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On Lincoln

By dan | January 12, 2013

Amid all the talk about Spielberg’s movie about Lincoln, I thought I’d share the back-story to the movie and sketch out Lincoln’s earlier positions on slavery.

In 1861, Lincoln expressed his belief that slavery was legal and constitutional, and he expressed supported the passage of a Constitutional amendment to clarify that legal position.  In his first inaugural address, Lincoln declared: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.  I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”  He goes on to discuss a proposed 13th amendment to the Constitution, which, in his words, proposed “that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service.”  Lincoln expressed his clear support not just for the legal principal but for the passage of such an amendment. ” To avoid misconstruction of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable.”  Lincoln not only did not support emancipation, he favored enshrining slavery explicitly in the Constitution.

By 1862, Lincoln’s position had evolved slightly.  In his 1862 annual message to Congress, Lincoln advocated the adoption of a plan of gradual emancipation that would take “thirty-seven years” and would be compensated by the delivery of “bonds of the United States.”Lincoln justified his proposal on three grounds: that it would palliate “those who favor perpetual slavery,” that it would bring about peace and prosperity, and that it would improve the wages of white laborers. Lincoln believed that gradual emancipation and compensation would appeal to slave owners because he believed the duration of time and the quality of the compensation would make up their dissatisfaction at losing their slaves.  “The time spares both races from the evils of sudden derangement – in fact, from the necessity of any derangement – while most of those whose habitual course of thought will be disturbed by the measure will have passed away before its consummation,” wrote Lincoln.  The wording of this argument reveals Lincoln’s attitude towards immediate abolition: he saw it as an “evil” and a “derangement” – derangement being a word synonymous with disorder and confusion.  The prospect of the immediate and total liberation of the slaves was not one that Lincoln favored.  As to compensation, Lincoln puts his argument in traditional terms.  “The measure is both just and economical,” Lincoln writes about compensation. “In a certain sense, the liberation of slaves is the destruction of property – property acquired by descent, or by purchase, the same as any other property.”  Lincoln does not challenge the conception of slaves as property, or argue that it is wrong or absurd.  He was sympathetic to the idea.

In May of 1862, Major General David Hunter issued a general order proclaiming “Slavery and martial law in a free country altogether incompatible; the persons in these three States – Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina – heretofore held as slaves, are therefore declared forever free.”  Lincoln revoked this order.  He would later annul other general’s efforts to free slaves in occupied territory or to enlist them in military service.

In January 1863, Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation freeing slaves in all areas of the United States not under the control of the Union Army. Lincoln’s reasons were pragmatic, not idealistic. “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery,” he wrote. “What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.”  Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation freed slaves only in areas not under Union control (i.e. excluding places like New Orleans), and was thus meant as an incentive for the slave owning class to surrender.

I share these earlier positions of Lincoln with the intention of hopefully providing more nuance to idealized portrayal’s of Lincoln in the media.  His position on slavery was a far cry from absolute abolitionism, and his views expressed at the time of the passage of the actual 13th amendment were significantly “evolved” from his earlier positions.

 

Why I write about slavery

By dan | February 25, 2011

A few days ago, I recieved an interesting email through this website.  Debra wrote, “First, honestly and exactly what is your true motivation for having chosen to study slavery in American? Second, what is your religion and the background of your American and European ancestors? Third, should you be unwilling to honestly answer my two aforementioned  questions, I’ll have my answers anyway.  Peace!” 

Debra is not the first to ask this question.  A few weeks ago, Kwaku in New Orleans sent me an email saying, “your efforts are simply the expropriation of the long and hard efforts to usurp and idea and make it palatable to the dominate White Power Structure of Louisiana…. I understand…  just why you were able to get such media coverage, especially from long entities of White Supremacy & Racism like The Times Picayune.”  And in a comment on this blog, Karl writes, “I’m curious about the seeming disconnect about your own privileged station, your elite education, your easy path to success, and the theme of revolt you’re promoting.”

So why am I writing about slavery as a 24-year-old white male born in Washington, DC?  Is there some contradiction or hypocrisy – or as Debra and Kwaku suggest – some hidden agenda in my writing about the heroes of the 1811 revolt?

I don’t think so.  I am a historian interested in American history – in the past of this nation in which I grew up and love.  And I have chosen to write about that history through the lens of slavery, a lens through which the true color and drama and good and evil in this country’s past are brought into sharpest relief.  I believe history shouldn’t be segregated and that, white or black, we are all Americans and should know the truths about our past. 

My favorite movie growing up was Braveheart, and I fell in love with stories of men and women fighting for freedom and justice in the face of great oppression. And when I happened upon the story of the 1811 rebels, I knew I had found the perfect topic to write about – a story of real American heroes whose actions stood as a testament to the best ideals of this country and yet were tortured and executed for their beliefs in those ideals.  I see Charles Deslondes and Kook and Quamana as important figures in American history (not just black history or slave history) who students should learn about just as they learn about Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.  All of these men are part of the story of America, and we cannot understand who we are today without facing those contradictions. Black or white, rich or poor, young or old, I believe these stories matter and that you cannot truly understand our past without reckoning with the politics of the enslaved and with the story of the 1811 revolt. 

I think my generation thinks about these issues differently than our parents generation or their parents generation.  When I think about America, I don’t only think about white politicians, but about the full spectrum of the men and women that made up this country.  And the reality is that much of this country’s wealth was built on slave labor – cotton accounted for the majority of US exports from 1800 through 1935.  Jean-Noel Destrehan noted that without chattel slavery, “cultivation must cease, the improvements of a century be destroyed, and the great river resume its empire over our ruined fields and demolished habitations.”  New Orleans – and the country at large – would not be what it is today without the political, social, and economic contributions of enslaved men and women.

And so I think we need to move past segregated histories, to acknowlege and celebrate the accomplishments of Americans of all hues.  Learning the stories of the martyrs of 1811 and acknowledging their contribution to America is just one small step in that direction.

Thank You – and what you can do to help

By dan | February 22, 2011

I wanted to write and thank you for your wonderful emails and support for my book, American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt. I’ve been so honored and uplifted by your reactions and I could not have imagined a better response. I set out to publish this book with two overriding goals in mind. First, I wanted to put the 1811 revolt on the map, to make sure the revolt was in every textbook and that young people won’t be able to graduate from high school without at least hearing the story of the heroic men who fought and died for liberty on the cane fields turned killing fields of the German Coast. And second, I wanted to change the way we think about slavery and the American past, to remember the bravery of the men and women who not only built this country economically but fought and died for freedom and equality – people whose actions stand as a testament to the best ideals of this country – rather than just feeling ashamed and guilty and thinking of enslaved people as victims. The good news is that the word is getting out and the book and the story are being shared and passed around and I think are making a difference. I wanted to ask all of your help in trying to continue this positive momentum and continue the fight to restore the memory of the 1811 uprising and of its leaders and participants. There are a number of things you could do to help, and I would be really grateful to you for your support:

1) Share the book with your friends, especially friends with the ability to influence others: teachers, writers, and politicians

2) Tell and re-tell the story both in person and online, through blogs and websites and twitter and facebook

3) Review the book on Amazon.com or on other book websites to encourage them to read it and learn this story.

A Re-Trial

By dan | February 9, 2011

group of organizations in New Orleans, led by the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, will be hosting a re-trial of the slave rebels who fought and died for their freedom in 1811.  I wish I was down in New Orleans to see this amazing event!  Congratulations to all the sponsors on bringing this together and check out the attached flyer.

German_Coast_Uprising-Martinet-NewTrial-1A

New York Times Bestseller!

By dan | January 30, 2011

I was thrilled to find American Uprising on the New York Times bestseller list. Thank you to everyone who has bought the book – I’m really thrilled that the story is catching on.

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/hardcover-nonfiction/list.html

PenTales Story Contest

By dan | January 28, 2011

My good friend Stephanie Hodges runs a worldwide salon and education network that promotes the long lost art of storytelling. It’s an incredibly cool idea and a wonderful organization that’s having a real impact. PenTales is sponsoring a writing contest, that I will be judging, on the theme of revolt. If you’re a writer or want to share your stories, I hope you’ll contribute.

http://pentales.com/private/page/5mUM/18711

Story on the Daily Beast website

By dan | January 11, 2011

I published a story on the Daily Beast website about the 1811 revolt today.  In my next post, details of my trip down to New Orleans…

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-09/new-orleans-forgotten-slave-revolt-by-dan-rasmussen-american-uprising-author/?cid=topic:mainpromo1

Two hundred years ago today, three slaves gathered in a small rundown cabin on a plantation about thirty miles upriver from New Orleans.   Charles Deslondes was the son of an enslaved woman and a French planter; Harry Kenner an unassuming 25-year-old carpenter; and Quamana a warrior captured in the militant Asante kingdom and imported to Louisiana. 

On January 8, 1811 these three brave men, along with eight other slave leaders, launched the largest slave revolt in American history, rallying an army of near 500 slaves to fight and die for freedom.  No slave revolt – not Nat Turner, not John Brown – has rivaled the great New Orleans slave revolt of 1811 either in terms of the number of participants or the number of slaves slaughtered in the aftermath. 

The revolt was meticulously planned, politically sophisticated, and ethnically diverse – and a fundamental challenge to the system of plantation slavery.  Dressed in military uniforms and chanting “On to New Orleans,” they rallied a rugged army of around 500 slaves to attempt to conquer the city, kill all its white inhabitants, and establish a black republic on the shores of the Mississippi.

In a dramatic battle in the cane fields, the slave army faced off against the twin forces of the American military and a hastily-assembled planter milita.  “The blacks were not intimidated by this army and formed themselves in line and fired for as long as they had ammunition,” wrote one observer. But the slaves’ ammunition did not last long, and the battle was brief.  Soon the planter militia broke the slave line and the slaughter began. 

The planters, supported by the American military, captured Charles Deslondes, chopped off his hands, broke his thighs, and then roasted him on a pile of straw.  Over the next few days, they executed and beheaded over 100 slaves, putting their heads on poles and dangling their dismembered corpses from the gates of New Orleans.  “Their Heads, which decorate our Levee, all the way up the coast…  look like crows sitting on long poles,” wrote one traveler.  The rotting corpses were grim reminders of who owned who – and just exactly where power resided.

The American officials and French planters  then sought to cover up the true story of the revolt, to dismiss the bold actions of the slave army as irrelevant and trivial, and write this massive uprising out of the record books.  They succeeded.  And, in doing so, they laid the groundwork for one of the most remarkable moments of historical amnesia in our national memory

The revolutionaries of 1811 were heroes who deserve a place in our national memory.  Their actions are a testament to the strength of the ideals of freedom and equality – and every man’s equal claim to those basic rights.  Their acts are an inspiration to all people who strive for freedom.  Today, on the 200th anniversary of the start of this great revolt, we must listen to their voices and study their stories, for only through understanding the passions and beliefs that resonated through the slave quarters can we begin to comprehend the true history of Louisiana, and with it, the nation.

Blog Reviews

By dan | January 6, 2011

American Uprising has been getting a lot of attention on various blogs, and I wanted to share a few of my favorite reviews:

““Rasmussen writes with a youthful enthusiasm and is very passionate about this material, and it shows. His detailed descriptions of life during that time, garnered from very thorough research, put the reader in the center of the action and it’s hard to put the book down…a riveting, empowering account of one of American history’s best kept secrets, told through the eye of a promising young historian whose desire set the record straight makes for a compelling and informative read.”
 –The Grio
“This riveting book will keep you glued to your chair from start to finish….  It is non-fiction but reads like a suspense novel”

Sunday Salon

American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt, by Daniel Rasmussen is one of those books that once again brings into sharp relief just how much the stories we accept as history are crafted for the benefit of whomever is doing the telling, and that they have an intended audience.  History is not innocent, it is served up with a particular purpose in mind.  American Uprising focuses on a slave revolt planned by Akan warriors Kook and Quamana, and biracial slave driver Charles Deslondes which took place January 1811 just outside of New Orleans.  Despite the unprecedented magnitude of the revolt and evidence that the organizers intended for it to have far-reaching political consequences, the uprising was purposefully classed as run of the mill criminal activity, defanged and largely forgotten for two hundred years.  The much smaller, and in some ways less scary rebellions, of Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey and John Brown  are widely  known, their details widely studied and disseminated.”

Linus Blanket

“American Uprising is engaging and well-researched…  [American Uprising] offers a much-needed contribution to scholarship in this field. As Rasmussen notes in his concluding remarks, Kook, Quamana, and Charles Deslondes are not names that people see on landmarks in and around New Orleans, nor are they names that people can easily find in history books. Because history is written by the victors, the revolt has been largely obscured until now. The publishing of American Uprising is a big step towards correcting this erasure.”

Postbourgie

“ A highly readable 200 pages, American Uprising provides a solid general background on a shameful chapter on American history.  The details and documentation that would have provided the information necessary for a book length account of this slave revolt are lost to history, but Mr. Rasmussen has done a good job rescuing this story and bringing it to our attention.  I think it would make a fine addition to any tenth grade history class.”

Ready When You Are, C.B.

“Fortunately for those of us who want to know as much as we can about American history—good and bad—historian Daniel Rasmussen uses extensive original research and superb narrative skill to vividly recount what happened in American Uprising. Beyond the story of approximately 500 men who yearned to be free and were willing to put their lives on the line to achieve it, Rasmussen’s book is about the expansion of the United States and how greed and power worked to distort America’s highest ideals….  American Uprising is certainly difficult to read in places because of the grim nature of the subject, but anyone interested in slavery in the U.S. or in the history of our country will find it illuminating as we strive to better understand our past.”

Bookpage.com

Op-Ed in the New Orleans Times-Picayune

By dan | January 4, 2011

I have an opinion piece in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Check it out:
http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2011/01/1811_slave_revolt_cant_be_forg.html

Two hundred years ago this Saturday, the city of New Orleans faced one of the greatest crises in its history. “All were on alert,” wrote Commodore John Shaw. “General confusion and dismay … prevailed throughout the city.” The American governor of the territory wrote that all he could do was pray.

At the western gates, guards reported a stream of terrified refugees, describing a road “crowded with carriage and carts full of people, making their escape from the ravages of the banditti.” The men that threatened New Orleans were no mere bandits, however.

They were slave rebels. And they intended to conquer New Orleans and establish a black republic on the shores of the Mississippi.

In January 1811, a slave army, 500 strong, mounted the largest single act of slave resistance in American history; a revolt several times the magnitude of the uprisings led by Nat Turner or John Brown. Led by 11 men representing different ethnic groups, the army demonstrated not only an ability to organize in the face of severe oppression, but also a remarkable level of political sophistication. The rebels marched in military formation, dressed in military uniform, and came within 15 miles of conquering New Orleans.

Yet the story of these rebels is all but forgotten, even in the New Orleans area. While the names of the sugar planters who suppressed the revolt are enshrined throughout the region, a small plaque across from a fast-food joint in Norco is the only marker of this moment in American history.

The planter leaders of old New Orleans, men like Jean-Noel Destrehan and William Kenner, and the American government, led by William Claiborne, succeeded in crushing the revolt — and then in mostly writing it out of history.

The American military and a hastily assembled planter militia caught the rebels on a plantation on the site of Louis Armstrong International Airport. The rebels formed a firing line and discharged their muskets at the planter militia. But they soon ran out of ammunition, and the planters broke through their their line. What followed was a massacre.

The planter militias pursued the rebels into the cypress swamps, shooting them, hacking them up with axes, and then collecting their heads as trophies. They mounted between 40 and 60 rebels’ heads on poles that they posted on River Road north of New Orleans for 40 miles. Court trials would lead to the death of 29 more rebels, some of whose bodies were dangled from the gates of the city and exposed in what is now Jackson Square.

In letters and newspaper accounts, the white elite of New Orleans played down the massive uprising and its brutal suppression — claiming that it was nothing more than banditry. In doing so, they laid the groundwork for one of the most significant moments of collective amnesia in American popular consciousness.

It’s time that changed.

Private citizens have taken the first steps. Leon Waters leads tours along River Road, pointing out the sites of the 1811 revolt. The Destrehan Plantation has devoted a slave cabin to art and information about the uprising.

And on the 200th anniversary, the Historic New Orleans Collection and various other local societies are hosting talks and lectures on the revolt. But this is not enough.
Local governments and the National Park Service should work together to erect monuments and informational kiosks along River Road where the rebel army marched. Boston’s Freedom Trail, which links 16 historical sites from the American Revolution, serves as a perfect example for how a city can celebrate its past.

We should not shrink from the memory of the 1811 uprising. The slaves who fought and died in the cane fields represent the best of America – they fought and died for their rights to freedom and equality.

And the political sophistication and heroism they demonstrated serves as a testament to man’s love of liberty and resistance to oppression.

Daniel Rasmussen is the author of “American Uprising; The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt” (Harper, 2011). He lives in Boston. Contact him at www.danrasmussen.net.

American Uprising Debuts Today

By dan | January 4, 2011

Today is the publication date for American Uprising. I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally have the book on sale. You can buy it anywhere books are sold and through the links on this website.

I hope that this book will help change the way we think about American slavery by emphasizing the heroism, sophistication, and political organization of the men and women that resisted slavery. Despite tremendous brutality and oppression, the revolutionaries of 1811 fought and died for their freedom and left us with the legacy of their courageous battle. I hope that my book will make the story of the 1811 slave revolt a central one in the history of slave resistance, and that every history textbook and scholarly work on slavery will discuss and deal with Charles Deslondes, Kook, Quamana, and the many other rebel slaves of the German Coast.

I hope you will enjoy the book!

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