up.
thebradleys read my blog
Jun 7, 2008 | 5:23 AM

That's the whole ironic point I was trying to make Lea... Its history, and as a descendant of an adversely affected and imperfect group, I, nor my relatives, are looking for an apology or using that claim to justify my behavior or as a way to get free benefits from any source possible. How ridiculous it would be to do that!

Blacks sold blacks, Indians enslaved Indians, the Egyptians (Africans, people!) enslaved the Jews. Wrong ahs been done EVERYWHERE. GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

White man just to SPITE the fool race card will be flyin' that Confederate Flag more and more. Just wait and see. "You got YOUR flag we got ours." Two wrongs don't make it right, but sometimes turn about is fair play. There's two sides here... and one is having a hard time explaining and justifying itself.

We are responsible for being the best PEOPLE we can be NOW.

Yellowdog, scooch over on the bench. I need to sit with a cool cloth on my head. [pats bench... Lea? Come sit and have some iced tea.]
leasheryn read my blog
Jun 8, 2008 | 7:01 PM

Sure, I'd love sit down with you, Brad and YD.
Anyone ever think, since we've been discussing Indians enslaving indian and so on, that the African blacks were selling their own slaves? It stands to reason since many peoples of many nations were enslaving their own people. It seems reasonable that the men and women who got on the ships in Africa were already enslaved before they were sold off to the Americas.
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leasheryn

I am in Sarasota and enjoy reading avidly, mostly about historical subjects and biographies. Also have travelled in England and Wales, visiting family and historical sights. I like a good conversation on nearly all subjects and, although I have opinions, am willing to listen to all sides of a topic. I believe in listening and learning so your opinions are always necessary to me.

Member Since: 12/23/2006


 

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