Interpretive sign at national African-American Museum in DC. Title: slavery shapes America. Content: the lives and labor of enslaved African-Americans transformed the United States into a world power. Yet they received no recognition or payment for what they created. By 1864 million enslaved people produced well over 60% of the nations wealth, and the slave trade value them at $2.7 billion. Selling an enslaved person provided ready cash, explaining in part why roughly 600,000 people were sold in the domestic slave trade. This domestic wealth in human form affected the entire nation.
Interpretive sign at African-American museum on economic values in slavery example. $250,000,000--Value of cotton produced by enslaved African-Americans in 1861 $3,059,000,000--Value assigned to enslaved African-Americans in 1860
Yesterday, w/phone pinging jarring updates of Nikki Haley's blindness to slavery, I walked DC's NMAAHC, witnessing proof after proof--that for 400 yrs+counting, from our very start, slavery indelibly shaped and continues to shape America. Nikki, wanna go on a field trip? #NikkiQuestions #history101
