For the past several weeks, we’ve been discussing the importance of having an accurate understanding of history. We examined the Three-Fifths Compromise and the constitutional provision that resulted from it, as well as other constitutional provisions relating to slavery and the context of the Framers’ deliberations. We examined the life of Frederick Douglass and his affirmation of the Constitution before, during, and after the Civil war. We observed that liberals, or if you prefer, progressives—including self-proclaimed black leaders—distort the past to make themselves and their policies more attractive and their own futures more secure. To be fair, we affirm that some have been misled. Others, though, intentionally mislead. Finally, last week we began making a list of historical truths that surprise and enlighten modern readers because they have been such well-kept secrets.
Here are summaries of the first six articles in this series.
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 1
Defog Your Rearview Mirror
7/22/16
In this post we examine the Three-Fifths Clause in the original draft of the US Constitution. It authorized that when state populations were counted, slaves would be numbered in a manner different from the way free individuals would counted. Every five slaves would count as three persons, so technically, on paper, every enslaved person counted as three-fifths of an individual. Today this approach sounds cruel and inhuman, but we allow ourselves to be misled if we jump to conclusions. What was behind the Three-Fifths Clause and the compromise it represented? What did this provision really mean? The answer almost certainly will surprise you.
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 2
Examining the Evidence: Do Racist and Pro-Slavery Elements Exist in the Constitution of 1787?
7/29/16
The Three-Fifths Clause isn’t the only clause in the Constitution to which people point when they claim the Constitution of 1787 was pro-slavery and racist. But was it really? This post explores this question by looking not only at the wording of the Constitution, but also at the world of 1787, the thinking of the several of the Founding Fathers, and some of the challenges confronting the new nation.
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 3
The Way Out
8/5/16
Years After the Constitutional Convention of 1787, in the Throes of the Civil War, America’s Leaders Look to the Founders—and the Constitution—to Guide the Nation out of Slavery
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland in 1818, yet he became a powerful advocate for freedom and liberty throughout the United States. Significantly, in making his case for liberty for all people, regardless of race, Douglass upheld the US Constitution and defended the work of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Douglass understood what many today have either forgotten or never heard. After highlighting a primary theme in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, this post introduces readers to Frederick Douglass. Do not miss meeting him!
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 4
The Pervasive Myth of Maniacal Racism Among America’s Founders
8/12/16
Just how does the perception that America’s Founders were racists affect life in America today? More than you might think. For one thing, the idea that the Framers of the Constitution were ardent racists is pervasive. It also is reinforced often in the black community and in higher education. Yet this idea is a misconception fueled largely by a misunderstanding of—you guessed it—the Three-Fifths Clause in the Constitution of 1787.
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 5
How Black Political Leaders Misrepresent History to Exploit Their Own People
8/19/16
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright, Barak Obama, and others have a track record misrepresenting the Constitution and the intentions of its Framers. These liberals are not leaders, but misleaders. This post explores how their work keeps them in power and how it utterly fails to liberate their people.
The Importance of Getting History Right, Part 6
Affirming the Priceless Contributions of Black Americans to the Cause of Liberty During the Eras of the American Revolution and Reconstruction
We find many black heroes when we study the American Revolution and the Reconstruction Era. This post examines several of them. We can be grateful for their service to America and to the cause of liberty.