Implications on Modern Day America By Forgetting Our History

After Emancipation, one of the biggest challenges was the search for lost ones, with families looking for each other after being separated during slavery. Most did not find relatives. Up until the 1890’s, many African American newspapers published “lost ones” columns. Frederick Douglass notes in the documents specifically his separation from his mom and his inability to remember her as they were forced apart when he was a child. The institution of slavery stole Douglass’ family from him and the sense of humanity that comes from family. In 1900’s, lynching and a reduction of political rights through Jim Crow were ravaging the South. By being subjected to constant fear and violence, African Americans found strength in family and community as a way to look out for each other (Remembering Jim Crow) This does not, however; mean in any way that the family was more stable and better off than in modern America. Even though the 1900’s are after slavery and the 1860 date mentioned in the preamble, I argue that it still applies as African Americans were still facing the consequences of slavery and inhumane treatment.
After slavery had ended and the Freedom Generation began, newly freed African Americans had to gather up the pieces of their identity through family, self-reliance, the church, and education. African Americans were finally able to marry, which was illegal before. Many former slaves also changed their name to be representative of their family and their freedom from slavery. Self-reliance also led to the creating of nuclear families that were impossible to create during slavery due to the institution.
So after all of this historical information available, what was Bachmann’s response to questions about her signing it? One defense of the signing was that the preamble is not in the 14-point candidate vow, which makes no reference to slavery. This is true, however; as pointed out in “Keeping Them Honest”, the complete pledge is only 4 pages. The statement about slavery is at the top of the fourth page. It is the first thing mentioned in the document, in fact. The article also notes another quote from Bachmann that states, “We know there was slavery that was still tolerated when the nation began. We know that was evil. And it was a scourge and a blot and a stain upon our history. But we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States. And I think it is high time that we recognize the contribution of our forbearers who worked tirelessly, men like John Quincy Adams, who would not rest until slavery was extinguished in the country (Anderson Cooper Transcript, 2011).” Firstly, John Quincy Adams was not a “Founding Father” and secondly, many founding fathers owned slaves and profited greatly from the institution of slavery. I would also argue that her language, calling slavery a “blot and a stain upon our history” to be a gross understatement. It is time we hold all politicians to a correct and fully accurate version of history. If politicians cannot give an accurate account of our own country’s history, no matter how big of a “stain upon our history” something is, how can they be expected to represent our nation without learning from the past?
Although the preamble was taken out of the vow eventually, the Family Leader group has yet to recognize that it is historically wrong. They have simply deemed it to be “misconstrued” and not incorrect. The commodification of African Americans systematic destruction of family identification makes the preamble statement beyond incorrect, but completely ignorant, no matter your political party preference. As put by Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy at the NAACP, “To say that the conditions of African Americans are living under today are somehow worse than the conditions under slavery ignores the factual reality that they were bred to be sold…It’s certainly a misrepresentation of our nation’s history and the horrors of slavery (Politico, “Bachmann Signs Pledge with Questionable Slavery Reference”).”