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Welcome to today's Spoutible CRT thread!
There's anger in the US about Florida's latest effort to whitewash the Black enslavement history in this nation. Let's walk thru some facts about the skills Africans and later, American-born slaves possessed despite the terrors of their enslavement.
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There's anger in the US about Florida's latest effort to whitewash the Black enslavement history in this nation. Let's walk thru some facts about the skills Africans and later, American-born slaves possessed despite the terrors of their enslavement.
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08:27 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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Before I begin my spouting thread, please know #Spoutible that I wrote and published a book about Black American tech knowledge since the beginning of time thru to 2015. I'm not an expert on everything about this subject, but I know enough to help inform you with correct information.
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08:30 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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When looking at Black enslavement in America, there are 3 separate periods of enslavement. The Early Colonial period of enslavement. The post-Colonial.Period of Enslavement. The Pre-Civil War period of enslavement. Each period used Black people's knowledge and skills in different ways.
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08:33 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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In the very early days of the Jamestown Colony when the 1st African slaves were brought to live with the settlers, there was a need for the colony to bring in people with skills such as blacksmithing to sustain life in the new world. Africans have been blacksmiths since 1500 BCE.
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08:40 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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The Early Jamestown colonists also has another serious problem.
Many of the white settlers didn't know how to grow FOOD.
If you visit Jamestown, VA today, you will hear how the White settlers relied on Native Americans and Black slaves to grow food.
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Many of the white settlers didn't know how to grow FOOD.
If you visit Jamestown, VA today, you will hear how the White settlers relied on Native Americans and Black slaves to grow food.
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08:45 AM - Jul 22, 2023
(Edited)
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Jamestown's dilemma of having settlers who possessed limited skills was repeated by other new colonies in the early days of America. Many of the Whites shipped to America were criminals, poor ppl, or the religiously persecuted people. They didn't teach slaves what they, themselves, didn't know.
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08:51 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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As America's early colonies grew, so did their need to produce products to pay back the debts they owed the companies subsidizing their immigration to the new world.
One product shipped to the Europe was cotton cloth dyed with indigo made from human urine.
Africans knew how to make indigo.
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One product shipped to the Europe was cotton cloth dyed with indigo made from human urine.
Africans knew how to make indigo.
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08:58 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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If you watch the Ken Burns' heralded film about Thomas Jefferson, you will hear how George Washington made his first money exporting indigo fabrics to Europe. Ken Burns' highlights that George Washington was shrewd in buying slaves with skills he needed to make his farm a success.
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09:03 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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White settlers in South Carolina struggled with producing products to send back to Europe for their debts before the cotton gin invention. The southerners tried to grow rice to pay their debts to Europe...and failed. Once they imported Africans who knew how to grow rice, they grew their wealth.
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09:09 AM - Jul 22, 2023
(Edited)
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Can you see the reason the Florida education change hit so deeply with those Americans, of all races, who know that the enslaved Africans were a group of SMART and HIGHLY SKILLED people caught up in a horrific reality.
DeSanris doesn't want any of our children to know this, #Spoutible .
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DeSanris doesn't want any of our children to know this, #Spoutible .
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09:15 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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It should be noted that in the other heralded Ken Burns documentary on Benjamin Franklin that while Ben Franklin was known to prejudicially believe African slaves and Blacks, in general, were ignorant and of no unique talent...
Franklin changed his mind and acknowledged he was wrong.
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Franklin changed his mind and acknowledged he was wrong.
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pbs.org
Watch Benjamin Franklin: A Ken Burns Film | Full Documentary Now Streaming | PBS
Ken Burns’s four-hour documentary, Benjamin Franklin, explores the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century’s most consequential figures, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.
09:22 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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It is recorded by many American historians that African slaves shipped to America had skills in metal working, cooking, crop growth and harvesting, medicine, midwifery, etc.
1st small pox vaccine was administered to Ben Franklin by an African slave.
Slaves taught whites about "aspirin".
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1st small pox vaccine was administered to Ben Franklin by an African slave.
Slaves taught whites about "aspirin".
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09:30 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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Britain abolished African slavery in 1807. But America was still a young growing country needing resources to pay its American Revolution debts to France. So, America began "breeding" its own slaves within the continent. Black women became experts in the science of midwifery.
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nmaahc.si.edu
The Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwives | National Museum of African American History and Culture
Today, Midwives are trained healthcare providers who operate both at birthing centers, hospitals, and private residences to care for and support healthy mothers and newborns before, after, and during childbirth. However, midwifery has existed for centuries prior to its earliest recorded practice in ..
09:36 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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At this time, other European nations continued importing slaves into their colonies. Britain seized any slave ship in its waters. The slave trade exploded directly from Africa to non-British islands.
Africa's tech development slowed because so many w/skills were enslaved and exported.
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Africa's tech development slowed because so many w/skills were enslaved and exported.
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09:43 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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Most Americans know that the cotton gin invention exploded slavery in America. Eli Whitney turned the cleaning of cotton from a lengthy process producing much waste to an overnight streamlined process that turned America into an economic juggernaut.
But many people don't know...
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But many people don't know...
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09:49 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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That Eli Whitney's cotton gin caused another problem it is believed was solved by a Black enslaved person. Cotton gins processed cotton so quickly, it required a faster way to grow cotton.
Enter the seed drill known as mechanical hoe. Black slaves learned quickly how to use this implement.
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Enter the seed drill known as mechanical hoe. Black slaves learned quickly how to use this implement.
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09:55 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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Another fact historians pt to about the intelligence of Black slaves is the mathematical ability they needed in order to ACCURATELY CALCULATE their total cotton harvested on a daily basis.
Cotton was a crop king in high demand. Overseers req'd slaves to know that they met their daily quota.
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Cotton was a crop king in high demand. Overseers req'd slaves to know that they met their daily quota.
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10:01 AM - Jul 22, 2023
(Edited)
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As America shifted from its post-Revolutionary War "we gotta pay our debts" status to "everyone White is becoming rich" status, Black enslaved people began garnering non-labor skills. Enslaved people bought their freedom and became lawyers, ministers, engineers, business owners, etc.
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10:08 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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When Florida says, "Blacks learned skills that allowed them to personally benefit", I think whatever nut wrote this is pointing to this period of America's enslavement of Black person as the one true positive outcome from the 150 years of terror.
However, this ignores everything that came before.
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However, this ignores everything that came before.
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10:12 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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My math was wrong in that last tweet, #Spoutible . It was 250 years of American enslavement terror.
My apologies.
My apologies.
10:15 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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I think I've driven home my pt and will stop here. If you didn't know much of what I shared, don't feel bad. Most Americans only know slivers of this rich and unfiltered history. It's time to learn and share.
Florida is on a dangerous educational path, #Spoutible friends. And now you know why.
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Florida is on a dangerous educational path, #Spoutible friends. And now you know why.
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10:19 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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To everyone on #Spoutible who read my CRT(not really) thread: Thank you for the kind words!
Here's bonus material for you,
The US patent office opened in 1790. It was flooded with patent submissions by...Black slaves.
The patent office had to ask the Congress what it should do in response. LOL!
Here's bonus material for you,
The US patent office opened in 1790. It was flooded with patent submissions by...Black slaves.
The patent office had to ask the Congress what it should do in response. LOL!
10:46 AM - Jul 22, 2023
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Super bonus material:
If you tour Mount Vernon (Washington's home), ask "who kept the bookkeeping records all the years George was away at war and as President?"
Don't be surprised by the answer cause here's the spoiler...
George and Martha's "bookkeeper" was one of their Black slaves.
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If you tour Mount Vernon (Washington's home), ask "who kept the bookkeeping records all the years George was away at war and as President?"
Don't be surprised by the answer cause here's the spoiler...
George and Martha's "bookkeeper" was one of their Black slaves.
/end
10:49 AM - Jul 22, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
What I find most upsetting is the amoubt of people who want to believe the misrepresentation of our history. Keep an eye on them!
10:07 AM - Jul 22, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
200 years later, missionaries head to Hawaii to convert the indigenous people there, and they hadn't learned a thing from Jamestown. Just showed up, full of bluster, going to save the brown people, and totally needed saving themselves.
It's almost like… It's a systemic problem!
It's almost like… It's a systemic problem!
09:20 AM - Jul 22, 2023
