I: Introduction — Debunking the “Curse of Ham” (REVISED 1894)
But some disagreement on the race of ancient Egyptians.
“This Biblical story has been the single greatest justification for Black slavery for more than a thousand years. It is a strange justification indeed, for there is no reference in it to Blacks at all. And yet just about everyone, especially in the antebellum American South, understood that in this story God meant to curse black Africans with eternal slavery, the so-called Curse of Ham. As one proslavery author wrote in 1838, ‘The blacks were originally designed to vassalage by the Patriarch Noah.’” — David M. Goldenberg, The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (2003).
Fusionists (Republicans and Populists) won both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1894, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) was formed in Nashville, Tennessee to, in their words, “tell of the glorious fight against the greatest odds a nation ever faced, that their hallowed memory should never die.”
In Catawba County, Commissioners “called on nearby owners of Bunker Hill Farm to build and maintain a bridge that would cross Lyle’s Creek on the old Island Ford Road, a former Native American trail. The landowners hired [Andrew] Ramsour…” to build that bridge.
A School History of the Negro Race in the United States (1894) represents a different kind of bridge, between a formerly enslaved Black lawyer and the former Confederate Quartermaster and Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina. The Introduction (Chapter I) to this 1894 revision suggests some disagreement on the race of ancient Egyptians but a shared commitment, with some limits, to debunking the Biblical “Curse of Ham” as a justification for slavery.
Deltas in Chapter I: Introduction (7-8 pages) — based on a comparison of Johnson’s original (1890) text and the Finger-supervised revision (1894), the text added in the latter is formatted in bold below, while text in the former which is missing from the latter is formatted in s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶. Text in the latter that is unchanged from the former has no special formatting below or is, for the most part, not included.
The Origin of the Negro is definitely known. Some very wise men
,̶ ̶w̶r̶i̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶u̶i̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶j̶u̶d̶i̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶e̶r̶s̶,̶ have endeavored to assign the race to a separate creation and deny its kindred with Adam and Eve. But historical records prove the Negro as ancient as the most ancient races. -̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶5̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶m̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶N̶e̶g̶r̶o̶ ̶r̶a̶c̶e̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶y̶r̶a̶m̶i̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶E̶g̶y̶p̶t̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶e̶m̶p̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶N̶i̶l̶e̶,̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶e̶i̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶u̶i̶l̶t̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶N̶e̶g̶r̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶c̶l̶o̶s̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶r̶e̶l̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶.̶ ̶A̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶c̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶n̶c̶i̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶G̶r̶e̶e̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶R̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶e̶p̶a̶r̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶,̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶c̶e̶n̶d̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶o̶w̶e̶r̶f̶u̶l̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶e̶a̶r̶t̶h̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶P̶h̶a̶r̶a̶o̶h̶s̶.̶ History, traced from the flood, makes the three sons of Noah — Ham, Shem, and Japheth — the progenitors of the three primitive races of the earth. The Mongolian descended from Shem and settled in Southern and Eastern Asia; the Caucasian descended from Japheth and settled in Europe; the Ethiopian descended from Ham and settled in Africa and adjacent countries. From Ham u̶n̶d̶o̶u̶b̶t̶e̶d̶l̶y̶ sprang the Egyptians, who, probably in honor of Ham, their great head, named their principal god Hammon or Ammon. While it is generally agreed that the Negroes sprang from Ham, his descendants were not all black people. The color of the ancient Egyptians ranged from olive to dark brown, and in their features they seem as nearly related to the Caucasian as to the Negro type.Ham was the father of Canaan, from whom descended the powerful Canaanites so troublesome to the Jews. Cush, the oldest son of Ham, was the father of Nimrod, “the mighty one in the earth” and founder of the Babylonian Empire. Nimrod’s son built the unrivalled City of Nineveh in the picturesque valley of the Tigris. U̶n̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ According to the Bible statement b̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶l̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ,“God created of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth,̶.” a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶t̶o̶r̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ It will, therefore, be seen that the origin of the Negro is high enough to merit his proudest boasts of the past, and arouse his grandest hopes for the future.
T̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶s̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶f̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶u̶l̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶g̶y̶p̶t̶i̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶m̶p̶i̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶B̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶h̶e̶c̶y̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶G̶o̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶h̶i̶p̶p̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶d̶o̶l̶s̶.̶That the Africans were were once a Great People is shown by their natural love for the fine arts. They are poetic by nature, and national airs sung long ago by exploring parties in Central Africa are still held by t̶h̶e̶m̶the Africans, and strike the ears of more modern travellers with joy and surprise.
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Their Wonderful regard for truth and virtue is surprising, and fixes a great gulf between them and other savage peoples. They learn readily, and, unfortunately, it is too often the case that evil teaching is given them by the traders who frequent their country w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶b̶u̶n̶d̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶r̶u̶m̶,̶ ̶m̶o̶u̶t̶h̶s̶ ̶f̶u̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶u̶r̶s̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶b̶a̶d̶ ̶E̶n̶g̶l̶i̶s̶h̶.
Long Years Spent in the most debilitating climate on earth and violation of divine law, made the African what he was when the slave trade commenced in the i6th century. But his condition was not so bad that he could not be made a good citizen. N̶a̶y̶,̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶e̶r̶i̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶c̶i̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶s̶a̶v̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶B̶r̶i̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶m̶ ̶C̶a̶e̶s̶a̶r̶ ̶f̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶E̶n̶g̶l̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶c̶r̶i̶b̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶u̶n̶f̶i̶t̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶t̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶o̶m̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶m̶p̶i̶r̶e̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶B̶r̶i̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶e̶i̶g̶h̶t̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶c̶e̶n̶t̶u̶r̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶N̶e̶g̶r̶o̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶w̶e̶n̶t̶y̶-̶f̶i̶x̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶.̶ ̶L̶e̶t̶ ̶u̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶i̶g̶h̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶g̶r̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶e̶s̶.̶
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EXTRACT FROM AN ACCOUNT OF AFRICAN WOMEN BY MRS. FRANK SHELDON, A NOTED AFRICAN EXPLORER.
“In many of these villages (meaning African villages) the people wore not a shred of clothing, and yet their manner was such, their perfect unconsciousness so great that it was impossible to take offense for they had none among themselves. I made some inquiries and found that their code of morals was perfect, and that licentiousness as we know it does not exist. To be sure some of them practice polygamy, but the husbands and their wives live, according to their laws, in a perfectly pure state of domestic happiness. One of the most impressive lessons I think I received in that country was that of the purity of the morals of these uncontaminated people, and I wonder if it is true that those whom I call the naturals are after all the only virtuous people, taking them right through and through, that are to be found.” — Mrs. Frank Sheldon.
THE CURSE OF NOAH WAS NOT DIVINE !
The following passage of Scripture has been much quoted as an argument to prove the origin and inferiority of the Negro race. T̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶v̶i̶l̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶q̶u̶o̶t̶e̶ ̶s̶c̶r̶i̶p̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶r̶e̶c̶t̶l̶y̶:̶ ̶ “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: and he drank of the wine, and was drunken and was uncovered in his tent, and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without, and Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father ; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness, and Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him, and he said. Cursed be Canaan ; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said : Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant.”
After the flood Noah’s special mission as a preacher to the people was over. He so recognized it himself, and settled himself down with his family on a vineyard. He got drunk of the wine he made.,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶g̶r̶a̶c̶e̶f̶u̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶n̶a̶k̶e̶d̶n̶e̶s̶s̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶w̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶r̶u̶n̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶o̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶H̶a̶m̶’̶s̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶s̶,̶ ̶h̶e̶,̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶r̶a̶g̶e̶,̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶a̶k̶s̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶C̶a̶n̶n̶a̶n̶,̶ ̶H̶a̶m̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶.̶ ̶H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶e̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶e̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶n̶a̶t̶u̶r̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶a̶k̶.̶ ̶T̶o̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶u̶t̶t̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶G̶o̶d̶’̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶s̶t̶r̶o̶s̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶-̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶r̶a̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶c̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶h̶e̶c̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶f̶a̶n̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶p̶s̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶G̶o̶d̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶a̶k̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶u̶t̶h̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶r̶u̶n̶k̶a̶r̶d̶,̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶H̶o̶l̶y̶ ̶W̶r̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶g̶d̶o̶m̶.̶ A drunken prophet strikes the mind with ridicule! Yet, such was Noah then, if a prophet at all, and such the character of that prophet whom biased minds have chosen as the expounder of a curse on the Negro race. It is not strange that so few people have championed the curse theory of the race, when we think that in so doing they must at the same time endorse Noah’s d̶r̶u̶n̶k̶e̶d̶n̶e̶s̶s̶wickedness.
But, aside from this, the so-called prophecy of Noah has not become true. The best evidence of a prophecy is its fulfillment. Canaan’s decendants have often conquered, though Noah seemed to prophesy that s̶a̶i̶d̶ they would not. Goodrich makes the Canaanites, so powerful in the fortified cities of Ai and Jericho, the direct descendants of Canaan. They were among the most powerful people of olden times. They and their kindred built up Egypt, Phoenicia, the mother of the alphabet, and Nineveh and Babylon, the two most wonderful of ancient cities. The Jews, God’s chosen people, were enslaved by the kindred of Canaan both in Egypt and Babylon. Melchizedek (King of Righteousness), a sacred character of the Old Testament, was a Canaanite. So, rather than being a race of slaves, as Noah seemed to predicte̶d̶, the Canaanitish people have been a great t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶s̶t̶ people o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶a̶r̶t̶h̶. The great nations of antiquity were in and around Eastern Africa and Western Asia,̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶c̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶M̶o̶u̶n̶t̶ ̶A̶r̶a̶r̶a̶t̶,̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶k̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶f̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶l̶o̶o̶d̶. These nations sprang from the four sonsof Ham — Cush, Mizarim, Phut and Canaan. The Cushites were Ethiopians, who lived in Abyssinia. The Mizarimites were Egyptians, who lived in Egypt, and were so distinguished for greatness. The Canaanites occupied the country including Tyre and Sidon and stretching down into Arabia as far as Gaza and including the province of the renowned Queen of Sheba.
I̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶u̶r̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶N̶e̶g̶r̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶l̶t̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶u̶m̶m̶e̶r̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶u̶n̶.̶ ̶We contend,̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶s̶,̶ that Noah did not utter a prophecy when he spoke to Canaan,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶o̶f̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶q̶u̶o̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶t̶o̶r̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶a̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶h̶e̶c̶y̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶f̶u̶l̶f̶i̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ as quoted above from the Scriptures. W̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶d̶d̶,̶ ̶f̶u̶r̶t̶h̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶e̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶h̶e̶c̶y̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶f̶e̶r̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶l̶e̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶S̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶J̶a̶p̶h̶e̶t̶h̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶l̶l̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶i̶f̶i̶c̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶c̶e̶n̶d̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶w̶o̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶a̶g̶e̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶e̶n̶s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶d̶.̶ It seems hardly necessary in this age of enlightenment to refer to the Curse Theory argued so persistently, but still there are those who yet believe it.
I̶t̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶d̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶e̶c̶e̶s̶s̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶e̶n̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶e̶n̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶f̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶u̶r̶s̶e̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶g̶u̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶i̶s̶t̶e̶n̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶r̶g̶u̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶p̶o̶l̶o̶g̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶-̶d̶o̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶y̶e̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶t̶,̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶o̶r̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶b̶l̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶j̶u̶d̶i̶c̶e̶.̶The Color Theory was also quite popular formerly as an argument in support of the curse of Noah. We hold that the color of the race is due to climatic influences, and in support of this view we quote r̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶q̶u̶o̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶in reference to Africa : “As we go westward we observe the light color predominating over the dark : and then, again, when wecome within the influence of the damp from the sea air, we find the shade deepened into the general blackness of the coast population.”
“̶I̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶B̶i̶s̶e̶a̶g̶a̶n̶ ̶w̶o̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶i̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶h̶a̶b̶i̶t̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶G̶r̶a̶n̶a̶d̶a̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶a̶r̶y̶,̶ ̶d̶a̶r̶k̶,̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶x̶t̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶g̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶(̶W̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶E̶u̶r̶o̶p̶e̶)̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶t̶u̶r̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶e̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶V̶i̶r̶g̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶s̶a̶i̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶i̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶o̶r̶.̶”̶
B̶l̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶r̶k̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶r̶o̶a̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶W̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶
̶I̶n̶d̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶i̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶r̶e̶s̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶v̶i̶l̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶I̶n̶d̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶”̶p̶a̶l̶e̶f̶a̶c̶e̶”̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶a̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶A̶f̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶.̶ ̶P̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶e̶d̶u̶c̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶s̶c̶r̶i̶b̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶r̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶t̶u̶r̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶d̶s̶.̶ ̶G̶o̶d̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶g̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶p̶h̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶t̶u̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶v̶i̶l̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶r̶e̶s̶e̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶l̶a̶c̶k̶.̶There are five distinct types of races. The Caucasian is white; the Mongolian, yellow; the Malay, brown; the American Indian, red; and the Ethiopian, black. The wisest of men have always been puzzled to account for these different colors of the races of mankind, all from the same common ancestry. Those who hold to the curse theory to explain the blackness of the Negro might be embarrassed if asked to account for the distinct colors of the other races. They would not find in the Bible any similar curse by which to account for the other colors, and they would not be able in any way to connect the other races with Canaan and so make Noah’s supposed curse account for the colors. It would seem that no better explanation can be given than climatic influences and habits of life.
Contents (REVISED 1894):
Preface
1. Introduction. (this post)
II. General View of Slavery in the World. — a whole new chapter for the 1894 edition, and it’s a doozey!
III. Beginning of Slavery in the Colonies.
…
XVI. Frederick Douglass. — “̶H̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶q̶u̶o̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶e̶s̶m̶a̶n̶.̶”̶
…
XX. Examples of Underground Work.
XXI. The Slave Population of 1860.
XXII. The Civil War T̶h̶e̶ ̶W̶a̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶e̶b̶e̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶ — what’s in a name?
…
X̶X̶X̶I̶V̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶F̶r̶e̶e̶ ̶P̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶C̶o̶l̶o̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶N̶o̶r̶t̶h̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶o̶l̶i̶n̶a̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶e̶v̶.̶ ̶J̶o̶h̶n̶ ̶S̶[̶i̶n̶c̶l̶a̶i̶r̶]̶ ̶L̶e̶a̶r̶y̶. — Hmmm, a deleted chapter — was it something John said? Or perhaps something his brother did?
XXXV. Conclusion
Tschüss!
— Wilhelm
