The promise of forty acres and a mule was erased — the dream of land and liberty undone by a pen. ✒️
#Reconstruction #CivilWar #FortyAcresAndAMule #EricFoner #BlackHistory
The promise of forty acres and a mule was erased — the dream of land and liberty undone by a pen. ✒️
#Reconstruction #CivilWar #FortyAcresAndAMule #EricFoner #BlackHistory
> “He says he will give the freedmen protection, land, and schools, as far and as fast as he can.”
> “He says he will give the freedmen protection, land, and schools, as far and as fast as he can.”
> “Dey promised us a mule an’ forty acres o’ lan’…
They should have give us part of Maser’s land as us poor old slaves made what our Masers had.”
A Northern Republican later wrote:
> “The laws of contract are the foundation of civilization.”
> “Dey promised us a mule an’ forty acres o’ lan’…
They should have give us part of Maser’s land as us poor old slaves made what our Masers had.”
A Northern Republican later wrote:
> “The laws of contract are the foundation of civilization.”
> “General, we want Homesteads. We were promised Homesteads by the government…
You ask us to forgive the landowners of our island...
The man who tied me to a tree and gave me 39 lashes — that man, I cannot well forgive.”
> “General, we want Homesteads. We were promised Homesteads by the government…
You ask us to forgive the landowners of our island...
The man who tied me to a tree and gave me 39 lashes — that man, I cannot well forgive.”
A Kentucky newspaper was even blunter:
> “The former slave must be taught that he is free — but free only to labor.”
A Kentucky newspaper was even blunter:
> “The former slave must be taught that he is free — but free only to labor.”
After emancipation, Southern planters redefined “freedom” to preserve control. Refusing to sell land to freedpeople, they sought to make liberty conditional on labor.
One Mississippi planter wrote bitterly:
After emancipation, Southern planters redefined “freedom” to preserve control. Refusing to sell land to freedpeople, they sought to make liberty conditional on labor.
One Mississippi planter wrote bitterly: