|
VOL.
21 COMMON SENSE REVISITED
“WE
HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT/UNMISTAKABLE”
THAT
ALL
MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,
THAT
THEY ARE ENDOWED,
BY
THEIR CREATOR,
WITH CERTAIN
UNALIENABLE RIGHTS/FUNDAMENTAL
FREEDOMS INHERENT TO ALL HUMAN BEINGS GIVEN THEM BY A CREATOR, WHICH
CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY, SOLD, OR TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PARTY,
INCLUDING THE GOVERNMENT.
Again, Acts 17:26 says, “And (GOD)hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation;”. This verse acknowledges and supports what Thomas
Jefferson and the committee penned in the Declaration of Independence
of 1776. And yet black human hostages were still held in bondage for
life, despite the efforts of Abolitionist groups to reason with the
settlers on behalf of the enslaved human beings.
The following is
a list of many of those organizations:
Pre-Civil War
abolitionist organizations ranged from early Quaker initiatives to
radical societies demanding immediate emancipation, primarily
appearing between the late 18th century and 1860. Key organizations
included the Pennsylvania Abolition Society (1775), American
Anti-Slavery Society (1833), and various female and regional
anti-slavery societies.
Here is a list of
prominent abolitionist and anti-slavery organizations operating in
the United States prior to the Civil War:
Major National &
Regional Organizations
Pennsylvania
Abolition Society (1775): Originally the Society for
the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage.
New
York Manumission Society (1785): Focused on freeing
enslaved people and protecting free Black people.
American
Colonization Society (1816): Formed to send freed
slaves to Africa, though later opposed by radical abolitionists.
New
England Anti-Slavery Society (1832): Founded by William
Lloyd Garrison to advocate for immediate, uncompensated abolition.
American
Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) (1833): Founded by William
Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan, this was the primary national
organization.
American
and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (1840): Formed after a
split in the AASS, led by Lewis Tappan.
Western
Anti-Slavery Society (1840s): Active in the Midwest,
associated with William Lloyd Garrisons views. (William Lloyd
Garrison (1805–1879) was a radical American abolitionist
who demanded the "immediate," uncompensated
emancipation of all enslaved people and full social/political
equality for Black Americans. Through his newspaper The
Liberator, he condemned slavery as a moral sin and national stain,
rather than merely a political issue.)
New
York State Anti-Slavery Society
Boston
Female Anti-Slavery Society (1833): A biracial
organization of women.
General
Colored Association of Boston
Boston
Vigilance Committee (1850): Focused on assisting
fugitive slaves.
Benevolent
Society of Alexandria (1829)
Liberty
Party (1840): Political party focused on abolition.
New
England Emigrant Aid Company (1850s): Aimed to ensure
Kansas entered as a free state. (The last great compromise led
by KY’s Henry Clay before his death.)
These groups
often used petitions, newspapers (such as The Liberator), and
lecture circuits to influence public opinion against slavery.
Last, but
certainly not least of all, The Underground Railroad:
Research reveals
that “The Underground Railroad was a secret, informal network
of safe houses, routes, and individuals that helped an estimated
25,000 to 100,000 enslaved people escape to free states and Canada
between the late 18th century and the Civil War. It was not a
physical railroad but a collaborative, largely Black-led movement
involving “conductors” who guided escapees and “station
masters” who hid them.”
Here are the key
details about the Underground Railroad:
Purpose: To
assist enslaved people escaping bondage, predominantly from the South
to the North, Mexico, or overseas.
The
Network: Consisted of activists, both Black and White, who
provided food, shelter, and transport, often risking legal penalties
and danger to themselves.
Key
persons: Harriet Tubman is the most famous "conductor,"
known for returning to the South numerous times to guide others to
freedom.
Subterfuge
terminology: The operation used railway terms to evade
detection, with escapees called "passengers" or "cargo,"
and hiding places called "stations".
Significant and
historic Impact or the organization: It became a powerful
movement of civil disobedience/resistance, defying the Fugitive Slave
Act of 1850 and highlighting the brutality of slavery.
Many of these
were Christian organizations. Their faith in God provided them with
the zeal to correct a horrible wrong that was committed against black
people.
Perhaps they were
convicted and motivated by Hebrews 2:3, 3 “How shall we
escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him; KJV.”
3 “How
shall we escape [appropriate retribution] if we neglect and
refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is now offered
to us, letting it drift past us forever]? For it was declared at
first by the Lord [Himself], and it was confirmed to us and proved
to be real and genuine by those who personally heard [Him
speak] AMPC Verson.”
As was stated in Vol. 20, “It stands to reason/(obvious) that these
men and women were brave and risked their lives so that others could
be free. Many of them suffered severely if they were caught aiding
slaves to escape. However, not to diminish their efforts, but the
above stats reveal that even though 25,000 to 100,000 slaves escaped
there were millions more that did not even have a slim chance to
escape. For those slaves, the drudgery of the “Peculiar
Institution” of black slavery went on and on and on until the end
of the Civil War in 1865.
Slave owners and
other indifferent white people’s actions toward blacks during
slavery in U.S. history is similar to what is recorded in Genesis
4:9: “And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy
brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
The smart Alec question asked by Cain in Genesis 4:9 after he killed
his brother Abel, was used to cynically deny responsibility for his
actions and his brother's welfare. Cain used the remark to dodge
accountability. The verse is traditionally interpreted in the
Biblical interpretation of “Am I my brother's keeper is a
divine affirmation that “We the (GOD’S) People” are indeed
responsible for supporting, caring for, and protecting others.
The Hebrew word
for keeper is Shamar which means watching over, guarding, or
preserving. Like Cain those that were indifferent to blacks and black
slaves refused to be their black brothers and sisters guardian. Keep
in mind that many slave owners, even while not taking personal and
moral responsibility toward their fellow human bings, considered
themselves to be staunch Christians.
In both the Old and New Testaments, it is commonly understood that
the interpretation to love others and bear one another’s burdens is
according to God’s Holy word. To love rather than ignoring them or
causing them harm. The slave owners chose to boldly ignore God’s
word leaving the rest of the nation to bear the brunt of their
callousness.
Both Jeremiah
31:29 and Ezekiel 18:2 bespeak the same proverb:
“In those
days they shall say no more, the (founding) fathers
have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.”
“What do you
mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, the
(founding)fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth
are set on edge?”
COMMON SENSE
REVISTED…
Hmmmmmm sounds
like…
“Grapes of
Wrath” as per the Battle Hymn of the Republic?!
STAY TUNED…TO
BE CONTINUED…
|
