Rum, Molasses, and Negroes

Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America

I mentioned in the previous post about this book. I was skimming through it and much of it is shocking.

When I see the names written of all these British men who were buying and selling human beings – in addition to selling craploads of liquor and other goods that were produced by slaves such as molasses – a lot of thoughts run through my head.

One prevailing thought is that people are really not that different now than then. Look at what globo corps are doing, how they’re fucking up the United States and the rest of the world – importing tens of millions of people for the sake of labor. The shit never ends.

And always it’s about “the economy”. How great the economy is. How great it was back then, in Newport, Rhode Island when people were getting rich buying and selling human beings.

Enslavement is as grave a crime as homicide. And in fact a lot of times homicide did occur. One shocking account of which I wrote an excerpt from the beginning, documents a revolt on a slave ship in which many slaves were shot.

Back in the 17th and 18th centuries if you wanted to kidnap and enslave human beings it was often a bloody affair.

Nowadays not so much. The slave traders don’t have to see the blood. They just quietly manipulate things behind the scenes so that governments no longer enforce immigration laws. Organizations prod and even pay many millions of dollars to ship people to the United States and Europe. It’s a huge businesses.

Below also is an excerpt from what I think was the Massachusetts Congress, denouncing slavery.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THOMAS DENNY, REPRESENTATIVE FROM LEICESTER, 1773
May 19, 1773
. . . And, as we have the highest regard for (so as even to revere the name of) liberty, we cannot behold but with the greatest abhorrence any of our fellow-creatures in a state of slavery.
Therefore we strictly enjoin you to use your utmost influence that a stop may be put to the slave-trade by the inhabitants of this Province; which, we apprehend, may be effected by one of these two ways: either by laying a heavy duty on every negro imported or brought from Africa or elsewhere into this Province; or by making a law, that every negro brought or imported as aforesaid should be a free man or woman as soon as they come withing the jurisdiction of it; and that every negro child that shall be born in said government after the enacting such law should be free at the same age …

p. 118

92. THE VOYAGE OF THE LITTLE GEORGE, 1730
Since our last we have had a more particular Account of the negroes rising and overcoming Capt. George Scot of Rhode Island, in his return from Guinea, which we have been desired to Insert: And it is as follows, viz
I George Scott, (the Scriber) Master of the Sloop the Little George, belonging to Rhode Island; Saild from the Bonnana Islands on the Coast of Guinea, the first of June 1730, having on Board Ninety six Slaves (thirty five of which were men.) On the 6th of said Month at half an hour past four of the Clock in the Morning, being about 100 Leagues distant from the Land, the Men Slaves got off their Irons, and making way thro’ the bulkhead of the Deck, killed the Watch consisting of John Harris Doctor, Jonathan Ebens Cooper, and Thomas Ham Sailor; who were, tis thought, all asleep. I being then in my Cabin and hearing a Noise upon Deck (they throwing the Watch overboard) took my Pistol directly, and fired up the Scuttle which was abaft, which made all the Slaves that were loose run forwards except one or two Men (who seemed to laugh at the Cowardice of the rest, and defiance of us, being but 4 Men and a Boy) who laid the Scuttle, and kept us down confin’d in the Cabin, and passing by the Companion to view us, we Shot two Men Slaves.

I highly recommend downloading the PDF of this book from the link above and at least skimming through it.