Juneteenth celebrates a great achievement. Slavery had existed for thousands of year in pretty much every culture in the world. But a few brave and lonely voices began to challenge it in the 1700s and within a century—almost a blink of an eye in historical time—it had been eliminated in the civilized parts of the world. For Americans, June 19, 1865 is a day of honor.
Related: “The Stain of Slavery,” in my Open College podcast series: The decline of slavery as a moral achievement // History: Slavery practiced everywhere before modernity // The internal African slave society and trades // The Atlantic trade and where the slaves went // Early American anti-slavery voices // Wilberforce and the British // The French // The lesson of anti-slavery history: steps but not automatic, the Humanism and the Enlightenment // Does religion get credit? // Contemporary battles over slavery’s legacy // Methodological individualism in apportioning blame and credit.
Ayn Rand said that it was the worst kind of collectivist evil for people to be judged by their collectivist genetic heritage rather than their character and deeds. Her sentiment applies to all people who should be judged by their character and deeds. In order to survive and flourish in a democracy we all need basic rights guaranteed as a check on government. The rights of many people are currently being eroded.
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