Maggie's Farm

"The recent news cycle has seen a number of articles and a television interview proclaiming that Monticello is no longer a place where you can learn about Thomas Jefferson’s contributions to American history. Instead, these stories claim that the only thing you can learn is that Jefferson was a slaveholder. These stories are disappointing and inaccurate, but not at all surprising."
https://www.monticello.org/research-education/blog/monticello-and-honest-history/
 

John Fisher: No, they are not. That link is full of the same crap they push on the tour.

Hmm. They are "pushing" the Monticello gardens in bloom; Jefferson's legacy as author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; and the fact that Jefferson enslaved over six hundred people.

Turns out that, for many people, Jefferson's slaves are an important part of his legacy. You might compare Jefferson to the story of fellow Virginian, Robert Carter III of Nomini Hall.

mudbug: To highlight the fact that both were slaveholders is to be disingenuous. Unilaterally freeing their slaves would have put them at a huge competitive disadvantage to other farmers.

O suffering humanity!

mudbug: it gives you a bit more latitude in applying your principles than those who are in debt.

It wasn't enough to live off the free labor of their slaves. They lived beyond even those means, mortgaging the lives of their slaves and their slaves' children to fund the lifestyle to which they were accustomed.

indyjonesouthere: I find it disingenuous that the authoritarian progs seldom spend any time tarnishing the image of the slave gatherers that sold their tribal competitors to any and all races that would buy them.

The topic was Jefferson and the history of slavery at Monticello.

JC: I have a letter that has come down through our family over the years from a slave.

Letter from Journdon Anderson to his former master: "I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this . . . we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At $25 a month for me, and $2 a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to $11,680. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor’s visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams Express"

indyjonesouthere: Race authoritarians always keep the conversation local, local, local.

Ah! So, Jourdon Anderson is a race authoritarian.

indyjonesouthere: The race authoritarians were never slaves.

So, Jourdon Anderson is not a race authoritarian, even though he tried to collect from his former master, but not the Africans who were paid in guns and gold to enslave his ancestors. It's very difficult to keep track of your position.

indyjonesouthere: You, on the other hand, were never a slave and know that the slave gatherers were predominately black or Islamic.

As others pointed out, slavery has an ancient history, and took many forms. The European slave trade was a trans-Atlantic triangular trade, where guns and gold were traded for slaves on the African coast, the slaves were sent to plantations, and raw materials from the plantations (e.g. sugar) sent back to Europe. The result was the implosion of communities in the African interior.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade

But the topic of discussion of Jefferson and his slaves. As for Jourdan Anderson, you seem to be back to saying he is a race authoritarian because he ignored the slave trade in the Mediterranean.

indyjonesouthere: It is always necessary that you forget half of the slave equation.

Hmm. We just said, "slavery has an ancient history, and took many forms." We then touched on the trans-Atlantic triangular trade. Not sure your point. Did you bother to check out the link?

Anderson's letter is quite poignant and not a little humorous. But he sought compensation from his former master, so according to your reckoning, he must be a "race authoritarian."

Trying to stay on topic: Are you saying slavery is not an important aspect of the history of Monticello?

Idaho: AOC is now suddenly worth millions.

AOC is not worth millions, or even one million.

Idaho: Nancy Pelosi is worth hundreds of millions,

The Pelosis made most of their money in the California real estate market, which has been red hot for decades.

Idaho: Obama got a 60 million advance to write his book (did anyone buy his book{?}).

Yes. Barack Obama was a best-selling author before he became president. Dreams From My Father sold over 7 million copies in 40 languages. Now, he and his wife continue to write best-sellers. Michelle Obama's Becoming sold over 14 million copies.

IdahoBob: Oh yeah that hospital that he wasn't born at . . .

Your original claim concerned how Obama made his money. When this claim was shown to be false, you made a new claim that he had said in his book that we was born in Africa. When this claim was shown to be false, you made yet another claim.