Untold History: More Than A 1/4 of US Presidents Were Involved in Slavery
HAVANA TIMES – As the country marks Presidents’ Day, we turn to an aspect of U.S. history that is often missed: the complicity of American presidents with slavery. “More than one-in-four U.S. presidents were involved in human trafficking and slavery. These presidents bought, sold and bred enslaved people for profit. Of the 12 presidents who were enslavers, more than half kept people in bondage at the White House,” writes historian Clarence Lusane in his most recent article, “Missing From Presidents’ Day: The People They Enslaved.”
Thanks for reposting! I was going to rant about not judging historical figures by today’s values–“judge not, lest ye be judged”–but after listening to what Clarence Lusane had to say, found it insightful, not just the diatribe against Washington, Jefferson, etc. I was expecting. Inspite their many faults, these presidents were acutely aware of the contradictions between equality and slavery. Jefferson even wanted to abolish slavery, but was overidden. They were men of their times and men who transcended their times, as demonstrated by the consitution they cobbled together and by their hopes for the future of this new nation.