Posted on 02/02/2021 12:36:02 PM PST by artichokegrower
“British gold and promises of personal freedom served as futile incentives among the Negroes of the American Navy; for them, the proud consciousness of duty well done served as a constant monitor and nerved their strong black arms when thundering shot and shell menaced the future of the country; and, although African slavery was still a recognized legal institution and constituted the basic fabric of the great food productive industry of the nation, it was the Negro’s trusted devotion to duty whichever guided him in the nation’s darkest hours of peril and menace.”
(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...
You can't eat cotton. You can't eat tobacco.
You can’t eat cotton or tobacco and these strong black arms of conscience and steeled by whichevers had to have been free northern blacks as the Navy was not recruiting from the slave states.
good call. If he had said “the basic fabric of the great agricultural industry of the nation” he would have been close to hitting the nail on the head.
The CSN had many black sailors.
African slavery was still a recognized legal institution
________________________________________________________
Actually slavery wasnt legal ...it was against the Constitution...
Part of the Preamble states “secure the Blessings of Liberty” slaves were not free...it denied the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that the Declaration of Independence listed as a grievance
First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (All of these rights were unlawfully denied slaves at some time to some degree)
Second Amendment ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed” Slaves were not allow to own guns.
Fourth Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.(This amendment was violated time and time again against the slaves.)
Fifth Amendment No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury,....nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. (Again gross violations of this amendment against the slaves)
Sixth Amendment In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. (Goes without saying, the slaves were denied these rights)
Eighth Amendment ‘ nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted’ (Slaves were often whipped nearly to death and suffered other ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ )
Tenth Amendment The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.(This amendment didnt give to individual states a right to pass laws to enslave people)
I know it’s a lot to ask but you folks should read the article before posting. It concerns blacks serving during the Revolutionary War not the Civil War. The pre Civil War South’s biggest agricultural export was corn along with sugar rice not that any of that has anything to do with the article
You clearly need to be removed from this site if you expect us to read the article! Clairvoyance is your friend! :-)
“The pre Civil War South’s biggest agricultural export was corn.”
Base on the data of the 1860 census, the South produced 5.3 million bales of cotton. About 20% of the cotton crop was sold to mills in the United States. The remaining 4,240,000 bales of cotton were exported. Clearly, cotton was the primary export of the South before the Civil War.
In 1860 the South produced 314 million bushels of corn and wheat. Northern States produced 698 million bushels of corn and wheat. Corn was not a primary agricultural export for Southern states.
Slavery was not “against the Constitution”. Read the notes from the constitutional convention. The framers weren’t comfortable with it, they make a few backhanded references to it in the Constitution, but they were afraid that if they started to debate the issue, it would break up the union. So they kicked the can down the road for later generations.
“Actually slavery wasn’t legal.”
True, the Constitution does not state slavery is legal. Nor does the Constitution state slaver is illegal.
The Constitution does recognizes the existence of slavery in the United States at the time the Constitution was written. Without using the words slave or slaver, the Constitution recognizes the existence of institution three times in the Constitution.
Article I Section 2
Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective number, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other persons.
“three fifths of all other persons,” i.e. slaves.
Article I Section 9.
The migration or importation of such persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.
“importation of such persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper”
i.e. slaves
Article IV Section 2
No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.
“person held to service or labor” i.e. slaves
In the Scott v Sanford Supreme Court Case, the Court found slaves are not citizens of the United States nor could they become citizens of the United States. Therefore, the protections of the Constitution extended to Citizens of the United States does not apply to slaves.
Confederate Navy Regulations mirrored those of the U.S. Navy. On each ship up to 5% of the crew could be blacks.
If more were needed a captain could ask for a waiver of the 5% limitation.
By the Wars end, about 25% of the U.S. Navy were black sailors.
Right you are. Did not think about that.
In the Confederate Navy, slaves could be used aboard ships.
Actually slavery wasnt legal ...it was against the Constitution...
Article I: “Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”
Who were these “other persons” the original Constitution spoke of?
Original article, February 27, 2018
You can’t eat cotton or tobacco and these strong black arms of conscience and steeled by whichevers had to have been free northern blacks as the Navy was not recruiting from the slave states
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p51.html
Black Revolutionary seamen
1775 - 1783Unlike the Continental Army, the Navy recruited both free and enslaved blacks from the very start of the Revolutionary War — partly out of desperation for seamen of any color, and partly because many blacks were already experienced sailors, having served in British and state navies, as well as on merchant vessels in the North and the South.
[...]
Although the Southern states were reluctant to recruit enslaved African Americans for the army, they had no objections to using free and enslaved blacks as pilots and able-bodied seaman. In Virginia alone, as many as 150 black men, many of them slaves, served in the state navy. After the war, the legislature granted several of these men their freedom as a reward for faithful service. African Americans also served as gunners, sailors on privateers and in the Continental Navy during the Revolution.
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hlaw:19:./temp/~ammem_e3TP::
Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 12 February 1, 1779 - May 31, 1779
Marine Committee to John BeattySir March 26th 1779 At the time the Continental frigate Delaware was taken by the enemy, there was on board of her a Negro Man named Tom the property of Mr. William Hall of Port Penn in the State of Delaware. We are desirous of having this Negro restored to his owner, and request you will propose to the Commissary of Prisoners on the Part of the enemy that he be ex-
Page 254
MARCH 26, 1779
changed for a Negro Man now at this place the property of Captain Hawker taken with the crew of the British frigate Mermaid. We are Sir, Your hble servants
LB (DNA: PCC Miscellaneous Papers, Marine Committee Letter Book).
“Ships, like the gallows, refuse no man.
We can teach these things on our own using tools such as this audiobook.
Full text: https://books.google.com/books?id=Jy8OAAAAIAA
The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution
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