No nation can survive that is not committed to the truth. The Bible recognizes this principle and commands people to speak the truth.
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another” (Eph. 4:25).
Those who lie will sow discord, hatred, and hostility. The end result will be social unrest, distrust, destruction, and death.
In a constant effort to divide Americans, and create social unrest, the Progressive (Regressive) Left uses race baiting to satisfy their insatiable lust for power, and control, over the lives of others. Project 1619 is another effort to accomplish these political objectives. Not satisfied with discrediting the Founding Fathers, the attempt is being made to say the founding of America itself was rooted in racism.
Normally, most decent, good, and godly Americans do not push back against the insane rhetoric, and the evil, of the New York Times, and other irresponsible newspapers. However, some do push back against those who are slogging their way towards Gomorrah, such as Laura Ingraham, and Dinesh D’Sousa. Their exposure of Project 1619 as a sophisticated lie is worthy of notice.
The Claim. Slavery is central to the American experience.
The Truth. In 1619, there were twenty slaves in America. This means that slaves were not central to the American economy, or to the building of the nation is false.
Consider.
In 1776 there were half a million slaves, but still not essential to the economy, due to the Industrial Revolution that began c. 1760 and would continue until 1840. The transition was being made from hand production methods to machines. There was new chemical manufacturing, and iron production processes. There was the increasing use of steam power, and water power. Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial Revolution.
In time, slavery did become central to the American economy c. 1800 to 1860. There was a political party that arose to defend, and protect this Peculiar Institution, namely the Democratic Party. Total blame therefore cannot be shifted from the Democratic Party to the Pilgrims, the Founding Fathers, or the Industrial Revolution.
Nothing is said by the New York Times in their 1619 Project about how the Democratic Party has suppressed the blacks, prior to the Civil War, and after the Civil War, with Jim Crow Laws. Nothing is said about the resistance of Southern Democrats to the Civil Rights movement.
The term, JIM CROW, is believed to have originated around 1830 when a white minstrel show performer, Thomas “Daddy” Rice, danced and sang a song, “Jump Jim Crow.” Rice created his character after seeing a black male dancing, and singing a song ending with these words:
“”Weel about and turnabout and do jis so,
Eb’ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow.”
Following Reconstruction, and prior to the Civil Rights movement, southern Democrats passed what became known as Jim Crow Laws (c. 1865 to 1968) in order to bypass the 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865.
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Despite the ratification of the 13th Amendment freeing four million slaves, these laws were a collection of state and local statues designed to keep blacks and whites separate in schools, parks, transportation, hotels, restaurants, restrooms, and water fountains.
Finally, no mention is made of what Frederick Douglas said about the Republican Party. Douglas said the Republican Part is the ship, all else is the sea. He said this because Douglas knew that America did NOTHING. Some Americans embraced slavery, such as the Democrats, while others, mostly Republicans, opposed slavery and fought for its abolition. History records that another political party arose to oppose slavery. That was the Republican Party.
The dependency on slave labor expanded after Eli Whitney (1765 – 1825) invented the cotton gin in 1793 (patented in 1794). The cotton gin was a machine that quickly and easily separated cotton fibers from the seeds. This enabled greater productivity than separating the cotton manually. Soon, the southern states were the home of King Cotton.
The story of slavery in American can be broadly divided into three time periods: The Antebellum Period (1619 – 1860), Slavery During the Civil War (1861-1865), and Reconstruction (1863-1877). When considering the Civil War, it must be kept in mind that the origin of the War Between the States was not so the north could emancipate the slaves. Lincoln’s objective was to stop the spread of slavery, and to keep the Union together. He was willing to do that with slavery, or without slavery. With partial slavery, or by leaving slavery intact. As the war continued, the paradigm shifted to include the Proclamation, but even then, freedom was limited to those areas not yet under the control of the federal government.
The Claim. American prosperity is built on slavery.
The Truth. There is an element of truth in this assertion. Slavery was a contributing factor to the economy, but it was not the determining factor for the North soon abandoned slave labor due to the Industrial Revolution, and the abolition movement. Some of the Founding Fathers, such as Dr. Benjamin Rush were abolition leaders. This is a part of the historical narrative that is not widely taught.
Consider.
Slaves were not the only ones working to build America. Every ethnic group that immigrated to America also worked in the fields, in factories, and in homes, to build the economic engine of the nation. Moreover, the Plantation Economy which the slaves built in the South, came crashing down with the Civil War (1860 – 1865). In the end, there was nothing left of slavery. To insist that the Post-Civil War economy, after 1865 to the present, has been built by slavery, is indefensible.
Christians should rise up and join Laura Ingraham and Dinesh D’Souza in exposing the historical distortions of the Progressive (Regressive) Left. This can be done by studying American history, by reading original documents of the Founding Fathers, by reading the charters of the various colonies, and by studying the Bible. Jesus promised, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Therefore, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Always remember, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Prov. 12:22).
