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That's not true! Where on earth did you get that? Most people were not rich enough to own slaves, ergo most people are not descendants of slave owners. Ironically, many black people descended from slaves are also descended from slave owners.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroMartinez
It was a very small number of rich land owners that owned slaves. The majority of southerners did not.
This is a misconception that many people have which explains why so many people don't understand many issues in regards to US slavery.
These posts represent grossly distorted understandings of US history.
In the South, approximately one out of three white families owned slaves. If you have southern roots, there is a high likelihood that you have slave-owning roots (much greater than one-third because your family tree will have many branches in the 18th and 19th centuries).
Affleck learned something that most Americans with southern roots would learn if they studied their own geneology.
As to katygirl's statement about black people descending from slave owners--you ought to recognize that, for most black people, the slave-owning roots are different than the slave-owning roots for most white people. Those roots are the result of forced sexual relationships, which were systemic to antebellum slavery.
Genealogy is a funny thing. After watching many episodes of WDYTYA and Finding Your Roots, I notice how quickly those profiled adopt the perceived positive attributes of their ancestors as their own (I'm looking at you, Angie Harmon), while distancing themselves from that which is negative.
Anyone who's spent more than an hour delving into their family history has uncovered skeletons. Slavery was rampant in both the north and south. If you can trace your tree beyond the Civil War, chances are that you'll find someone who was involved in it.
I saw that episode on PBS. We still have not seen Ben Affleck's
racial heritage cart. The other guests (and the TV audience) were shown
their racial heritage chart and what parts of the world their ancestors
came from. Henry Louis Gates only mentioned some places where
Ben Affleck's ancestors came from without showing the chart.
The real cover-up is that Ben Affleck might have some black in him
from a distant ancestor.
I saw that episode on PBS. We still have not seen Ben Affleck's
racial heritage cart. The other guests (and the TV audience) were shown
their racial heritage chart and what parts of the world their ancestors
came from. Henry Louis Gates only mentioned some places where
Ben Affleck's ancestors came from without showing the chart.
The real cover-up is that Ben Affleck might have some black in him
from a distant ancestor.
We probably all have some black in us, nbd. Gates did not show his chart because he was covering up at the request of batman. He thought by not showing the chart that no one would find out. They were complicit in trying to deceive which makes them all look dishonest as h3ll and just blew this up bigger than if he had just done like every other guest before, and since, has done. Special snowflakes in lalaland bringing pain and shame on PBS.
That's not true! Where on earth did you get that? Most people were not rich enough to own slaves, ergo most people are not descendants of slave owners. Ironically, many black people descended from slaves are also descended from slave owners.
Even though most people weren't rich enough to own slaves, most people today are descendants of slaveholders.
Its a enigma, think about it.
You had 4 grandparents, and 16 great great grandparents (mine were born in the 1830's), 64 great great great great grandparents ( maybe the 1780's), and so on.
Even if just 1% of the people were slaveholders, the odds would be better than even money that you'd have at least 1 slaveholding ancestor if they were in the country since the mid 18th.
Even though most people weren't rich enough to own slaves, most people today are descendants of slaveholders.
Its a enigma, think about it.
You had 4 grandparents, and 16 great great grandparents (mine were born in the 1830's), 64 great great great great grandparents ( maybe the 1780's), and so on.
Even if just 1% of the people were slaveholders, the odds would be better than even money that you'd have at least 1 slaveholding ancestor if they were in the country since the mid 18th.
As I pointed out, in the antebellum American South, about 1/3 of white families owned slaves. Not 1%, 33%. I agree with the other point you make, which is that you might have 16 or 64 branches in your family tree in that era, and that if they reach to the south then you likely descend from slave owners.
In the South, approximately one out of three white families owned slaves. If you have southern roots, there is a high likelihood that you have slave-owning roots (much greater than one-third because your family tree will have many branches in the 18th and 19th centuries).
This is not supported by any relevant census records. Owning a slave was expensive and far beyond the means of anyone who wasn't in business or owned a considerable amount of land. They were also considered investments where companies were setup to own them then they were "rented" out. Finally the biggest financial beneficiaries of the slave trade were not the people who owned them in the south, but rather the NYC bankers who financed the whole thing. They financed the slave ships, sales houses and even the purchases.
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