According to r/history, "specific questions go to /r/askhistorians,". After reading the rules for this sub and not finding anything within this post that would violate it. _ I came across these 16 claims I extracted from an Africa Firster's response. I can't make heads or tails of this, so does anyone have any cited research in relation to them?
Many plantation systems relied heavily on slave craftsmen imported from Africa.
Many African skills consisted of the use of wood, metal, earth and stone.
These were some of the skills brought with them to the New World and these specific skills made them indispensable for Euro-Americans.
Majority of enslaved Africans worked in plantation agriculture, but they also worked as butlers, waiters, maids, seamstresses, and launderers. ----Proportion of jobs among them, vs them among job
In addition, carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, millers, coopers, spinners, and weavers for "FREE".
Slaves from the West and Central Africa imported their knowledge of growing rice.
Slave owners were taught by African slaves how to cultivate their crops.
A history lessons for you: Slaves helped build the White House and Capital, but aren't honored on the building.
Many inventions created by slaves were not recognized because the United States Patent Office refused to grant slaves patents for their inventions.
Many people are unaware of how slaves contributed to America because it's either hidden or because white people like you tell lies.
Blacks and Africans have been and are consistently stomped on by whites. Don't mention other races or "black-on-black" violence, it pales in comparison to white's oppression of blacks.
White people are not the founders of America.
It was stolen from the Indians.
Everything you guys touch turns into poison.
Therefore before you speak so negatively about slavery, learn your history instead of reading European fiction textbooks.
Also, what facts do you have that prove Africans sold their own? Please provide documentation that proves this theory?
_ I am not obligating anyone to respond to any number of these. If you are interested in doing so: cool! If not, move on ahead :) I suppose there may also be posters who wonder why I have not "researched myself" and that is because I do not want my own biases to leak through a response based on the selectivity of sources I used. Historians may provide a more objective outlook.
Here’s an attempt to answer the questions.
Many plantation systems relied heavily on slave craftsmen imported from Africa.
True. Skilled slave craftsmen such as carpenters and blacksmiths were valuable and worth more in the slave market.
Many African skills consisted of the use of wood, metal, earth and stone.
True. There were slaves who were skilled carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, masons.
These were some of the skills brought with them to the New World and these specific skills made them indispensable for Euro-Americans.
Partly true. Some skills were brought with them. Some they learned in the New World. These skills amongst slaves could be valuable, but probably would not count as “indispensable”. Colonies that did not have many or any slaves had these skills.
Majority of enslaved Africans worked in plantation agriculture, but they also worked as butlers, waiters, maids, seamstresses, and launderers. ----Proportion of jobs among them, vs them among jobs.
True. By 1850, about 64 percent of slaves lived on cotton plantations; 12 percent raised tobacco, 5 percent sugar, 4 percent rice (the other 15% lived in towns or on smaller general farms). The slaves living in towns would be the most likely to be skilled craftsmen (though many would be domestic servants or unskilled laborers instead) though some small percent of those on plantations might be skilled craftsmen as well.
In addition, carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, millers, coopers, spinners, and weavers for "FREE".
Partly True. Yes, some slaves would have been skilled in all these jobs. No, they were not “FREE” (though of course, unpaid and exploited). Slaves cost money to buy and cost money to maintain.
Slaves from the West and Central Africa imported their knowledge of growing rice.
True. Carolina planters in about 1700 sought out and paid a premium for slaves from the “Rice Coast” of Africa because the planters did not have the knowledge of how to cultivate rice, but were aware that it was a valuable crop.
http://www.yale.edu/glc/gullah/02.htm
Slave owners were taught by African slaves how to cultivate their crops.
True for rice, and perhaps a few other crops, but not true for many crops.
A history lessons for you: Slaves helped build the White House and Capital, but aren't honored on the building.
True. Slave labor was used to build both buildings.
Many inventions created by slaves were not recognized because the United States Patent Office refused to grant slaves patents for their inventions.
Dubious. Though true that slaves might not have been granted patents, don’t know of “many inventions” that might have been created by slaves but not recognized. There might have been some.
Many people are unaware of how slaves contributed to America because it's either hidden or because white people like you tell lies.
True that many people are unaware. Don’t think the history of slavery is particularly hidden or lied about (at least not recently).
Blacks and Africans have been and are consistently stomped on by whites. Don't mention other races or "black-on-black" violence, it pales in comparison to white's oppression of blacks.
True that blacks in America have a long history of oppression.
White people are not the founders of America.
Well, depends on definitions of “founders” and of “America”.
It was stolen from the Indians.
The history is more complicated than that.
Everything you guys touch turns into poison.
Dubious.
Therefore before you speak so negatively about slavery, learn your history instead of reading European fiction textbooks.
I would have thought that speaking negatively about slavery would be a good thing. Would we want people to speak positively about slavery? The slave holders in the old South were full of positive propaganda about it, but they were wrong.
Also, what facts do you have that prove Africans sold their own? Please provide documentation that proves this theory
There are many records and accounts by Africans and Europeans which demonstrate that the vast majority of Africans shipped into the Atlantic slave trade were sold by other Africans. It was not that long ago. There are lots of records. Here is one place to get started with some quotes about African slave trading by African rulers and by modern Africans who have family histories of being involved in selling slaves.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/9chapter2.shtml