A brief history of the United States

America was founded on the principle of white supremacy. Earlier when slavery was used they turned to Africans, and needed to rationalize it via white supremacy. As a result for years more, and more africans went to the Americas. The reality then became that in some of the southern states the enslaved blacks outnumbered the whites living there. During the revolutionary war it was the British who promised freedom to all blacks who sided with england. It was only after the tactics employed by the british that General Washington a slave owner himself allowed blacks to enlist.


After the revolutionary war, and the insanity of the articles of confederation a Constitution was formed. One thing established in the United States Constitution was the guarantee of slavery.

Article 1 section 9 of our Constitution.

"The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person."


The trade continued with many politicians, presidents, and statesmen owning slaves. Even though the North began abolishing slavery they still benefitted from it, and the banks got money from investing in the slave trade. In spite of the rosy pictures in History books most abolitionists supported the view of sending blacks back to Africa.


Even the fabled Abrham Lincoln was not that favorable of blacks. In spite of our current society worshipping him if one were to look at the real Lincoln one really cannot say they would be fond of him. In the Lincoln Douglas debates Lincoln stated the following.


"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything.”



The south feared the idea of ending slavery not only because of the economy but also because of the fears of a black majority (which was the case in a lot of the south.) Eventually politics was the order of the day, and the rest of the United States turned a blind eye to Jim Crow in the south while other states practiced racism of their own. Years went by, and black americans continued to struggle, and fight for basic human rights. Then by the end of the Second World War it was becoming difficult for America to represent itself as a champion of justice while treating their own like second class citizens.

America was forced in the 50s-60s to enact civil rights laws. The civil rights movement was recorded, and the violent reaction of our nations police officers embarrassed the nation, and forced the US government to enact civil rights laws.

In the 70s to 80s we saw the popularization of welfare stereotype, and the emergence of a war on drugs. Which in reality was a war on minorities in the cities. While ignoring drug use by white kids in the suburbs, and countryside's. Largely the effects of the supposed war on drugs is still seen today. With a lot of drug abuse among Americas youth of all races. But the reality behind the drug wars is the fact that the Federal government allowed south American dictators to sell drugs in America to fund their regimes. Ronald Raegan campaigned on the Willie Horton add playing on Americas racist fear of the black man, and he made a few speeches dedicated to states rights to appeal to racist southerners.

Let us see in the 90s the medias continued gawking at OJ Simpson, and ridiculous coverage of the Los Angeles riots. We even began to see focus on illegal immigration while ignoring the rich white people who hired them. Finally 9/11 happened in 2001, and America began to find a new group of brown people to target Muslims. We began stripping our own rights, and committing torture. When the financial recession happened America widely ignored the idea of whites stealing billions of dollars.

Finally America elected a half white half black president. Whom is largely being accused of "being un-American, and being born in a different country." Many white Americans refuse to even recognize him as President.



Now we can all say that we are living happily ever after and racism is totally over right? :smt043:smt043:smt043:smt043:smt043:smt043

 

This is going to sound wrong unless you really read into what I say afterwards, but we live in a privileged society when racial profiling is one of the biggest issues we face. This is not to say that racial discrimination isn't an issue, but that the very fact that issues such as poverty, violence, and corruption are in the background in comparison to the issue of race shows just how lucky we are. If you are black, hispanic, asian, or nearly any other minority and born in America, you are at a disadvantage. If you are of any race and born in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Liberia, Colombia, Iraq, or any number of nations that aren't within the developed world, you are at a disadvantage. I realize that everything is relative and that discrimination is still a major issue, but we as black Americans are not without fault. The very fact that we're on a forum entitled WhiteWomenBlackMen shows how we profile each other, negatively or not. You really want to end racism? Move into a racially diverse neighborhood. Join a racially diverse club. Spend time with racially diverse people. As long as we choose to stay within our own circles and throw accusations towards others, we will only exacerbate the problem.

 

Mis-education of the Negro, Part 2...!:smt031

The premise of the OP's first sentence is absolutely wrong; " America was founded on the principle of White supremacy."

THe English ex-pats who founded this nation were not looking for a place where they could validate their perceived racial superiority and wholesale enslave the black and brown people of the world. They sought to establish a union of states that was free from the yoke of British aristocracy and prohibitions against religious expression and tolerance.
Yes the concept of 'White supremacy' was baked into the cake of the of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but within those documents were the very same arguments and proofs that would be used during the Civil Rights era to demand full citizenship for Black people.

About Abraham Lincoln, it's become 'hip' among many African American scholars to re-brand Lincoln as another generic 'cracker racist President' who was no better or worse than most White men of his day. This is a lie.
Lincoln had more personal conviction and courage than any U.S. President past or present, so much so that he was willing to go to war against his own country to defend his political and religious beliefs.

The quote posted by the OP from Lincoln is valid, but so are these and in context give of fuller picture of President Lincoln's mindset;
"What I do say is, that no man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent. I say this is the leading principle - the sheet anchor of American republicanism." "Speech at Peoria, Illinois" (October 16, 1854)

"In the first place, I insist that our fathers did not make this nation half slave and half free, or part slave and part free. I insist that they found the institution of slavery existing here. They did not make it so, but they left it so because they knew of no way to get rid of it at that time." "Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Quincy" (October 13, 1858

"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel." "Letter to Albert G. Hodges" (April 4, 1864

I repeat the declaration made a year ago, that 'while I remain in my present position I shall not attempt to retract or modify the emancipation proclamation, nor shall I return to slavery any person who is free by the terms of that proclamation, or by any of the Acts of Congress.' If the people should, by whatever mode or means, make it an Executive duty to re-enslave such persons, another, and not I, must be their instrument to perform it. Lincoln's Fourth Annual Message to Congress, December 6, 1864


"We were proclaiming ourselves political hypocrites before the world, by thus fostering Human Slavery and proclaiming ourselves, at the same time, the sole friends of Human Freedom." "Speech at Springfield, Illinois" (October 4, 1854)


(Here's the link to these quotes, http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln95.html )


Did Lincoln the President make contradictory and sometimes ambivalent statements regarding slavery compared to Lincoln the Senator?? Yes. However by attempting to preserve the Union through war against a confederation of states whose founding principle was their right to enslave Africans, and his signing the Emancipation Proclamation into law, no one man did more to end slavery in America than Abraham Lincoln.
No he wasn't perfect, but I don't think we've had a more principled U.S. politician who was willing to stand on the morality of his beliefs.
Sorry for overlong post, but Lincoln-bashing is a pet peeve of mine.


I sarcastically agree with the OP's last sentence.:smt043