Slavery

It was a movie. Rarely does Hollywood history match real history. Not saying that slavery was okay or anything, but you cannot watch a Hollywood production and say you understand what really happened.

The truth is, white people were brought to the New World as slaves long before any black slaves were here. History remembers those people as indentured servants and they were treated far worse than any black slave because of the expense of obtaining black slaves. While a white "indentured servant" was technically only supposed to be indentured for seven years, the reality was many were kept for the rest of their lives as slaves; black slaves could work off their slave status and many did. In fact, many slaves--black and white alike--had black masters.

Further, not unlike the agricultural farms using illegal aliens to do work at a low wage today in comparison to farms in the Midwest being family owned and using mechanization or relying on the family to plant and harvest, less than 3% of Southern whites owned slaves at the peak of slavery in the U.S. Most people could not afford them, so the smaller white farms actually used whites to do the work. Unlike what the politicized history books say, black slavery was not as widespread a practice as we have been led to believe.

Also, something they don't teach you in history books is the white people didn't have to go raiding black villages to find people to "steal". No, the blacks were sold into slavery by other blacks; it was not (and still isn't) uncommon for a conquering African tribe to take the losers and make them slaves. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade only moved their final destination further west. Even then, the vast majority of African slaves went to Brazil and not the U.S.

The word "slave" is European in origin and is derived from "Slav", as in the group of whites in what is today Eastern Europe, and named for the first true slaves--whites.

I am not defending slavery--it is a pointless and decidedly uncivilized practice. But, to get caught up in a well-told story by a master filmmaker is by no means the best way to get an understanding of what really happened in history.

A good starting place to get balance for slavery in the New World is reading a book by Michael A. Hoffman II called They Were White and They Were Slaves.

Okay. I'll admit that I am a historically uneducated individual. I avoided history class like the plague when I was in school. I wish that I had realized the benefits of having that knowledge. All I can do is start from the beginning and decide which "facts" to believe.

I also realize that movies are someone's version of the truth with whatever additions are necessary to make it worth paying to see. That said, I've seen some of the worst that societies have to offer and know that the truth is far worse than most people want to believe.

Truthfully, I welcome any discussion and enlightenment from anyone who is more knowledgeable than myself on any subject. I am always seeking to know more. I appreciate the feedback and the book recommendation. It will be added to my collection.

Thanks. :)

"Walk softly and carry an armored tank division, I always say." -COL Jessup, A Few Good Men

Actually, aside from the history thing, I did enjoy your article. (I have a passion for both history and truth in history and it is a minor pet peeve of mine when propagandized movies are accepted as fact.) People have been so conditioned to fear change that it takes something out of the ordinary to make us wake up and take note of what we are doing. You are on the right track.

I will probably add slavery to my list of articles to write, if for no other reason than to dispel some of the myths that have been propogated by politicians and others with an agenda.

Another good book to read, although it is decidedly anti-PC, is The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews published by Nation of Islam. I have read it and have accepted what it has to say because it uses verifiable historical documentation for what it claims to be true. Because of its content, I won't link here directly to the webpage, but you can find it by Googling the book title.

I have a passion for writing that I guess I need to start spending more time doing....I could use some extra cash. Maybe one day, I'll make my millions via the aggravation given to me by many individuals from my past and that can be my greatest revenge......

But as it usually goes, I have no idea where to start.

Thanks again for the info on the book. I'll be checking it out. :)

By the way, I noticed that you're in CA. I'm thinking that California will one day be home for me, but I've noticed that the cost of living is pretty impressive over there. Any advice on making a decent living, i.e., area-wise?

As far as writing is concerned, the best thing to do is go with what you know. Since you have that past history, you can use it to your advantage. I want to be a professional freelance copywriter in the next year, which I can do at home and online, but I am using the knowledge gained here at Xomba coupled with AdSense to learn about affiliate marketing and SEO.

California has two things going against it right now. The first is the economy. Technology has been hit hard and the illegals are putting a big strain on the system. The other is cost-of-living. A recent survey showed that San Luis Obispo County has one of the highest COL's in the country and pretty much everywhere in California is comparatively expensive--even the areas where it is cheaper to live don't have jobs. If you can bring a job with you that can be done online, like writing, northern California (north of Sacramento) is a good place to look.

What exactly is copywriting? I would love to be able to work online. That would open up so many options in other areas, I think. I'm new to this Xomba stuff and I'm not sure who the heck would want to read about my little life, but I keep throwing it out there just in case. Do you earn any income through this site?

Copywriting is the writing of advertisements for products and services both in print and on websites. I am working on Michael Masterson's copywriting course, Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, available through American Writers & Artists, Inc.

I am still relatively new to Xomba, but my AdSense account is slowly but surely accruing money. Like the Xomba Admins have said, this is not something that is going to make you a lot of money overnight, but if you keep plugging away and get past the learning curve, you will make money.

Part of the benefit in writing about what you know first, before moving on to other topics, is that you are talking about something in your comfort zone, which means you can talk about it more easily. Plus, when you write about your own life, it gives readers a sense of who you are as a person, which gives your writing personality. This is especially crucial given the impersonal nature of the Internet, where most communication takes place indirectly.

Interesting... I will look more into the Adsense thing, then.

I also like to draw and I am beginning to learn to paint. I stress the 'beginning to learn' part! Maybe I'll do what others have told me to do and work as a custom tattoo designer in a shop somewhere. Or.... just write and illustrate my own book. ::Sigh::

Seems like I have so much to do just to get started...

Must get ready for my normal job now. It's been nice chatting. :)

There really is a learning curve to learn the ins and outs of search engine optimization and what types of writing sell best. To learn about AdSense, you'll definitely want to check out the links on the menu bar on the upper left of this page (Overview, Getting Started, Make Money). Once you have your AdSense number and link it to your Xomba account, anything you write and post has the potential for making you money.

Good luck!