Slavery

As a disclaimer this is in no way meant to be a racial discussion, if you want to criticize ethnicities just don't post.

I recently read a book as summer homework for C&E.  It was called Founding Brothers.  I used to beleive that slavery never should have taken place at all, but this book has changed my views, I now believe that slavery was a vital part of America's existence during its founding.  Here is a part of my report that explains why abolishing slavery when the nation was founded would have severly damaged America as a nation (keep in mind I have not revised the report yet):

"If slavery was abruptly stopped during the founding of the country, a few things would have happened. First, a severe amount of currency would have stopped circulating because much of what the money was used on (crops, clothing, ect.) would not be made anymore because the ones who produced them would not have to anymore. This would severely cripple the economy, causing inflation.

Second, there would be an absence of some foods that were farmed by generally the slave population. This would have caused food supply to shorten in the short term until people could be paid to farm. The food shortage might have caused weakness or death for some of the working population and farmers which relied on their crops to survive which could also hurt the economy because of decreased production of goods causing further inflation.

Third, there would be hundreds of thousands of freed slaves with nothing except their clothes across the country. This would cause a dramatic increase in demand for things that were now severely decreasing in quantity. This would cause people not being able to get things essential to survive causing death for many, possibly including the United States of America."

Discuss

Edited by WGP guy

If the Romans hadnt hung a man from a cross, history up until today as we see it would be much different as well.

Well if it would have saved the murdering and degredation of an entire race for hundreds of years, just to push our economy back (like it isn't already in a hole) then I say that's fine. It shouldn't have taken place, no matter what some people may think. Books have been written about everything, so I pick and choose my opinions carefully. Trying to justify it would be like saying "Well Hitler did give many people jobs when they built those camps."

It doesn't suprise me to see this whole "it's not our fault" attitude. The US likes to use that a lot, epsecially when taking land from Native Americans and many of our other great feats.

Yeah, it's attitudes like that that make me scared you'll someday have children.

It doesn't matter who started it. The point is we participated, on a massive level. We murdered plenty. We almost exterminated an entire race of Native Americans, from their land. We did the same with the Mexicans and their land as well. We have done a lot of evil, and slavery is definitely one of those evils.

You mean people actually think it was a good thing?

Simply amazing.

No one is saying its ok. But crying and moaning about it today doesnt do any good. Know the history so it doesnt happen again. But im trired of people saying "My people were persecuted 200 years ago! BY YOU! Now give me reparation money! And a memorial! And a national day!"

Who are still feeling the effects?

Uh huh. How.