#Fugitive Slave Act | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 years

Link

Corrected: Echoes of a shameful legacy. :: July 15, 2022

Robert B. Hubbell

Well, for the second time in two weeks, I am issuing a corrected version of the newsletter due to a factual error. I am attributing that fact to Covid. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. The audio version is included with the first newsletter (mistakes and all).

State GOP legislators and prosecutors are attempting to extend the reach of their anti-abortion legislation across state lines. These anti-choice “fugitive laws” echo a shameful chapter in US history. As I noted earlier this week, Texas legislators are threatening to charge law-firm partners across the US with felonies if their firms pay travel expenses for Texas employees seeking abortions outside of Texas. And a Republican Senator from Oklahoma just blocked a bill in the US Senate that would protect the freedom to travel across state lines to seek an abortion. See The Hill, GOP senator blocks bill to protect interstate travel for abortion.

The efforts of states to criminalize the out-of-state conduct of their citizens and citizens of other states harkens back to one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history. In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act that allowed owners of enslaved persons to pursue so-called “fugitive slaves” across state lines. To enforce that shameful mandate, the Fugitive Slave Act included the following national enforcement mechanisms

Imposed a $1,000 fine on officials anywhere in the US who failed to enforce an arrest warrant against a person escaping from slavery;

Imposed a $1,000 fine on anyone in the US who provided food or shelter to a person escaping from slavery;

Authorized a “bonus” to officers anywhere in the US who captured a person escaping from slavery;

Granted a $10 “bonus” to specially authorized “commissioners” who ruled that a captured person was a “fugitive from slavery.” (The commissioners received only $5 if they ruled that the captured person was not a “fugitive from slavery.”)

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 is not a perfect analog to the GOP efforts to enforce extraterritorial reach over women’s reproductive choices, but it is directionally the same. Anyone who helped a person escape from slavery was subject to a fine, like the partners in law firms threatened with a felony if they pay travel expenses to employees seeking an abortion out of state. The “bonuses” to officers and commissioners for capturing and convicting persons escaping slavery are similar to the “bounty” provisions of SB-8 in Texas that grant a $10,000 reward for informing the state that a woman had an abortion.

The most abhorrent aspect of the extra-territorial reach of anti-abortion laws is that they treat women as property of their home state, controlling their conduct anywhere in the US—similar to the extra-territorial reach of the Fugitive Slave Act. No similar laws apply to male citizens for conduct outside their home state. The Supreme Court has created chaos by abolishing federal protection for abortion. Like the Dred Scott decision, Dobbs tears at the fabric of our union.

In a similar vein are the efforts of states to resist the authority of the federal government to mandate life-saving abortions in emergency rooms of hospitals receiving federal reimbursement for services. See NYTimes, Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Access to Emergency Medical Abortions. The former confederate states are again attempting to assert their independence from federal supremacy—a dangerous proposition with a shameful legacy. The suit will undoubtedly end up before the US Supreme Court, but not before a stop in the arch-conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

That said, a reader (Bruce C.) reminded everyone in the Comments section yesterday of the following:

All women need to know their rights to emergency medical care, including abortion procedures, take precedence in emergency life-threatening situations over any state laws or regulations to the contrary. When state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person — or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALA’s emergency medical condition definition — that state law is preempted. Please read this release from HHS: HHS Announces Guidance to Clarify that Emergency Medical Care Includes Abortion Services.

The cruel overreach of the anti-choice fugitive laws will lead to a backlash that will ultimately reverse Dobbs and restore women’s rights to autonomy and control over reproductive choices. But only if we mobilize around this issue as never before.

Secret Service erased all text messages from January 5th and 6th after receiving a request from January 6th Committee.

In a world teeming with conspiracy theories, we must guard against the contagion of seeing conspiracies in innocent coincidences. But the revelation that the Secret Service deleted all text messages sent on January 5th and 6th AFTER the January 6th Committee requested those messages raises a strong inference of misconduct by the Secret Service. See CNN, Secret Service erased text messages from January 5 and 6, 2021 -- after oversight officials asked for them, watchdog says.

The actions of the Secret Service on January 6th were already suspect—as demonstrated by the fact that Mike Pence did not trust the Secret Service enough to get in a car driven by a Secret Service agent. Pence claimed he wanted to avoid the optics of the Vice President fleeing the Capitol, but others said that Pence (and his advisors) believed the Secret Service would “fly Pence to Alaska.” See HuffPo, Pence Rebuffed Secret Service Plan To Leave Capitol, Fearing A Halt To Electoral Vote Duty. In other words, Pence worried that the Secret Service was part of the plot to stop the electoral count.

The Secret Service claims that the messages were “lost as a result of a “device-replacement program.” That claim is laughable and insulting. Texts do not reside only “on devices,” they reside on computer servers that are regularly backed up. If the Secret Service is incapable of backing up its servers daily, everyone in the Secret Service should be fired. Everyone.

Imagine if you walked into an Apple store and said, “I want to buy a new MacBook,” and the salesperson said, “Sure, but that means that we will wipe out all of your emails, pictures, texts, and documents.” Any reasonably informed consumer would say, “But those files all exist in iCloud; why are you saying they erased simply because I am getting a new device?” The answer, of course, is that getting a new device has nothing to do with erasing documents backed up to computer servers.

Someone in the Secret Service is lying about the existence of the text messages or has deliberately erased multiple copies of the texts—an extraordinarily difficult task. Not to worry; copies will be found. As with all information, there is always more than a single copy of the texts. Computer servers are backed up daily on a rotating basis using different backup tapes. If someone really “erased the texts,” they erased multiple copies of the texts on multiple backup tapes.

I do not want to be a conspiracy theorist, but a reasonable supposition is that the Secret Service is concealing the illegal conduct of some of its agents on January 6th. Don’t believe me? Consider this: Washington Post: Secret Service officer placed under investigation after accusing lawmakers of treason on social media. Per the Post, the suspended Secret Service Officer posted the following on social media on January 6th and 7th:

“Here's to the Peaceful Transition of Power" with President Donald Trump shaking hands with himself in the Oval Office. A day after the siege on the US Capitol, a comment was posted using the officer's name that criticized attempts to remove Trump from office and accused lawmakers who accepted the electoral college vote of “committing treason on live tv.” He wrote, “Good morning patriots! Yesterday started out beautiful and as usual Antifa soured the mood and attacked police and an Air Force veteran was murdered. It's OFFENSE time finally!!”

If the DOJ hasn’t already opened a criminal investigation of this obvious effort to obstruct justice (and possibly cover up the agency’s assistance in the coup), everyone at the DOJ Main Justice should be fired, too. Everyone. The Secret Service felt comfortable erasing the texts because they believed the DOJ would do nothing. That belief is rooted in reality. Let’s hope Merrick Garland addresses the American people on Friday to announce an investigation.

I hope my views on this topic are spectacularly, embarrassingly wrong. The thought that the Secret Service participated in a plot to keep Trump in power is frightening. But we need to know the truth.

Manchin kills any chance of reconciliation bill.

Read this: WaPo, Manchin says he won’t support new climate spending, tax hikes on wealthy. We can’t blame Joe Biden for inaction unless we give him a majority in the Senate—which he currently does not have.

Concluding Thoughts.

As we head into the weekend, I expect a spate of doomsday articles copycatting the NYTimes front-page treatment of its most recent polling about the midterms with Sienna College. I won’t go into detail because I think the poll is essentially an excuse for journalists to write about their pet theories on the current state of politics.

Anyone who fails to see that this moment is unlike any in the last hundred years must look up from their smartphone and spreadsheets to engage in a few moments of reflection. The January 6th hearings are extraordinary. The ruling in Dobbs is extraordinary. The confluence of the “concealed carry” ruling in Bruen with mass killings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park is extraordinary. The dissolution of the separation of church and state in Bremerton is extraordinary. The effort of GOP legislators to turn women into fugitives is extraordinary.

Any journalist who ignores those facts to write a story that views the midterms through the lens of gas prices and Joe Biden’s favorability ratings is incurious, lazy, and in the wrong profession. We are living in a moment like no other in the last century. Journalists ignore that truth at their peril.

To be clear, I am not saying we are guaranteed to win in 2022 and 2024. We are not. But let’s at least acknowledge that the American people are not unidimensional cogs whose political thinking starts and ends with “Gas prices high, vote for Republican.” Please give us a little more credit than that.

So, as always, I urge you to focus on the task at hand and avoid excessive worry about headlines crafted to maximize clicks. Your work is real; headlines are information for consideration, nothing more, nothing less. Stay strong, get some rest over the weekend, and show up Monday morning ready for duty!

Talk to you on Monday.

#Robert B. Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #Fugitive Slave Act #history #Women's rights #human rights #reproductive rights #DOJ #Secret Service

4 notes · View notes

notokwithclay · 1 month

Text

#union tribune #san diego #henry clay elementary #san diego unified #henry clay #rename racist monuments #fugitive slave act #missouri compromise

1 note · View note

uncleasad · 4 months

Text

In Dickinson 1x05, things got real—real in the manner of a bomb exploding in the midst of one’s life.

I do appreciate the series’s uncanny ability to answer the questions I raise in a previous episode (the publication of Emily’s poem in the college literary magazine, in this case), as well as unexpectedly turn things completely on their heads!

I misjudged the urgency of George’s pursuit, for one. By forcing the question, he placed the bomb. Likewise Emily, by forcing the issue of Henry playing Othello, lit the fuse, and all that was left was for time to quickly tick by and blow up Emily and George’s friendship…and the entire Shakespeare club. (Speaking of forcing…what’s up with Sue’s sketchy boss? 😳)

I appreciated the interplay between all of the characters. Emily and Austin, the younger generation, more Radical than their father. George, with Southern relatives—and a comment about Thanksgiving dinner that remains relevant still today—a milquetoast moderate, like Edward (who I presume comes to his position via lived experience that the younger generation lacked, rather than a particular sympathy for slave-owning kin). (As an aside, the racial and social—yet all political—undertones of this episode really shined, more clearly and strongly than any previous episode, and held a mirror to our current world. The Fugitive Slave Act may as well be any of a number of vigilante-style laws passed of late in (mostly) former Confederate states over abortion and migrants/asylum seekers, for one.)

Though George and Edward are aligned on appeasement of the southern states, they are not aligned on George’s encouragement of Emily’s “wilder notions”—the irony of which, I fear, was not lost on Mrs Dickinson. (In terms of dishing cruelty, Edward wins this time around, musing in front of his daughter and his wife that he would prefer the life of a spinster to that of a wife, for the greater freedom the former offered, at once slighting his wife and also further encouraging Emily’s “wilder notions.” Edward’s complex relationship with his daughter remains fascinating; why does he fear, as his wife alludes, to let his daughter go? There’s also an interesting parallel between the historical Mrs Dickinson, whom Edward courted quite strongly, but who, while fond of Edward to some degree, seemed only to resignedly accept his proposal, and her daughter Emily and her pursuit by George—the key difference being that Emily fille has so far held out and refused marriage.)

I appreciated the way that Emily and Austin (so far, or at the moment, at least) do not seem to be letting their love triangle with Sue come between them—mild jealousy over the amount of correspondence, yes, but Austin either backed up Emily or avoided siding against her on the major questions of the episode, and Emily bent her “only women should portray women to make up for past exclusion” rule to let Austin play Desdemona. And though Sue has written Austin back twice compared to Emily zero, I believe we are to see that it is Emily’s letters she longs to receive. (And, again, there’s that sketchy boss 😳)

The pinnacle of the hour belongs to Henry, as he—under peril of being wrongfully seized by fugitive slave hunters—reminds Emily—and us—that sitting in the comfort of our homes, eating cake and reading Shakespeare (or watching it) while decrying the evils and injustices of the way the world is—“the world shouldn’t be like this”—is a privilege those living in the world, and feeling those injustices as boot pressing on their backs, do not have.

(Emily was right, though, that Othello could only be properly comprehended when one who understood his life portrayed him. Henry was masterful, and yet…)

The underlying theme of the episode, the thread tying everything together, was that of being seen. As Emily so harshly reminds George, he does’t know her, he doesn’t listen to her, he doesn’t see her as who she is (instead of his fantasy)…which is followed up, masterfully, by Henry’s comments to Emily, in kinder, gentler language, reminding her that she does not see him, at least not fully, and the perils he lives under every single day. (One might also make an argument that Emily doesn’t see George and the depth of his love for her; it’s hard to tell exactly how much is her not seeing him vs him not seeing her.) Edward doesn’t see Mrs Dickinson, as his “spinster vs wife” comments in front of her make cruelly clear. In a comic-relief-but-truly-sad way, Lavinia reminds us that she is not seen by her family, either, when Emily laughs down the suggestion of reading The Taming of the Shrew; who would want to read a play about a long-suffering younger sister who cannot marry until her not-at-all-eager older sister does? Even Austin’s insistence on playing Desdemona reminds us that no one sees his love for Sue. And Sue, well, Sue is in Boston being a governess to a very sketchy man’s children because her best friend/lover and her fiancé/older brother of her best friend can’t see her in their battle over her affections…

This feels like the strongest episode so far, and hopefully a sign of things to come. (Also, apparently, this post is a sign of how much my academic brain has been longing for action 😂)

#musings #Dickinson #Dickinson 1x05 #Emily Dickinson #Austin Dickinson #George Gould #Edward Dickinson #Emily Norcross Dickinson #Henry (Dickinson)#Lavinia Dickinson #Sue Gilbert #Fugitive Slave Act #Othello #EmiSue

0 notes

reasoningdaily · 2 months

Text

The Fugitive Slave Law was enacted by Congress in September, 1850, received the signature of Howell Cobb, of Georgia, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, of William R. King, of Alabama, as President of the Senate, and was “approved,” September 18th, of that year, by Millard Fillmore, Acting President of the United States.

The authorship of the Bill is generally ascribed to James M. Mason, Senator from Virginia. Before proceeding to the principal object of this tract, it is proper to give a synopsis of the Act itself, which was well called, by the New York Evening Post, “An Act for the Encouragement of Kidnapping.”

SYNOPSIS OF THE LAW

Section 1. United States Commissioners “authorized and required to exercise and discharge all the powers and duties conferred by this act.”

Section. 2. Commissioners for the Territories to be appointed by the Superior Court of the same.

Section. 3. United States Circuit Courts, and Superior Courts of Territories, required to enlarge the number of Commissioners, “with a view to afford reasonable facilities to reclaim fugitives from labor,”.

Section. 4. Commissioners put on the same footing with Judges of the United States Courts, with regard to enforcing the Law and its penalties.

Section. 5. United States Marshals and deputy marshals, who may refuse to act under the Law, to be fined One Thousand dollars, to the use of the claimant. If a fugitive escape from the custody of the Marshal, the Marshal to be liable for his full value. Commissioners authorized to appoint special officers, and to call out the posse comitatus.

Section. 6. The claimant of any fugitive slave, or his attorney, “may pursue and reclaim such fugitive person,” either by procuring a warrant from some judge or commissioner, “or by seizing and arresting such fugitive, where the same can be done without process;” to take such fugitive before such judge or commissioner, “whose duty it shall be to hear and determine the case of such claimant in a summary manner,” and, if satisfied of the identity of the prisoner, to grant a certificate to said claimant to “remove such fugitive person back to the State or Territory from whence he or she may have escaped,”using “such reasonable force or restraint as may be necessary under the circumstances of the case.” “In no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted in evidence.” All molestation of the claimant, in the removal of his slave, “by any process issued by any court, judge, magistrate, or other person whomsoever,” to be prevented.

Section. 7. Any person obstructing the arrest of a fugitive, or attempting his or her rescue, or aiding him or her to escape, or harboring and concealing a fugitive, knowing him to be such, shall be subject to a fine of not exceeding one thousand dollars, and to be imprisoned not exceeding six months, and shall also “forfeit and pay the sum of one thousand dollars for each fugitive so lost.”

Section. 8. Marshals, deputies, clerks, and special officers to receive usual fees; Commissioners to receive ten dollars, if fugitive is given up to claimant; otherwise, five dollars; to be paid by claimant.

Section. 9. If claimant make affidavit that he fears a rescue of such fugitive from his possession, the officer making the arrest to retain him in custody, and “to remove him to the State whence he fled.” Said officer “to employ so many persons as he may deem necessary.” All, while so employed, be paid out of the Treasury of the United States.

Section. 10. [This Section provides an additional and wholly distinct method for the capture of a fugitive; and, it may be added, one of the loosest and most extraordinary that ever appeared on the pages of Statute book.] Any person, from whom one held to service or labor has escaped, upon making “satisfactory proof” of such escape before any court of record, or judge thereof in vacationa record of matter so proved shall be made by such court, or judge, and also a description of the person escaping, “with such convenient certainty as may be;”a copy of which record, duly attested, “being produced in any other State, Territory, or District,” and “being exhibited to any judge, commissioner, or other officer authorized,”. “shall be held and taken to be full and conclusive evidence of the fact of escape, and that the service or labor of the person escaping is due to the party in such record mentioned;” when, on satisfactory proof of identity, “he or she shall be delivered up to the claimant.” “Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed as requiring the production of a transcript of such record as evidence as aforesaid; but in its absence, the claim shall be heard and determined upon other satisfactory proofs competent in law.”

#The Fugitive Slave Law #RACISM #white hate #racism in the us #slavery #An Act for the Encouragement of Kidnapping #ilegal kidnap of free people #Black Lives Matter #white lies #white history matters #slave catchers #police origins #kidnappers #watchmen

3 notes · View notes

shirkers2018dirsanditan · 2 years

Text

you should not be listening to anyone on twitter telling you past underground abortion networks “were safe” like they weren’t killing abortion providers while abortion was completely legal. she is talking out of her ass lol

#the underground railroad was full of danger ummm lol #the fugitive slave act was in full effect #any movement can be infiltrated and people can lie #that’s never stopped anyone from organizing and it should never stop you #literally nonsense lol

17 notes · View notes

vague-humanoid · 2 years

Link

The Supreme Court’s abortion decision is likely to set off a wave of legal and political disputes among states and the federal government unlike anything seen since the years before the U.S. Civil War, legal experts say.

With some states allowing private lawsuits against out-of-state abortion providers — and other states prohibiting cooperation with abortion investigations — the abortion issue is likely to pit state law enforcement agencies and court systems against one another in dramatic fashion. The federal government meanwhile, faces a choice over how to deal with states that seek to ban FDA-approved abortion medication, now used in about half of pregnancy terminations. And whatever the Biden administration does, federal policy could change dramatically if the Republicans take the White House.

Experts say it’s conceivable that a person could be wanted for a felony in an anti-abortion rights state but protected from extradition in a pro-abortion rights state. The Massachusetts governor has already imposed rules forbidding state officers from cooperating in abortion investigations. California’s governor signed a bill seeking to protect from civil liability anyone providing, aiding, or receiving abortion care in the state. Texas law, however, lets private citizens sue out-of-state abortion providers, and Missouri is considering a similar law.

“What we had in the years leading up to the Civil War was a failure of what lawyers call comity, the idea that states will respect other state’s laws” for reasons of courtesy, consideration and mutual respect, said Ariela J. Gross, a professor of law and history at the USC Gould School of Law. “That starts to break down when you have these really stark differences over an issue involving a fundamental right, and that’s what happened in the years leading up to the Civil War.”

After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, northern states were required by federal statutes to assist southern slave-owners and their bounty hunters in capturing enslaved people who had escaped north to states that had banned slavery. But many northern states passed laws designed to impede cooperation and enforcement.

The parallel to abortion is that “You literally are pursing people across state borders for seeking medical care that is legal,” said Sara Rosenbaum, professor of health law and policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. “It’s a completely mind-blowing concept.”

Legal disputes between the states are not uncommon, even on big social issues. An example is cannabis — legal right now in some states, illegal in others. But no recent issue of dispute among the states comes close in terms of its implications — and the passion on both sides of the argument — as abortion.

“It’s one thing to have states fighting with each other about a tax on interstate cargo or mudflaps on trucks,” said Wendy Parmet, a professor of law and public policy at Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. “It’s not the kind of thing that tens of thousands of people take to the streets over… we certainly have not seen since the civil war these kinds of conflicts between the states in a context of such heightened controversy and anger.”

Many pro-abortion-rights states moved quickly after the Supreme Court decision.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican, signed an executive order Friday that prohibits any executive agency from assisting another state’s investigation into a person or entity for receiving or delivering reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts.

The order also seeks to protect Massachusetts providers who deliver abortion services from losing their professional licenses or receiving other professional discipline stemming from out of state charges.

And it decrees that Massachusetts will not cooperate with extradition requests from other states pursuing criminal charges against individuals who received, assisted with, or performed reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed legislation that shields providers and patients from civil liability in connection with abortion-related claims from out of state.

Her office said the legislation also prohibits state courts from cooperating in civil or criminal lawsuits stemming from abortions that take place legally in New York, and prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with anti-abortion states’ investigations into New York abortions.

“Today, we are taking action to protect our service providers from the retaliatory actions of anti-abortion states and ensure that New York will always be a safe harbor for those seeking reproductive healthcare,” Hochul said in a statement.

Experts say a huge unanswered question is what will happen with abortion drugs, which according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights organization, are now used in about half of pregnancy terminations.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that states may not ban abortion drugs on the grounds that they are dangerous, because the Food and Drug Administration has approved them. But legal experts say it’s not clear the federal government can force states to allow people to receive the drugs for use in abortions from other states through the mail.

The federal government regulates the mail, but states regulate doctors and pharmacies.

“It’s going to be hard to say that the federal government overrides the state completely,” said Gross.

Moreover, whatever approach the Biden administration takes can be reversed if Republicans win the 2024 election. The other wild card is how the conservative majority on the Supreme Court might rule on these issues.

“Nobody can know what the law is,” Parmet said, “because we have an ascendent conservative legal movement that is pushing the boundaries.”

#the parallels are striking #with the exception #that no black people supported passing the fugitive slave act #which is the main reason I'm not comfortable with direct analogies

4 notes · View notes

kamaljohnsonnetwork · 1 month

Text

Y’all Stay In Our Black American Business E.G. (Rob Schneider) | The G.A.B.

Full Show On The YouTube (Kamal Johnson Network). Link Below

YT Link

https://youtu.be/48h6E9xDpL8?si=1LOlH6Q0msCE20PR via YouTube

Podcast Links

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-the-gab-101916901/episode/yall-stay-in-our-black-american-156545715/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5N5BNht0srPRtRI8nW31cX?si=3472ab2b0cb14371

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-g-a-b/id1547660066?i=1000648151806

Podpage: https://www.podpage.com/the-gab/

@youtube @revolttv @bet @foxnews @npr @nbcnews @cbsnews-blog @kusinews @starz @hbomaxes @showtimenetworks @hulu @twitch @msnbc @kpbs @vicemag @abcnews @cnnpolitics @pbs

0 notes

historybizarre · 2 years

Link

The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which mandated that citizens assist in tracking the enslaved who had escaped to freedom, accelerated the business of human trafficking. Within a year of the law’s passage, hunters had trapped more refugees in Pennsylvania than in any other state. The law aggravated already bitter divides between federal pro-slavery edicts and anti-slavery laws in Pennsylvania. If caught aiding an escapee, or refusing to cooperate in tracking someone, private citizens faced fines, lawsuits and jail time. It had never been a more dangerous time for abolitionists or the formerly enslaved.

#crime #law #movement leaders #protest #slavery #black women #phialdelphia #fugitive slave act #19th century #us history

0 notes

sinizade · 3 months

Text

A remake of my Fenris remake because I didn't like how the armor in acts 2 and 3 looked similar to Hawke's armor so I made some changes

And what I said would remain the same

In Act 1 he would still be a wanted fugitive slave so he had no chance to change his clothes or disguise himself so he would still be wearing his Tevinteran armor but it would be covered with a cape.

In act 2 he would already have new armor and his hair would be different due to the time that had passed, he would take advantage of his new appearance to try to blend in among the people of Kirkwall and avoid being discovered.

In act 3 he would be more ""relaxed"" since now both Danarius and Hadriana are dead, even in the face of imminent dangers, being able to let his hair grow and breathe fresh air without fear was a relief

(I have a HC that Fenris always wanted to keep his hair long, but Danarius always shaved his head because "the hair gets in the way of experiments)

#dragon age fan art #dragon age 2 #dragon age #fenris #characterdesign #drawing #drawings #draw #sketch #digital drawing #character #drawn #sketchbook #tevinter #fenris da2 #da2 fanart #da2 #dragon age 2 fenris

398 notes · View notes

3rdeyeblaque · 7 months

Text

September 9th marks the 284th anniversary of The Stono Rebellion of 1739✊🏾

When an Angolan brotha called, Jemmy, led a band of 20 slaves into rebellion on the banks of the Stono River in Charleston, S.C., which put unprecedented fear in Whites. It was because of this uprising that laws were enacted that outlawd the enslaved from learning how to read, gathering in groups, & growing their own food. Thus, making it one of the most significant rebellions in the history of the U.S. colonies.

Jemmy & the rebel band marched southbound on a road toward the river, carrying banners that proclaimed their war very, "Liberty!". Their numbers swelled with more enslaved women and men as they went. By nightfall, 100 rebels had joined the cause. They broke into a local firearms store, arming themselves with guns & ammo. As they marched, they killed every overseer in their path and forced any reluctant slaves to join them.

From there the band marched toward the house of a Mr. Godfrey, where they burned the house & killed Godfrey and his family. It was just shy of dawn when they reached Wallace's Tavern. Because the innkeeper at the tavern was kind to his slaves, his life was spared. The White inhabitants of the next several houses in their path were all slaughtered. Those enslaved by a Thomas Rose reluctantly joined the rebellion, but not before hiding their slaver - of which they were later rewarded for. Still, many more rebels gladly joined the cause. By this point, a Lieutenant Governor Bull eluded the rebels & rode on horseback to spread the alarm. Once the band reached the Edisto River, Whites colonists set out in armed pursuit. Shots were exchanged across both lines. By dusk, about 30 rebels had fallen & at least 30 more had escaped. In the end, most rebels were captured over the next month, then executed. The remainder were pursued and captured over the following 6mo - all except 1 who remained a fugitive for 3 years. The few survivors were sold off to plantations in the West Indies.

The immediate factors that sparked the uprising remain uncertain. Many rebels knew of small groups of runaways had made their way from SC to FL, where they had been given freedom and land. There was also an ongoing malaria epidemic surging across SC. Ultimately, this unprecedented act of rebellion demanded unprecedented legislature. The European colonists finalized a Negro Act into law which aggressively limited the privileges & movement of the enslaved. No longer would slaves be allowed to grow their own food, assemble in groups, earn their own money, or learn to read. Some of these restrictions had been in effect before the Negro Act of 1740, but had not been strictly enforced. This also resulted in the forced indoctrination of slaves into Christian schools systems.

Let us remember Brother Jemmy and those who fought, willingly or not, against the colonizers. Their sacrifice may have set a great legal precedent in European colonizer politics, but it set an even greater one that would spark many fires and fan many more flames of rebellion, war, and freedom. Every step taken from this moment onward was a necessary one to achieve our "freedom" as we experience it today.

We pour libations of water (especiallyfrom the Stono River), speak their names, & offer prayers toward their elevation.

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

#hoodoo #hoodoos #atr #the hoodoo calendar #atrs #the Stono Rebellion #stono river #Angola #Angolan #slave rebellion #south carolina

337 notes · View notes

militantinremission · 2 months

Text

What does being 'Black' really mean?

I have thought about this for a long time. Over the years, I spoke w/ Moors, Israelites, Indigenous, & Pan Afrikans about 'Blackness' & what it means to them. I also looked at Separate but Equal (Jim Crow) Laws, The Black Codes, The Fugitive Slave Act, Dred Scott, & related documents dating back to the Colonial Era. Writing on this Subject was always in the back of My Mind, but now I feel compelled to give an opinion. Dane Calloway & Yvette Carnell don't agree on much, but they're both in agreement about 'Blackness in America'; their perspectives intrigued Me. Cam'ron's Declaration of Blackness, followed by responses from Marc Lamont Hill & Umar Johnson inspired Me to chime in on the Subject.

Recently, Dane Calloway & Yvette Carnell both went into detail about 'Blackness' on their individual Channels. Both have expressed their view in the past, but the timing of their latest opinions caught My attention. They essentially agree that this 'designation' refers to a Bottom Caste status that sets Us up for Social Inequality as a Collective. They also agree that identifying as 'Black American' only clouds Our identity as a Lineage Group. The denial of (promised) resources to 'Black' Farmers, & the repeal of Affirmative Action on College Campuses were both done in the name of 'Race Neutrality'. Apparently, Whitefolk & Brownfolk thought that these (long overdue) measures offered too much(?)

I was still digesting Dane & Yvette's perspective, when Cam'ron declared that he prefers being called 'Black' over Afrikan American, citing a schism between Black Americans & Continental Afrikans. This prompted Dr. Marc Lamont Hill & Dr. Umar Johnson to respond- in the name of Pan Afrikanism. Over the last 5Yrs, Pan Afrikans have been very vocal about Reparations & who should be entitled. Groups like N'COBRA, NAARC, The NAACP, & The Urban League have pushed for Trans Atlantic based Reparations; but they favor Social Programs over cash payments. Grassroots Organizations like the ADOS Advocacy Foundation, stress the need for cash payments to American Descendants Of Chattel Slavery.

It's curious how the same U.S. Constitution that used Our skin color to classify Us as 3/5ths of Humanity, still uses Our skin color as a 'Racial identity' to restrict Our access to resources. Somehow, this skin color classification doesn't stop 'Minority Groups' (i.e. White Women, White LGBTQ..., People Of Color [POC/ BIPOC]) from getting the resources that They want & need. Maybe it's just Me, but I see a double standard playing out. Edward Blum & his 'Minority Coalition' are hell bent on weaponizing Race as a means of maintaining Black Oppression. He recently resorted to applying the Civil Rights Law of 1866 against Black Women; meanwhile, ADOS was unsuccessful in their attempt to apply the Same Law to (naively?) support Byron Allen's Case against Comcast Communications.

I understand where Family is coming from, when they refer to dictionary definitions of 'Black'. In a 'White' Society, Blackness is depicted as antithetical. It's not unusual, when we consider the way Afrikan Tribes associate 'Whiteness' w/ Death & Disease (i.e. Leprosy). Historically, this attitude towards Blackness goes back to Our 1st Contact w/ Northern/ Step Europeans (Vikings, Scandanavians, ect...) who traditionally burned their dead. Our mummification process spooked them! Those bodies took on a dark hue, & hardened into a crystal like structure; the Europeans called it a 'Crust'. From this, came the word 'Curse'. The Europeans migrated south into Western Asia & transported their ideology w/ them. This fear of Black Mummies was shared w/ Mongolians & other Indo- European Tribes, like the Turks & Huns. In the same way that Afrikans came to associate Whiteness negatively, the Asiatics came to associate Blackness similarly. Today, We STILL hear Koreans, Japanese, & Chinese refer to a 'Black Devil'.

The modern regard for Blackness is a Social Construct created by 15th Century Castilians & Portugese. These beliefs were sanctioned by the Catholic Church, by way of Papal Bulls & adopted by Dutch, English, & French Colonizers. That's not to say Anti Black sentiment didn't exist; Maimonides (Musa Ibn Maimon) wrote 'The Curse of Ham' centuries earlier... Spain, Portugal, & Italy appeared tired of Moorish Rule, & took advantage of the waning years of their influence. Current Reparations discussions have included the prominence of Afrikan Slave Trading, & how Afrikan Kingdoms, like Mali & Kongo actually traded Slaves w/ Europeans; until they were also Colonized. Afrikan Kingdoms became dependent on the profits, decadent lifestyle, & overall efficacy of trading away their 'enemies'. They didn't concern themselves w/ Europe's intentions for these people.

European Colonizers told themselves that they were 'On a Mission' to Christianize the heathens. I don't know what THAT had to do w/ raping & pillaging Societies in 'The Americas' (Amaru Ca, Turtle Island, Atlantis). In 'Capitalism & Slavery' Eric Williams explains how Europeans rationalized their barbarism to offset the guilt of violating fellow Human Beings. The Fruits of Exploration clouded the moral judgement of Many. Thinking Men, like Samuel George Morton began to concoct a number Theories (Religious & Scientific) to condone their actions. It wasn't limited to Afrika or The Americas; ANY non- Christian was a potential target. Truth be told, Latin America had more Slaves coming from The Pacific, than The Atlantic. Many of the Illegal Immigrants that (so called) Native Americans in The Dakotas are calling 'Indigenous People', are descendants of 'Negritos' transported from The Philippines & the South Pacific Islands. Spanish & Portugese Conquistadors adopted Colorism from the Arabs, & used it as a tool for Divide & Conquer (Blanqueamiento/ Branqueamiento).

The Portugese & Spanish brought Colorism to the (so called) New World, but it was The English who refined it into the System of Racism. Benjamin Franklin was credited w/ using the term 'White' in 1751, but Black Codes were already in play for decades. Bacon's Rebellion of 1675- 1676 resulted in 'Racial' (Chattel) Slavery in Virginia. White Indentured Servants that were treated no differently than their Black counterparts, were elevated to Overseers & Slave Hunters; later to become Militiamen & Police Officers. Legally, 'White' represented the Wealthy Class of Land Owners & Bankers (Gentlemen of Property & Standing). 'Black' represented Indigenous Americans- Free & Enslaved; Poor Whites were stuck in the middle. The Lessons of Bacon's Rebellion brought Laws that ensured that the average White Person had a better lifestyle than the average Black Person.

Dictionaries define 'Whiteness' as: Fair & Pure. 'Blackness' is defined as: Ugly & Evil. All of this helped perpetuate Indigenous/ Aboriginal People as inferior to the European. The 1790 Census brought the first reclassification of American Indians to 'Negro' & 'Colored'. This reclassification continued w/ each subsequent Census. Census Enumerators were not just instructed, but encouraged to use their personal judgement when making Racial Assignments; particularly when making classifications of Negro & Colored. In 1924, Dr. Walter A. Plecker pushed 'The (Preservation of) Racial Integrity Act' in Virginia. This Act sought to reclassify ALL Indigenous People in Virginia as Colored or Negro, & penalized them (w/ violence or death). The 'One Drop Rule' was added in 1930. The Census completed it's reclassification w/ designations of 'Black' in 1970, & 'Afrikan American'(?) in 1990... Chris Rock once joked: "Have you ever seen an American Indian Family in an IHOP?" He probably didn't know that depending on which IHOP, he may have been SURROUNDED by them!

The U.S. Government has been persistent in their efforts to erase America's 'Copper- toned Aborigines'. In addition to Local, State, & Federal Laws designed to keep Us out of contention, they also used Anthropology to prove the inferiority of Indigenous People, compared to Europeans. W.E.B. Du Bois countered, w/ the help of Franz Boas & a new generation of Anthropologists. Melville Herskovits, like Boas contributed to the Anti Black counter narrative; playing a role in setting up the Harlem History Club at the 135th Street YMCA. This is the same Club that inspired Ho Chi Minh... Since 1990, (Indigenous) Black Americans have been on a Pan Afrikan Crusade that sought to embrace EVERY melanated individual as 'Black'. Haitians, Dominicans, Columbians, Somalis & Nigerians have been very vocal about NOT being Black; they're right! Family thinks that they either want to be White, or at least avoid the negativity associated w/ Blackness. Regardless of their reason, they have a Right Of Expression.

History has been purposely skewed, to prop up self righteous White Men & their Female cohorts (WASPs) over Everyone Else. Their advanced weaponry & barbarism has motivated many to fall in line w/ the Western Agenda over the last 500 Years, but Indigenous/ Black Americans have been fighting them every step of the way. Despite the effort to "Kill the Indian & keep The Man", We continued to search for Our Truth. 100Yrs ago, that led Us into an extensive search on the Afrikan Continent. DuBois, Boas, & Herskovits ALL espoused Out of Afrika Theory; & in some shape or form, molded the Minds of many of Our Master Teachers & Scholars. Their search for Roots in Afrika (Alkebu- Lan) was a noble & fruitful endeavor. As Students, We learned of glorious Civilizations that predated Europe, Rome, & Greece by several millennia. We learned that The Kamau, Nubian, & Kushite referred to themselves as 'Black People'. They were the 'Children of The Sun'- Blessed by The Most High w/ Blackness (Melanin/ Ka Nu). The 'Afu Ra Ka Nu' & 'Afu Rat Kat Nut' are the First Born of The Most High; molded out of Primordial Blackness (CERN calls it: The 'God Particle') & assigned as Caretakers of Planet Earth (Geb). In a Nation that marginalizes the very Concept of Blackness, We were inspired to shout: "I'm Black & I'm Proud!".

Today We live in The Information Age, & as such, Our Generation(s) have access to sources that few of Our Elders had. As We put the pieces together, We discover that:

North America had a population of roughly 100 Million Indigenous People when the Colonizers arrived 500Yrs ago.

These People had highly functional Societies that existed for millennia.

They traded w/ The Moors & other Afrikan Kingdoms for Centuries, & They spoke the Lingua Franca.

They have a Legacy of Brick Making & Mound Building. Billy Carson & Walter Williams both say that Our Indigenous Ancestors have a direct connection to the Kamau. Archeological digs in Southern Illinois & Ohio uncovered Kamitic Ritual material & Pre Phoenician 'Proto- Hebraic Script' among the artifacts. Quiet as it's kept, North America has a plethora of Mounds & Pyramids; St. Louis is nicknamed 'Mound City'.

ALL of the European visitors admitted the 'Copper- toned Aboriginines' or Indios practiced a higher Culture than ANY Culture in Europe.

Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, et al were students of Indigenous American Culture. They adopted the Articles Of Confederacy & The U.S. Constitution from the existing Confederacy Of The 5 Nations (The Iroquois Constitution), written around 1200 A.C.E... The Iroquois are the True Founders of the 'American Democratic Experiment'. Remember, ALL of the European Colonizers hailed from Monarchies, so it stands to reason...

The possibility of transporting 12 Million Afrikans to North America from 1619- 1865 is highly improbable. Dane Calloway already broke down the logistics of Trans Atlantic Shipping, & personally compelled The State of Virginia to reduce their 'Afrikan Slave' count by more than 90%. Depending on who you talk to, the number of 'Afrikans' transported to North America ranges from 90,000- 300,000 individuals. At best, this accounts for less than 10% of the 4 Million Individuals that were emancipated. The 20 Young Women that arrived at Point Comfort in 1619, were originally called 'Negresses', not Afrikans. American Indians were called Negroes almost interchangeably.

Dane Calloway, Kurimeo Ahau, & The Research Guy have all pointed out how Europeans transported North American Indians to 'Slave Seasoning' (Buck Breaking) Camps in The Caribbean. Afterwards, they were either shipped back to America, or transported to Europe, & later West Afrika; from Sierra Leone, to Angola. The English & French used Caribbean Maroons in their assault on Afrikan Kingdoms.

All of this new information about Our Ancestors has led many to revisit their Family Genealogy. Many of Us recall a Story or two about the Family connection to a particular Tribe. I personally can't remember hearing an Afrikan Origin Story, before the airing of Alex Haley's 'Roots'. My family taught Us about Our Indian Roots; We don't have a Slave Ship Story in Our History. Most of the Blackfolk claiming Afrikan Tribes, have taken so called Genetic Swab Tests that are advertised as 'Entertainment'. Black Historians & Genealogists, like Dr. Henry Louis Gates have refuted the accuracy of these 'Tests' for years. NO ONE can determine their ancestry from a mouth swab; you need the actual DNA of an Ancestor to make an accurate analysis. Most people don't know that their genetic material is being held (& utilized) by proponents of the [Mormon] Church Of Latter Day Saints. The largest Genealogy Library on Earth, is in Salt Lake City, Ut.

As We put the pieces together, We can clearly see the ongoing process of Colonization. AmeriKKKa cannot be as bold as Israel in their removal of Indigenous Black Americans, so The U.S. Government uses a trickbag of classifications & legislative measures to keep Blackfolk in a state of 'Arrested Development'. They hope that We 'migrate' to Afrika, but most of Us can't afford to visit; let alone relocate. Meanwhile, The Government continues to Flood the Zone w/ immigrants (for 175Yrs & counting). The Mainstream Media speaks about Venezuelan 'migrants' daily, but We hear nothing about the 100,000 Afghani & 100,000 Ukrainian immigrants they prepared for. These people are literally White on arrival. If illegal Venezuelans are getting 5 Star treatment, what are these folk getting?

I felt obligated to go in-depth on this topic, because so many cling to a definition created by Colonizers & Oppressors. How does someone define themselves using the language of their Oppressor? It's the same as someone saying: "A N-- like me", or "A B-- like me". We have been programmed into accepting a wretched (ratchet) image of Ourselves. Some of the people refusing to use the term 'Black', have No Problem referring to themselves as 'N--s' & 'B--s'. I question their logic. Richard Pryor said 40Yrs ago, in 'Here & Now' that he was wrong about using The N- Word. He went on to say that it was a Word that describes Our Wretchedness. He vowed never to use that Word again, but since his declaration, there has been an explosion of 'N-- Comics' over the last 40Yrs. Use of The N- Word is more prevalent than wearing that dress, but few talk about this particular assault on Our Culture. Is it just a coincidence that many of these N- Comics have 'funny looking Wives', as Katt Williams described them?

The lion's share of Our Master Teachers & Scholars were literally spoon-fed Out Of Afrika Theory, so We were primed for Pan Afrikanism. Marcus Garvey was actually 'fishing in a barrel' on those Harlem Streets. This isn't a bad thing in itself. Our Problem has been giving Our 'Cousins' too much access to Our Cultural Mores. Many of the Celebrities, Athletes, & Entertainers being spotlighted & engaging in miscegenation, are descendants of Black Immigrants. They're the Same Ones misrepresenting Our Culture, while telling Us that We're 'Culturally Lost'. Like Hindi/ Bangladeshi/ & Pakistani/ Americans, these folk are situational about their Blackness. They relish being 'Afrikan American' when it's profitable, but are quick to remind you of their Nationality (in a thick accent) when it isn't... It's time to delineate. EVERY melanated group has an identifiable lineage, except Black America. We had a clear identity, until We allowed Jesse Jackson to reclassify Us as 'Afrikan American'. To quote Dane Calloway: "We're named after 2 Continents". Now We're being amalgamated into an 'Afrikan/ Black Diaspora' that is looking to fleece Us like Everyone Else. Most of these folks are 'Black' Capitalists looking for a quick buck. The commercialization of Kwanzaa is a prime example. Our argument for Lineage Based Reparations has revealed this well kept secret.

The (current) Reparations discussion has brought important issues to the conversation. ADOS, FBA, Freemen, & Indigenous Family all agree that We're a specific Lineage Group w/ a specific Experience. No other group has endured what We have endured in America. Some Black Immigrants make a valid point that They have endured over 100Yrs of White Supremacy in America; few admit that They also had more autonomy & opportunity than We had. Many of the 'First Faces' that We tout, aren't Us, but Our Cousins. Colin Powell, Eric Holder, & Susan Rice aren't just descendants of Immigrants, they're also Cousins! Barack Obama was Harvard's 1st Black Law Review Editor & Claudine Gay was their 1st Black President, but NEITHER have Indigenous Black Roots. BOTH have more in common w/ the descendants of Slave Holders, than those Enslaved on Harvard's properties. We have far too many of their Faces in Our Spaces. 'Afrikan American' is not working for Us. It skews perspectives regarding Wealth & Inequality, while rewarding newcomers for their 'proximity to Blackness'.

I have to go back to The Black Power Movement, to get a clear understanding of what Blackness truly means. During that Era, 'Blackness' was an American Phenomenon that was Globally acknowledged. No One else said: 'I'm Black & I'm Proud' w/ as much authority. John Carlos & Tommie Smith proudly threw up their Black fists, knowing they would pay a price. Muhammad Ali lost his Prime Boxing Years to make a point. The Culture of Blackness permeated Music & Cinema; We were doing Our Thing, Our Way. The Culture was distinctly Ours. It WAS a Black Thang, & No One understood it; but EVERYONE respected it. As We travelled The World, We were called Soul Brothers & Soul Sisters, but most called Us Black American. We have a distinct Pedigree. The World knows WHO We are. If we're being honest, Black Culture & Music was generally more respectable before 1990, when We became 'Afrikan American'. Hollywood has been denigrating Us since 'Birth Of A Nation', but their images contradicted who We are. We're a Righteous & Noble People. Our Love of Our Collective progeny is unrivaled. The Slave Experience stripped Us of Our individual lineage, but it also eliminated any Tribalism. Indigenous Black Americans- from New York to Oakland, & from Detroit to Houston refer to each other as: 'Family from...' We compete against each other, & toss The Dozens; but when it's time to Put in The Work- We're ALL On Code.

I laugh at this notion of 'Race Neutrality'. What exactly is meant by Race? Chief Justice John Roberts & Justice Clarence Thomas both lean on this term pretty heavily, but how? Black, White, Asian, & Latinx aren't Racial Groups, they're Socio- Demographic Classifications. Every Middle School Student has learned by 8th Grade of 3 Races: Negroid, Mongoloid, & Caucasoid. This 'Racial Re- tread' only seems to affect Indigenous Black Americans/ Copper-toned Aborigines on the basis of Our skin color. Everyone Else, including Black Immigrants have a Right of Expression under the current demographic structure. This is the Same System that holds Black America stagnant at 13% of the population since Emancipation, while bringing Ethnic Europeans (Caucasians, Catholics) & Asians under the umbrella of Whiteness; to offset the declining birth rate in their demographic. The Biden Administration has implied the same thing is being done w/ Latinx. I STILL ask: What is a 'Latino/ Hispanic'- are they a specific Nationality? No, they're a Socially Engineered Group (Buffer Class) created to marginalize the Indigenous Black American Population. Our Collective, is not a grouping of different Ethnicities & Nationalities under a particular demographic- We're One Nationality. As We search for a uniform description of Our specific Lineage Group, 'Black American' is a No Brainer... Cam'ron is correct.

'Black American' actually describes a specific Ethnic Group w/ a specific Culture & Experience that NO OTHER GROUP can tout. It describes a Group of People in a specific Region, not a (Global) Racial Group. We are as distinct, as Australian Aborigines. Other than Our Cousins- the 'Black Brits', melanated People tend to describe themselves Tribally or Nationally. They only identify as 'Black', when they Come to America. Meanwhile, Native (Siberian) Americans have used the Dawes Rolls to appropriate Our Ancestral [Tribal] Identity, forcing Us to Collectively reestablish Ourselves from scratch. Indigenous, Aboriginal, or American Indian describes Our connection to The Land. The Blood & Bones of Our Ancestors are buried Here, not in Afrika. Black American, describes who We are today. It defines Us as a unique Nationality. This description makes it easier for Us to point out Centuries of legislative policy crafted & used against Us as a specific Lineage Group. Afrikan American, is a monolithic classification that ignores the diverse Cultural experiences & Tribalism of the Collective. Ultimately, Our Name may change, but The Culture stays the Same.

In a nutshell, Black American IS Our Tribal Identity. We're World renowned for Standing Out & Standing Our Ground, & NO ONE does it better. As Professor Black Truth puts it: 'We create Icons'.

-Just making My Case

#B1 #ADOS #FBA #Freemen #The13Percent #LineageMatters #RecalibrateTheCulture #TheProud&NoblePeople #OftenImitatedNeverDuplicated #LiberationRock #FarmersBoulevard #UnapologeticallyBlack #AgeOfProphecy

34 notes · View notes

focsle · 1 year

Note

Hello! I don't know if this is exactly your wheelhouse, but I was reading about Fredrick Douglass and it briefly mentioned that he used a Seamans protection certificate in his escape from slavery; I was wondering if you had any thoughts/ info about these as it relates to Black seamen in the US, especially the South. If not, absolutely no worries! Love your blog.

Oh yeah, I went down a rabbit hole sometime back about seamen’s protection certificates in the context of what they meant for Black mariners and US Citizenship!

To summarize that above post, Seamen’s Protection Certificates spoke to the contradictory legal status of Black mariners in the antebellum US when naturalization was only accessible to white men. It’s a paper that says that one is a US citizen, but was not considered ‘valid’ documentation for accessing the rights of a US citizen. But for all intents and purposes, it still signaled that the man in question was indeed a citizen when abroad. This contradiction (as well as other legal contradictions) was leveraged by people fighting for access to naturalization and a full legal identity for African Americans.

But while the certificate did not truly grant citizenship to Black sailors, it still served as a form of protection both in states where slavery was law, as well as ‘free’ states, where the Fugitive Slave Act quickly destabilized any sense of security one might have there. The seamen’s protection certificates had only a brief vague description of the holder. As such, some free Black men would take the risk of loaning their papers out to those escaping enslavement who roughly matched the written description, similar to how States’ ‘free papers’ were also loaned out for the same purpose. As Douglass mentioned in his autobiography concerning his use of said papers:

“But I had one friend—a sailor—who owned a sailor’s protection, which answered somewhat the purpose of free papers—describing his person and certifying to the fact that he was a free American sailor. The instrument had at its head the American eagle, which at once gave it the appearance of an authorized document.”

Nearly 1/3rd of applications for seamen’s protection certificates were made by men of color because of the protection they afforded against being kidnapped into slavery. Even though there was a lot of backpeddling from officials saying that the protection certificates didn’t REALLY mean citizenship, it was still an official document stating someone’s freedom and thus had tremendous value in allowing a man to move freely through the world. Here’s an old but good article about seamen’s protection certificates in general that speaks a little more to that.

In the context of mariners in the South, here are some examples. This one, from the National Archives is for a man named William Wright, from Viriginia who applied for a certificate in New Orleans in 1810.

And another from the collections of Mystic Seaport of a man named Jonathan Miller, born in New York but applying for the paper in Galveston Texas. The language is a bit different from the boilerplate seamen’s protection certificates like the one above, so I think it’s slightly different as a legal document—but still, in 1856, would hold the same sort of odd wobbly status.

The museum’s interpretation of this was that it was likely applied for and used as a form of protection in moving freely through the South, rather than Mr. Miller specifically using it for a maritime purpose.

#asks #anonymous #awhalin #and broader maritime history

209 notes · View notes

kemetic-dreams · 9 months

Text

"The original "Uncle Tom",

Rev. Josiah Henson and wife; Dresden ,Canada (c1907)

Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and minister. Born into slavery in Charles County, Maryland, he escaped to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1830, and founded a settlement and laborer's school for other fugitive slaves at Dawn, near Dresden in Kent County. Henson's autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849), is widely believed to have inspired the character of the fugitive slave, George Harris, in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), who returned to Kentucky for his wife and escaped across the Ohio River, eventually to Canada. Following the success of Stowe's novel, Henson issued an expanded version of his memoir in 1858, Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest in his life continued, and nearly two decades later, his life story was updated and published as Uncle Tom's Story of His Life: An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Josiah Henson was born on a farm near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up to a slave owner, receiving one hundred lashes and having his right ear nailed to the whipping-post, and then cut off. His father was later sold to someone in Alabama. Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers, and sisters.His mother pleaded with her new owner Isaac Riley, Riley agreed to buy back Henson so she could at least have her youngest child with her; on condition he would work in the fields. Riley would not regret his decision, for Henson rose in his owners' esteem, and was eventually entrusted as the supervisor of his master's farm, located in Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). In 1825, Mr. Riley fell onto economic hardship and was sued by a brother in law. Desperate, he begged Henson (with tears in his eyes) to promise to help him. Duty bound, Henson agreed. Mr. R then told him that he needed to take his 18 slaves to his brother in Kentucky by foot. They arrived in Daviess County Kentucky in the middle of April 1825 at the plantation of Mr. Amos Riley. In September 1828 Henson returned to Maryland in an attempt to buy his freedom from Issac Riley.

He tried to buy his freedom by giving his master $350 which he had saved up, and a note promising a further $100. Originally Henson only needed to pay the extra $100 by note, Mr. Riley however, added an extra zero to the paper and changed the fee to $1000. Cheated of his money, Henson returned to Kentucky and then escaped to Kent County, U.C., in 1830, after learning he might be sold again. There he founded a settlement and laborer's school for other fugitive slaves at Dawn, Upper Canada. Henson crossed into Upper Canada via the Niagara River, with his wife Nancy and their four children. Upper Canada had become a refuge for slaves from the United States after 1793, when Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent further introduction of Slaves, and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude within this Province". The legislation did not immediately end slavery in the colony, but it did prevent the importation of slaves, meaning that any U.S. slave who set foot in what would eventually become Ontario, was free. By the time Henson arrived, others had already made Upper Canada home, including African Loyalists from the American Revolution, and refugees from the War of 1812.

Henson first worked farms near Fort Erie, then Waterloo, moving with friends to Colchester by 1834 to set up a African settlement on rented land. Through contacts and financial assistance there, he was able to purchase 200 acres (0.81 km2) in Dawn Township, in next-door Kent County, to realize his vision of a self-sufficient community. The Dawn Settlement eventually prospered, reaching a population of 500 at its height, and exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased an additional 200 acres (0.81 km2) next to the Settlement, where his family lived. Henson also became an active Methodist preacher, and spoke as an abolitionist on routes between Tennessee and Ontario. He also served in the Canadian army as a military officer, having led a African militia unit in the Rebellion of 1837. Though many residents of the Dawn Settlement returned to the United States after slavery was abolished there, Henson and his wife continued to live in Dawn for the rest of their lives. Henson died at the age of 93 in Dresden, on May 5, 1883.

66 notes · View notes