The history of slavery is a critical part of the narrative surrounding modern American politics. Students in the country are taught that the institution as we knew it in the 18th and 9th centuries was unique to the new world, and that the story of America relegated to a simple conflict of oppression and liberation.
Of course, there is a hint of truth in this. Slavery is and was by all accounts an abomination and an affront to human liberty in the highest order. One of the most notable things the country ever did was fight a war with itself to end it once and for all. But here’s the thing — most of what Americans know about this evil institution is wrong.
Slavery was a global phenomenon, with roots dating back as far as the early Bronze Age. Just about every ancient and modern civilization has some element of slavery in its history. From the Roman Republic to the Medieval Arab caliphates, the practice was considered part of the natural order.
This isn’t to discount the cruelty African slaves and their descendants faced in North America, but it does paint a vey different picture from the one the radical left likes to portray today. According to most progressive academics, slavery as we understand it was a uniquely white one. European colonizers trudged into the interior of the African continent looking for disaffected people to exploit — except this isn’t true at all.
No matter what your background or perspective is, studying the history of slavery is uncomfortable — and it should be. But we can’t let the left control the narrative on this. Americans need to know the truth about how this institution was put in place, practiced, and how it was eventually destroyed.
The video below featuring the Daily Wire’s Candace Owens does an excellent job dispelling the popular myths.
