Sometimes, history is written in a way that there are heroes and villains, and nothing illustrates that more than the way Americans see 'heroes' such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and 'villains' such as Benedict Arnold. But should all Americans share that view? It seems to be me that those who hold certain views on the existence of slavery should take the reverse view, because while Washington and Jefferson fought to uphold the institution of slavery, Arnold was offering slaves their freedom if they fought for Britain:
http://niahd.wm.edu/?browse=entry&id=7791" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"The battle between the rebelling colonies and the British over control of the slave population continued into the last days of the war. As portrayed in Colonial Williamsburg's Revolutionary City, even during the British occupation of Williamsburg in 1781 Benedict Arnold was promising freedom to blacks who joined the British side. Promises such as this continued to feed debates among slaves themselves as to wether or not to run away."
It just goes to show what we've always known - history is written by the victors....
Benedict Arnold hero, Washington & Jefferson villains?
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mikesiva
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mapoui
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nice post...very informative...an example of preoperly written history, clear, simply put and more accurate than the general hubris that is official american history.
the way the official hubris goes it is not as we cant see actual life around us, and use dat as template to go back and rework wat we have been told. dat in fact is wat I have always done.
white people are not to be trusted with the freedom of blac people. with the freedom of any one at all but themselves. and even then.....
that is why sensible blac americans...and by that term I mean blac people of all the americas, north and south, must look to themesleves, the organisation of their own power to effect and maintain the social changes essential for living.
it does not and must not matter for example who is president blac or white. the nature of that insittution is such that the occupant must be a traitor. if the people cant yet kill that postion in the social life it must be circumscribed by organised people power that forces policy from that centre in line with the general interest.
organised social power, the blac collective moving in tandem with the general interest of the group, collective and solid, making the necessary deal with other groups as they go to max out the power that can be used to force the political changes essential to ordinary folk
the way the official hubris goes it is not as we cant see actual life around us, and use dat as template to go back and rework wat we have been told. dat in fact is wat I have always done.
white people are not to be trusted with the freedom of blac people. with the freedom of any one at all but themselves. and even then.....
that is why sensible blac americans...and by that term I mean blac people of all the americas, north and south, must look to themesleves, the organisation of their own power to effect and maintain the social changes essential for living.
it does not and must not matter for example who is president blac or white. the nature of that insittution is such that the occupant must be a traitor. if the people cant yet kill that postion in the social life it must be circumscribed by organised people power that forces policy from that centre in line with the general interest.
organised social power, the blac collective moving in tandem with the general interest of the group, collective and solid, making the necessary deal with other groups as they go to max out the power that can be used to force the political changes essential to ordinary folk