Forgotten Slaves: "Whites" In Servitude

[fulltitle]

Without Prejudice.

The Forgotten Slaves: Whites in Servitude in Early America and Industrial Britain


by Michael A. Hoffman II ©Copyright 1999. All Rights Reserved

Two years ago, Prime Minister Paul Keating of Australia refused to show "proper respect" to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit. In response, Terry ****s, a Conservative member of the British Parliament said, "It's a country of ex-convicts, so we should not be surprised by the rudeness of their prime minister."

A slur such as this would be considered unthinkable if it were uttered against any other class or race of people except the descendants of White slavery. ****s' remark is not only offensive, it is ignorant and false. Most of Australia's "convicts" were shipped into servitude for such "crimes" as stealing seven yards of lace, cutting trees on an aristocrat's estate or poaching sheep to feed a starving family.

The arrogant disregard for the holocaust visited upon the poor and working class Whites of Britain by the aristocracy continues in our time because the history of that epoch has been almost completely extirpated from our collective memory.

When White servitude is acknowledged as having existed in America, it is almost always termed as temporary "indentured servitude" or part of the convict trade, which, after the Revolution of 1776, centered on Australia instead of America. The "convicts" transported to America under the 1723 Waltham Act, perhaps numbered 100,000.

The indentured servants who served a tidy little period of 4 to 7 years polishing the master's silver and china and then taking their place in colonial high society, were a minuscule fraction of the great unsung hundreds of thousands of White slaves who were worked to death in this country from the early l7th century onward.

Up to one-half of all the arrivals in the American colonies were Whites slaves and they were America's first slaves. These Whites were slaves for life, long before Blacks ever were. This slavery was even hereditary. White children born to White slaves were enslaved too.[more]

Without Prejudice.
Maybe an eye-opener for some to know that what they taught you in high school might just have had some missing parts. But as indicated in other posts, the intent has clearly been to reduce folks to slavery regardless of whether thye had pale skin or not. I known those who have first hand discussed such with modern-day German elistist from Bavaria and they very much admit that to them even the English, Irish or Scottish are fodder to them--even the majority of Germans they sneer on. They teach their children from a young age to look down and speak condescendingly even of Englishmen fifty years their senior.

[netwrkranger]

I have been focusing on the Nubian experience of early America. I've uncovered revolts, the black Seminoles (who conducted the largest armed resistance to slavery (and won their freedom) in early American history), free maroon communities, outlaws, and much, much more !!

Interesting article, although I find his tone towards Nubians to be condescending in addition to the trivializing of their experience. Regardless, I will look and investigate deeper into this subject of history.

- netwrkranger

[fulltitle]

Originally Posted by netwrkranger

I have been focusing on the Nubian experience of early America. I've uncovered revolts, the black Seminoles (who conducted the largest armed resistance to slavery (and won their freedom) in early American history), free maroon communities, outlaws, and much, much more !!

Interesting article, although I find his tone towards Nubians to be condescending in addition to the trivializing of their experience. Regardless, I will look and investigate deeper into this subject of history.

- netwrkranger

Without Prejudice.
His tone seemed to be riddled with angst and he seems to have failed to find a balanced way to look at the issue. The point of posting the link to the article was to allude toward getting a balanced perspective. The '14th ammendment was for dark-skinned slaves' argument should take on a whole new persective in view of historical facts vs propoganda.

[I am Siren]

Interesting subject.

My own grandmother was brought over here from Sweden in the early 1900's. Her aunt brought her over, paid for her passage, then made her and her brother her indentured servants (ie slaves) for the next 7 years. From age 13 to 20 she served her aunt's every whim, rose early in the morning, did all the chores for the entire family, all while her cousins ran wild and free. She finally attained her freedom (I think she ran away) and moved to Montana where she married my grandfather.

So yes, it's a historical fact and was still going on in this country long after slavery was officialy abolished in America.

We ourselves aren't really that free, either, once you think about it.

-- Siren

[farmer_giles_of_ham]

Only now we get custody laws enforcing the mean old aunts of the world, in case the slaves run away before 18.

But anyway, maybe that was hard for your relative but many people manage to suceed by the 'indentured' method. its probably a good model for the right situations, backed up by the Biblical law on the same subject, and we ought to pay attention to what the same Book admonishes- treat others fairly and decently and even bonded relationships can work out and serve a needed purpose.

But the enforcement has to based on pure credit (agape), not some contrived accounting system that only feeds the lawyers and scribes.