[sparklite2]

Slavery is not everybody’s story — it must remain exclusively a story for the United States and its people.

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Baloney. I was surprised to learn recently that slavery was not made illegal in England until 1905.

[GraceG]

[ I was surprised to learn recently that slavery was not made illegal in England until 1905. ]

It wouldn’t surprise me if it endured longer in their colonies as well.

[Eagles6]

The author is being sarcastic.

[pburgh01]

Slavery was a horrid institution in this country for its first 300 years, no doubt. To reduce human beings to chattle and then after freeing them treat them that way up till the 1960's. I think making comparisons to other countries is not very useful in this debate. Why unlike Uncle Levin I don't worship our Founding Fathers as practically saints. Most of them were in in one of two camps, acquiescing cowards or slaveholders when it came to this issue. They were so anxious to cement a wealthy white hegemony they allowed slavery to be settled later. Disgusting.

What I don't buy is people of slave ancestry being now 6 generations removed using that as an excuse to steal and grift my money through copious social programs and engage in murder, theft and rape. We now are at a point with Oblameo, where the great, great, great, great grandchildren of slaves now act the slave masters.

[SeeSharp]

Baloney. I was surprised to learn recently that slavery was not made illegal in England until 1905.

Not true. Slavery was rendered illegal in England in 1772 by Lord Mansfield's decision in the Sullivan case.

The state of slavery is of such a nature that it is incapable of being introduced on any reasons, moral or political, but only by positive law [statute], which preserves its force long after the reasons, occasions, and time itself from whence it was created, is erased from memory. It is so odious, that nothing can be suffered to support it, but positive law. Whatever inconveniences, therefore, may follow from the decision, I cannot say this case is allowed or approved by the law of England; and therefore the black must be discharged.

[ladyjane]

I was surprised to learn recently that slavery was not made illegal in England until 1905.

No legislation against slavery was passed by Massachusetts until sometime around 1950, maybe later.

Massachusetts was one of the early slave traders. They had a slave auction in Fanueil Marketplace. They later claimed they outlawed slavery. They didn't. They just stopped listing people as slaves in the census.

[mad puppy]

Comments w/o reading the piece make you look a little foolish.