#Norfolkburningof

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American Independence Founded On Lies

The story of American Independence is a far more nuanced one than most folk know. It was not all about a battle for freedom for the ‘hard done by’ colonists against the mighty British Empire. American Independence founded on lies is not too far from the truth when examining the southern slaver colonies like Virginia. Thomas Jefferson and his white slaver rebels burned the city of Norfolk to prevent it falling into the hands of emancipated African American slaves. The British were interested in abolishing slavery and had put limits on further expansion into Indian territories in North America. This did not sit well with white plantation families in the American colonies. Settlers in the New World, more generally, were motivated to enrich themselves no matter the cost to enslaved people and Indigenous populations. “The Somerset case of 1772 ruled that slavery was illegal in England, calling into question the right of slave owners to hold jurisdiction over slaves brought to England. In the Zong case of 1781 the owners of a British slave ship sought compensation for the loss of cargo, when over a hundred enslaved Africans were thrown overboard. Both these landmark cases had been backed by the theologian, Granville Sharp, who became a key member of the abolitionist movement.” - (https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/tradeindustry/slavetrade/overview/abolition-campaign-the-arguements/#:~:text=TheSomersetcaseof1772,overslavesbroughttoEngland.)

The American Revolution Was A White Enslaver Rebellion

In the great tradition of putting the most positive spin on events American historians have promulgated what the Virginians were falsely claiming that Lord Dunmore  burned Norfolk. This is a lie. Norfolk was burned by patriots but most Americans have been schooled to blame the British. “Virginia’s tobacco elite was reluctant to go to war with Britain but outraged at this threat to their human property. Dunmore fled the capital to build a stronghold in the colony’s largest city, the port of Norfolk. As enslaved people flocked to his camp, skirmishes broke out. “Lord Dunmore has commenced hostilities in Virginia,” wrote Thomas Jefferson. “It has raised our countrymen into a perfect frenzy.” With a patriot army marching on Norfolk, the royal governor freed those enslaved and sent them into battle against their former owners. In retribution, and with Jefferson’s encouragement, furious rebels burned Norfolk to the ground on January 1, 1776, blaming the crime on Dunmore.” - (https://groveatlantic.com/book/a-perfect-frenzy/) What we all learn at school is stuff about the Boston Tea Party and unfair taxes. Whilst there is some truth to this aspect of the story it is completely overemphasised. George Washington was a property developer and his motivation in the Revolution was to free up that land excluded by the British for the Native American Indian tribes. Americans put this whitewash on everything running up the idealistic flag when it is their avaristic business concerns actually driving the bus. Nearly all of the founding fathers were slavers. It is interesting to ponder this at the time of Trump 2.0.

American Lies & Obfuscations Donald Trump is, in my opinion, an awful man, however, he is more up front about his avarice than all previous US presidents. The dishonesty of American history and culture is tantamount to a complete fabrication of who this nation has purported to be for the longest time. How something starts defines it for its life. Anybody who has ever had a relationship and tried to change that person will know what I mean. It is a fool’s errand to try and change someone or something. It is wiser to recognise things for what they are rather than what you wish them to be. The dreadful white supremacist stuff coming out of the Trump administration has always been there hiding in plain sight. The more one delves into American history the more dishonesty one discovers. It is a land and culture founded on lies and distortions. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump. ©WordsForWeb Read the full article