The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI just discovered my great(4) grandfather was against slavery in 1796
St. George Tucker wrote:
"Whilst America hath been the land of promise to Europeans, and their descendants, it hath been the vale of death to millions of the wretched sons of Africa. . .Whilst we were offering up vows at the shrine of Liberty. . .whilst we swore irreconcilable hostility to her enemies. . .whilst we adjured the God of Hosts to witness our resolution to live free or die. . .we were imposing on our fellow men, who differ in complexion from us, a slavery, ten thousand times more cruel than the utmost extremity of those grievances and oppressions, of which we complained."
"Civil rights, as we may remember, are reducible to three primary heads; the right of personal security; the right of personal liberty; and the right of private property. In a state of slavery, the two last are wholly abolished, the person of the slave being at the absolute disposal of his master; and property, what he is incapable, in that state, either of acquiring, or holding, in his own use. Hence, it will appear how perfectly irreconcilable a state of slavery is to the principles of a democracy, which form the basis and foundation of our government."
I had some pretty cool ancestors.
On the other hand my great(2) grandfather, his grandson, Beverly Tucker, was accused of conspiring with John Wilkes Boothe on Lincoln's assassination and escaped to Mexico.
Hmmm.
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,685 posts)was the nascent but growing abolitionist movement in England at the end of the 1700's. It was abolished throughout the empire much earlier than in the US.
AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)LiberalLoner
(9,762 posts)Discovered Alexander Hamilton was my 4th great Uncle and I am descended from Mary, Queen of Scots, William the Conqueror, King Charlamagne and a long list of other aristocracy. My husband is jokingly calling me "Princess" now.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Hit a wall though and have been busy so I've put it aside for a few weeks. I was able to get information on my maternal grandfather's family going way back to the 2nd century. They were some lively characters that's for sure.
MiddleFingerMom
(25,163 posts).
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... was a relatively notorious Old West outlaw and that my great-grandparents on her
side overcame the prejudice and hatred many English and Irish STILL have for each
other, fell in love and got married.
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I've always thought those two must have been really cool people who I would like to
have met -- and I'm glad I have a part of them in me.
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