Yes, Paul, makes the essential point that must never be forgotten. All
economic, geopolitical, or technical discussions must include this. I think
historians have a hard time with this, because for all the talk it is very
hard to imagine actually being owned. For us it is an abstraction not a
constant never forgotten for a moment defining reality.

-- Stephan

On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 9:24 AM, Paul Heinegg <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Many historians discuss slavery in terms of  "Free food, a place to stay,
> etc.,"  good or bad diet, good or bad physical treatment, rape, whether
> they were treated as family members, etc. This ignores the most basic fact
> about slavery. Slaves were their owners' property--like a chair, table,
> horse or cow, an implement with which to farm. Not just the lowest stratum
> of human society--not part of human society at all. Acknowledgement of this
> fact enables us to understand why Emancipation was followed by Jim Crow,
> and even today some in this country still have trouble accepting African
> Americans as equals.
> Paul
>
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-- 
*Stephan A. Schwartz
Senior Samueli Fellow for Brain, Mind and Healing
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