What did British officers think of the American civil war as it was happening?

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by tptacek on Saturday May 21, 2022 @12:39AM (#31455273)

"Seriously", "you're citing a 19th century weirdo against over a century of historical research on the treatment of slaves, virtually all of which repudiates that weirdo", comma, "gross".

Further, "I'm not a proponent of slavery" is a sequence of words that loses a lot of its power when it follows a direct assertion that people may have been better off under slavery, as not only Nehemiah Adams believed, but you, from your own comment, also seem to as well?

"Black slave families were closer and more stable(parental seperation rates) than they are now". Gross! The principle of charity is a thing, but there are limits to charity.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by piethesailorman on Saturday May 21, 2022 @01:24AM (#31455456)

So your big criticisim of Nehemiah is that he is 1. He is a weirdo? 2. I can list more names who think as I do than I can count to the contrary?

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by tptacek on Saturday May 21, 2022 @01:30AM (#31455489)

No, I think my criticism has more to do with the fact that Adams felt like the antebellum south was much to be admired for keeping its negroes off the street at night, much as advocates for the south apparently (here's those pesky historians again) were happy to point out the low rates of rape and sexual assault against white women in the south --- who, after all, would risk imprisonment assaulting a white woman, when there were so many Black slaves that could be raped without consequence. Family stability. Alabama forbade the sale of enslaved children without their mother --- until they reached 5 years of age.

Nehemiah Adams? Really? Gross.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by tptacek on Saturday May 21, 2022 @01:54AM (#31455601)

... of white slave owners raping Black slaves? That's your comeback?

Are you sure you want to keep talking about this?

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by tptacek on Saturday May 21, 2022 @01:53AM (#31455595)

It happened so often that Alabama had a law forbidding the sale of children before the age of 5.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by piethesailorman on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:07AM (#31455656)

Give me a literal number. It's a Class B misdemeanor to sell, barter, or offer the fur of a domestic dog or cat. Does that happen regularly? Your conflating that it happened. A law was put in the books. And so it must happen every day? Or maybe it happens enough to make you ucomfortable? I agreed that it happened. I nnever said that its not possible it happened multiple times. Your implicitly suggesting that this was a regular and normal occurance. Show me litteral numbers

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by tptacek on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:10AM (#31455671)

Unfortunately, hard numbers are impossible to quantify, although rough estimates can be made based on what records do exist, as well as memoirs, diaries, and other such sources. Much of the most compelling evidence comes from recollections offered after slavery, when the formerly enslaved were able to give some voice. In Mississippi, for example, former enslaved persons registering marriages with the Union authorities in 1864-65 provides information to the clergy about their previous marital status. Over 8,000 black persons registered marriages in the period, and 17.4 percent of them included that they had been married before, and had it broken up by sale. Specifically of those who had been previously married, 40.8 percent stated that force has been the reason for its end. Other similar records bear out similar numbers, reflecting roughly ⅓ of enslaved marriages ended forcibly by white owners breaking apart the couple.

But sure. Family stability. A virtue of slavery.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by nl on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:29AM (#31455739)

You realise that single parenthood is a choice (I'm a single parent by choice), whereas having your family separated under slavery is not, right?

The comparison should be prevalence of kidnapping in modern times vs family separation under slavery.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by piethesailorman on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:35AM (#31455767)

An interesting point that makes me stpo and think for a moment However, are you saying all single parents choose to be single parents? Do you speak for all single parents? My mother left my father to handle myself and siblings. I can tell you he didnt choose to be left behind.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by nl on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:40AM (#31455787)

> My mother left my father to handle myself and siblings. I can tell you he didnt choose to be left behind.

It was a choice made by a private citizen to choose their own autonomy.

That's very different to a choice made by one person on the life of another, enforced by the power of the state.

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Re:What did British officers think of the American civil war... by piethesailorman on Saturday May 21, 2022 @02:37AM (#31455772)

Didnt mean to send yet. Your last point is excellent though! I agree

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