#u.s. slavery

[ljones41]

Sweet Potato Pie

Below is an article about the dessert known as Sweet Potato Pie:

SWEET POTATO PIE

When it comes to holiday desserts - especially those for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, many people tend to bring up the old favorite, Pumpkin Pie. But there is another pie that is also popular in the United States. It is called the Sweet Potato Pie.

Creamy vegetable pies date as far back as the Medieval era in Europe. But like the Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pie can trace its origin to the early Colonial era, especially in the southern colonies. And like Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pie can be traced to Native American cuisine. The sweet potato - called a "yam" by some (although it is not one) - is native to the tropical regions of the Americas. Namely the Peruvian forests. Spanish traders who had arrived in Peru, eventually introduced the vegetable worldwide - especially in North America and Europe.

The sweet potato became very popular in Europe, especially in Britain. Cookbooks like 1747's "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy" included recipes for tarts, other pastries and puddings that utilized sweet potatoes. The vegetable eventually attracted the attention of wealthy Southern plantation owners and eventually tasked their enslaved cooks to prepare or create sweet potato dishes.

Originally, the African or African-American slaves were accustomed to the textures and flavors of their native West African root tubers such as the starchy yam and cassava. They did not immediately embrace the sweet potato when it was first introduced. In the end, they regarded the sweet potato as a substitute for the yam and like their enslavers, embraced it. One of the dishes created by enslaved cooks during the Colonial period proved to be the Sweet Potato Pie. This especially tend to be the case in the American South. Since pumpkins grew in abundance in the Northeastern colonies - later states - the Sweet Potato Pie had never reached the same level of popularity in that region, like it did in the South.

Sweet Potato Pie was basically prepared as a dessert in an open pie shell. Its filling consisted of mashed sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Alternate ingredients include vanilla or lemon extract. The custard filling may vary from light to dense, depending on the recipe's ratio of sweet potato, milk and eggs. As I had hinted earlier, Southerners and African-Americans specifically, usually ate Sweet Potato Pies during the American holiday season, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas, as a dessert.

Below is a recipe for "Sweet Potato Pie" from Rosie Mayes' I Heart Recipes website:

"Sweet Potato Pie"

Ingredients:

Pie Crust *Cold butter and butter-flavored shortening *Cold water *All-purpose flour *Salt *Vanilla extract *White granulated sugar

(Note: You can also purchase a ready-made pie crust as a substitute)

Pie Filling *Sweet potatoes or yams *Evaporated milk or half-and-half milk *Vanilla extract or Bourbon Vanilla extract *Cinnamon *Nutmeg *Ginger or lemon extract * Hand-crafted yams spice mix from Rosamae Seasonings *Two large eggs *White granulated sugar

Preparation:

Pie Crust *Combine flour, salt, sugar, vanilla, butter, butter-flavored shortening, and ice-cold water in a stand mixer. *Mix until well combined into a dough. *You’ll want to wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the fridge until you’re ready to roll it out. *You could also use a food processor to make the dough.

Pie Filling - Boil Sweet Potatoes *Wash and peel the skins of the sweet potatoes and chop them up into about 1-inch cubes. *Put the sweet potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover them completely (about 4-6 cups). *Boil the sweet potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Pie Filling - Bake Sweet Potatoes *Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. *Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, then place on a baking sheet and cook—with the skin on—until fork-tender. The time really depends on how big they are, but it should take about 35 minutes. *Scoop out the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl, and allow them to cool completely.

Preparation (continued) *In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the sweet potatoes until they’re fluffy and creamy—no lumps! You can either use a hand mixer (electric mixer) or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer. *Next, add the rest of the sweet potato pie filling ingredients—eggs (make sure they’re at room temperature), sugar, spices, vanilla, evaporated milk, and butter (also at room temperature). Mix these ingredients until well combined. You want your pie filling to be almost fluffy—that gives this sweet potato pie its iconic texture. *Next, roll out the cold pie dough. For best results, you should use a 9-inch pie plate. I do blind-bake my pie crust at 350 degrees for just 10 minutes before adding the filling. *Finally, add the sweet potato pie filling. Smooth it in that crust, then bake for 45-50 minutes. It will look weird and puffy when it comes out but allow it to cool, and it’ll settle. *Let the sweet potato pie cool for at least 30 minutes, up to 2-4 hours, until it’s at room temperature. This will allow the pie filling to set completely, so it’s the perfect fluffy texture.

[angryrdpanda]

Whitfield Lovell's "Passages" exhibit, which just made its final tour stop in San Antonio, TX.

Deep River

Evokes Civil War-era Camp Contraband (Chattanooga, Tennessee), once the location of a vibrant community of more than 5,000 freedmen and escaped slaves whose labor created much of the city's infrastructure.

During the Civil War many runaway slaves made the dangerous journey across the Tennessee River to a Union Army site referred to as “Camp Contraband.” There they were given asylum and shielded from being captured or returned to their owners.

A spiral of 56 circular wooden foundry molds of various sizes bears the true-to-life portrait (1860s - 1950s) of an African American whose identity has been forgotten. In the center of the room, a large, fragrant mound of earth is strewn with personal effects suggestive of the artifacts carried and left behind by people inhabiting transitional, liminal spaces. Large video images of the Tennessee River cover the walls of the space.

“I see the so-called ‘anonymous’ people in these vintage photographs as being stand-ins for the ancestors I will never know. I see history as being very much alive. One day, 100 years from now, people will be talking about us as history. The way I think about time is very different – I don’t think it really was very long ago that these things happened, it wasn’t that long ago that my grandmother’s grandmother was a slave.”

Visitation: The Richmond Project

Pays tribute to the African American community of Jackson Ward (Richmond, Virginia). An exquisitely rendered mural-sized tableau suggests some of the individuals who inhabited this community. Boxes of Lincoln pennies on the floor reference Jackson Ward's St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, the 1st bank to be founded by an African American, and the 1st bank to be founded by a woman. The bank provided Black-owned businesses with an avenue to success, despite Richmond's oppressively discriminatory practices.

Entering the furnished parlor/dining room transports visitors back in time. Newspapers are stacked on a piano bench, a stack of letters waits to be opened, the table is set for supper, and a radio plays quiet, period music. Drawings of a smartly dressed man and woman on the walls of the room suggest the inhabitants of this intimate space. You feel as if you're in the presence of ghosts.

The Reds (2021–22)

Drawings of Black individuals rendered on vibrant red paper in black shadowboxes. They are presented alongside a red rotary telephone that allows visitors to listen to the Black National Anthem; composed in 1900, the hymn's lyrics speak to adversity, optimism, and triumphant resilience.

“The ancient Native American principles say it takes seven generations to overcome a tragedy, so in this context of generations we can begin to grasp why we are at this point we are living in now.”

[typhlonectes]

[agnesandhilda]

once you realize the extent to which the subjugation of children is normalized in our society you'll never stop seeing it

[thumbdrivethoughts]

I have never had loyalty to this country (the U.S.)

I have never thought it was ever that great.

This country lost me at an early age - in elementary school, actually.

In elementary school I learned about the Civil War.

When I discovered that a large portion of its population resisted the abolition of slavery by literally fighting a war to preserve it - I mentally checked out of this country right then and there and ever since.

As a young kid in elementary school, the subject of war was always fascinating but as soon as I heard about the U.S. Civil War and understood what they were fighting about, I thought it was the dumbest most boring war ever. I immediately lost interest and have little interest in the U.S. Civil war (except for its celebrated and correct outcome) to this day.

I immediately recognized and couldn't quite believe how dumb a large enough percentage of the U.S. population had to be in order to wage a freaking major civil war, with hundreds of thousands of casualties, to preserve, wait...what?...slavery?

Are you freaking kidding me?

I mean, what kind of moral high ground do you think you're standing on there? What kind of noble purpose did you think you possessed? Racism? That's your cause?

So yeah, not a fan of the U.S. Civil War (except for the fact the North won yay!) and never been much of a fan of a country with so many citizens so excruciatingly stupid...and frankly, allowed to be that stupid. I still think there should be some kind of law against admitting openly you're a racist but that's another debate, I guess. Why, I have no idea.

This country - or at least a large portion of it - has always been on probation with me since I learned about the Civil War. I don't fly its flag, my heart is not truly in the national anthem at sporting events. And as long as it shows signs of similar levels of stupidity and a penchant for recidivism, this country will always remain on probation with me.

[archaeologysucks]

I am visiting family in Nashville this week, and today we toured Belle Meade, where champion racehorses have been bred since the 19th century. We did their Journey to Jubilee tour, which is focused on the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked at Belle Meade. It was a really good tour, and if you ever happen to be in Nashville, I highly recommend it.

[ffcrazy15]

Star Trek is an awful show that is terribly naive because whenever a less technologically advanced people is discovered by more technologically advanced people things do not go well for the less technically logically Advanced people. Captain Kirk would probably go all “heart of darkness” and/or “the man who would be king” all over those aliens.

Look I can use the suspension of disbelief when it comes to Advanced Technology but there is no technology that can find a solution to evilness, as that is a metaphysical problem.

Please don't kill the messenger. I'm just saying the truth

[todaysdocument]

Cato Greene was discharged from the U.S. Army on June 15, 1783. 

Greene had been born in Africa, was enslaved in Rhode Island, and fought in the American Army to gain his freedom. 

Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Series: Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service

File Unit: Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application File S-38753 for Cato Greene (or Green) (Colored) of Continental Troops from Rhode Island

Transcription: 

[Printed document with blank spaces filled in by hand]

BY HIS EXCELLENCY

GEORGE WASHINGTON, ESQ

General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of the

United States of America.

[handwritten: Cato Greene, Soldier; Rhode Island; five years] THESE ARE TO CERTIFY that the Bearer hereof Cato Greene, Soldier in the Rhode Island Regiment, having faithfully served the United States five years and being inlisted for the War only, is hereby DISCHARGED from the American Army.

GIVEN AT HEAD-QUARTERS the

[handwritten] 15th June 1783

[signature] G. Washington

By HIS EXCELLENCY'S

Command,

[signature] J. Trumbull [word?]Jr

REGISTERED in the Books

of the Regiment, [handwritten] Rhode Island

[signature] JGreenman [printed] Adjutant.

THE above

has been honored with the BADGE OF MERIT for [handwritten] 5

Years faithful service

[consuetudinari0]

The Legacy of Manifest Destiny in American History

Manifest Destiny: The Birth of American Expansionism The term Manifest Destiny first appeared in the July-August 1845 issue of the Democratic Review, in an article titled Annexation by journalist John L. O’Sullivan. It was a concept that came to define a crucial moment in American history, encapsulating the nation’s drive for expansion. O’Sullivan argued that it was the United States’ “manifest…

[filosofablogger]

Black History Month -- Harriet Tubman and $20

This is a slightly edited & revised reprise from a post I wrote in May 2019.  Originally titled “A Slap in the Face”, it was not  a post written for Black History Month, but it ties in quite well, I think, with the ongoing struggles for equality that Black people have faced throughout history and still face today!  And it is also a post about one of Black History’s most remarkable heroes, a woman…

[fuckmeyer]

I saw a post about racist Jasper stans bitching bc they’re not able to enjoy shitty J*sper content bc of tags or whatever lol and someone said: “What is there even to enjoy?”. I had to laugh and I thought if you bc it’s so true. Most Jasper content isn’t even that enjoyable. It’s mostly the same boring white-supremacist garbage that I’ve seen before; even the jalice stuff is played out.

The only J*sper content I enjoy is content where he is worshipping Maria, thinking about Maria, talking about Maria, loving Maria, doing anything for Maria tbh. Is that bad? XD I owe it to you and your writing! idk something about a 19/20 year old dumbass confederate falling madly in love with a native brown woman and literally seeing her as a god-like figure as she’s basically handing him his karma for his racist crimes sends me. Ppl act like he was this awesome person before Maria and that it’s her fault he’s gutter trash now with the C*llens but he was gutter trash BEFORE he met Maria. She honestly made him so much better, stronger and MUCH more interesting. She literally created the man these stans thirst over so much. She is the blueprint.

the thing anti-María Jalice stans don't get is, without María, you do not have Jasper. for everything Jasper is, María is the catalyst ❤️

canonically, all we know about Jasper Hale pre-change is 1) he was born in Texas, 2) faked his age to join the Confederate Army* where he became the youngest major in Texas, & 3) was persuasive

beyond that, María made Jasper into the man the fandom adores. you like that he's an empath? guess whose venom made him one. you like that he's a warmonger? guess whose war he fought for. you like that he has a troubled past? guess who put the trouble in it. you like that he's "soft" "empath" "baby" (tbh i don't see it but ok)? guess who made him want to be that way. you like that he's submissive to Alice? guess who broke him in first.

you want Jasper with Alice but wish the María era didn't exist? lol just say you want the hot faceless Confederate to get with the psychic Mississippian & go

as for me, MARÍA ALL DAY BAYBEEEEE

here we have a woman who has suffered all her life at the hands of colonizers. born "1800s or earlier," we can suppose she has firsthand experience with colonization (at least Napoleon's invasion) & lived through Mexico's War of Independence. i.e., she has a deep familiarity with what it means to have your way of life ripped from you by invaders. PLUS she was a victim of Benito's army in the Southern Vampire Wars; her entire coven including her mate was killed.

& despite her losses, she rallied to take back her land & drive out her oppressors. baseline, she is a strong, cunning, powerful indigenous woman with a deep love for her community and her people. HOT

now let's look at Jasper, a bright leader in the Civil War who suffered defeat at the hands of the Union army. yes, María changed him. but did she force him to stay? to go to war? the newborn vamp with the strength & speed to overcome a "grown" vamp chose not to do so. the empath with the power to make anyone disregard him chose not to use it. some say María was "abusive" & "manipulative," but few acknowledge that Jasper had a choice.

why didn't Jasper leave? because he's submissive to anyone more powerful than him. because he was a loser. because the Southern Vampire Wars gave him a second chance at victory. because "empath" or no, he wanted to play war & win.

that's what's compelling about Jasper/María. as wrong as Jasper was for fighting for the Confederacy, he believed he was fighting for the same thing as she. he saw his way of life destroyed by "invaders" & fought back. it's a sick & twisted parallel between oppressor & oppressed that becomes subverted as their relationship goes on... & one that can heal them both.

María's experience with colonizers gives her a visceral picture of what it means to be oppressed... but her relationship with Jasper gives her the victory & emotional reflection she needs to move on. Jasper's military training gives him the hunger & knowledge for war... but his "curse" of empathy provides him with the tools he needs to recognize & address the horrors of his problematic past & move on.

tbh, i find Jasper & María are perfectly suited for a delicious character-driven narrative. Maria's story is that of a traumatized indigenous woman on a path from colonization to decolonization, & the sacrifices & destruction she endures realize that vision. Jasper's story is that of a troubled man on the path from self-hate to self-love, & what it means to undo the societal teachings/traumas & forge a life of empathy & forgiveness.

& that is something Alice alone can never give Jasper.

tl;dr all hail Queen María

[archaeologysucks]

My Cultural Resources group at work had a meeting this morning wherein we discussed the current ahistorical political climate in the US, and how that impacts our ability to do our jobs, especially in light of the fact that we are frequently the only representative of our profession working with construction crews that are often dominated by people with right-wing politics. There’s little we can do, officially, apart from make a list of companies that make our work more difficult, and try to avoid working with them, but I’m glad to work for a company that encourages us to speak up about hostile work environments.

[racefortheironthrone]

Not trying to engage in whataboutism, but do you think focusing on a specific group re the Vikings with the slave trade neglects that all societies have practiced slavery especially its more brutal aspects with the Arab and Africa Slave Trade being a good example. I think some people feel they are being unfairly stigmatized when other people shrug off their people's history. What is your response to that line of thought?

My response is that's classic whataboutism.

In that, literally, that argument was a very popular argument put forward by Southern defenders of slavery in the antebellum period, most often associated with the "positive good" school of thought.

To quote John C. Calhoun himself:

"I hold that in the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two, is, instead of an evil, a good - a positive good. I feel myself called upon to speak freely upon the subject where the honor and interests of those I represent are involved. I hold then, that there never has yet existed a wealthy and civilized society in which one portion of the community did not, in point of fact, live on the labor of the other.'

If "people" find themselves agreeing with John C. Calhoun, they need to re-examine their life choices and what's really behind their feelings of "being unfairly stigmatized."

[maeinthekinning]

Random reminder, the u.s. still has an exception in the 13th amendment (slavery) that allows slavery and involuntary servitude if you have been convicted of any crime, including petty crimes, including innocent but convicted.

That exception was exploited by many to keep their slaves.

And when you get out, you can't vote to rectify that.

Recently some states (a small minority) have gotten rid of slavery in those states, some like Colorado taking multiple tries to succeed in outlawing slavery.

Even where slavery is not being used, the wages are much lower then minimal wage for where work and the cost of even a phone call or reading a free book can be immense.

Prisons optimally imo should be focused on rehabilitation, instead of punishment. This would help lower recidivism and lower homelessness.

And there shouldn't be lower then minimum wage work or fees for reading free books or pricy phone calls.

[blkglhistorian]

How old were you when you found out the creators of The Oregon Trail made a video game about slavery? Guess how long it took to get pulled from shelves?

Freedom! (1993)

Freedom! is a 1993 educational computer game developed and published by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC). Based on similar gameplay from MECC's earlier The Oregon Trail, the player assumes the role of a runaway slave in the antebellum period of American history who is trying to reach the North through the Underground Railroad. The game was developed with help of an African-American consultant who guided MECC on appropriate graphics and dialect that represented the era. It is recognized as one of the first video games dealing with the topic of slavery.

The game was meant to be used in a school curriculum when it was released in late 1992, but most schools simply released the game to students to play without prior lessons. This led to numerous parents complaining to MECC and their schools about the racially offensive nature of the game, and threatening to sue MECC. Though MECC offered to make changes to alleviate these concerns, the company ultimately pulled the game from sale.

[blackwolfmanx4]

Think (Song with Video)

Think, Lyrics by Larken Rose:

Not taught to think

Not taught to judge

Not meant to understand a thing

Raised up to be

Just a battery

Powering someone else's machine

They own you, body and soul

Though the truth you will not hear

So hard to free the fool

From the chains that he reveres

Not taught to think

Not taught to judge

You take pride instead in subservience

What a strange belief

You put the lowest thief

Upon a pedestal, it makes no sense

They dominate you and you call it law

And proudly you obey

You live your life by the code of the flock

While humanity you betray

But born as a human being

Your only obligation is to do...

Not what is commanded

Not what is expected

Not what is legal

Not what is popular

Not what is comfortable

Or what is praised

But only what is right

Not taught to think

Not taught to judge

You echo the slavespeak faithfully

You worship the ones

Who hold you down

Hate those who wish you to be free

Love and adore exploiters and thieves

Take comfort in their bald-faced lies

You call it thought when you blindly believe

You wear your chains with pride

Taught not to think

Taught not to judge

You seek only the approval of your lords

Always you've been

A good citizen

A drop in the sea of mindless hordes

Nothing noble in being a pawn

In serving tyrants well

You fuel their machine, you give them their power

You pave the road to hell

But born as a human being

Your only obligation is to do...

Not what is commanded

Not what is expected

Not what is legal

Not what is popular

Not what is comfortable

Or what is praised

But only what is right