US History – Slavery and Reconstruction – Discussion Board

I don’t know how to handle this History question and need guidance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGrXCOIx6QQ&feature=emb_logo&has_verified=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=R4v_yRFf4-Y&feature=emb_logo

http://libcom.org/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-states-howard-zinn/9-slavery-without-submission-emancipation-without-freedom

Watch the videos, read the link. Write your opinion in 150-200 words. Then respond to your classmates with 2-3 sentences.

-The opinions to respond-

1- Race is our American obsession. (Loewen) When the Spaniards, before anyone else, came to North America with black slaves and allowed the blacks to be one of the first settlers of the Americas. We do not account for these truths because that is not the picture we want to paint of our great American history. Whenever we talk of reconstruction, we are bound to end up discussing about lynching, and the Ku Klux Klan. White supremacy got its validation during the reconstruction. Although slavery was abolished, whites tried all they could to prevent the black progressivism. The 1964 Civil Rights bill was opposed and filibustered for more than 534 hours. Even though we talk about emancipation as a landmark event, it was motivated by business rather than the life and liberty of slavery. Despite the horrors of slavery, history books, and historians try to sugar coat one of the most brutal institution in all of humanity. They attempt to reflect a positive light on slavery by talking about how happy the slaves were despite of their miseries. They were well fed and taken care of. (Loewen) What value do the photos of lynching, hanging, and burning of innocent blacks carry, if history books, instead of educating students, teach them to undermine the horrific nature of slavery.

2- Looking at these images i was really disturbed and heart broken and how this mob saw this as being normal. This is the shameful past that America wants to cover up and even now a days these same action are still happening and we remain being treated like this in other ways. This is a true example of racial violence. Sometimes I ask myself what message are they trying to pass cross and Is it that black lives do no matter? We are all humans!

Zinn makes it clear in this chapter that the U.S government and other northern states helped keep into existence slavery by cooperating with slave owners. Our history textbooks tell us that Lincoln fought against slavery that was not his top priority until it threatened its base support.

Slavery however destroyed the black family as they are being separated from each other never to meet again. this is so painful thinking about kids who had to suffer from this separation.