A Legacy of Slave Ownership Among Presidents

It is often overlooked that numerous U.S. presidents, including the Founding Fathers, were slave owners. Between 1789 and 1877, twelve presidents owned anywhere from dozens to hundreds of enslaved individuals. George Washington, the first president, enslaved over 300 people for approximately 56 years. Such facts are often omitted from history texts, as they contradict the ideals of national pride.

While assisting his young daughter with her history homework, Jeffries noted the curriculum presented an incomplete narrative of Washington. While it mentioned his love for rabbits and dental issues, it failed to address his ownership of enslaved people and the use of their teeth for his dentures. Washington's records reveal that he indeed paid for teeth extracted from enslaved individuals, yet this significant detail remains absent from educational materials.

Maureen Costello, the director of Teaching Tolerance, points out that such troubling omissions are prevalent in various textbooks.

The American Pageant, a widely used history textbook, refers to Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman he allegedly fathered six children with, as merely an "affair." It also addresses the frequent coercion of female slaves by white masters, yet frames it delicately, avoiding the terms "rape" and "coercion."

In a time when racism and social divides persist, it is crucial to provide quality education that tackles these issues. History is harsh, and many revered leaders were not as virtuous as often depicted. To gain a true understanding of historical events and figures, confronting uncomfortable truths is essential.

Teaching "feel-good" narratives about historical figures is not an effective method for conveying the brutality of the past. Children should be exposed to reality in a way that is suitable for their age.

Distorted Narratives in Southern Textbooks

Many Black children learn the full scope of their history through family stories, while many white children primarily rely on textbooks. In 2023, the Florida State Board of Education approved new standards that controversially claimed enslaved people benefited from slavery by acquiring useful skills. This is far from an isolated incident.

Textbooks often employ misleading language to diminish or alter the narrative of slavery. Even decades after its abolition, many Southern textbooks adopt a "Lost Cause" perspective, yearning for a time when white supremacy reigned and portraying enslaved individuals as content. This narrative continues today, evident in the recent Florida education controversy.

Even when textbooks don’t misrepresent slavery, they frequently neglect the subject entirely. Shana Stein, a teacher using the Reconstruction to the Present textbook, notes that there is no mention of slavery, leading students to believe it ended in 1865 with the 13th Amendment, with no further context on sharecropping, Black Codes, or Jim Crow.

This lack of comprehensive education regarding slavery's significance in American history is alarming, as textbooks often serve as the primary knowledge source for young learners. Parents and educators should encourage the use of primary sources, such as historical documents and firsthand accounts, to provide a more accurate depiction.

Experiencing History Through Field Trips

Field trips to historical sites offer another avenue for learning about slavery. Visiting local and state museums allows students to engage with artifacts that belonged to enslaved individuals. Historian Ira Berlin suggests that many Southern plantations provide a critical starting point for addressing America's slave-owning past. The Whitney and McLeod Plantations, for example, offer tours that effectively incorporate the realities of slavery and the lives of those enslaved.

At Whitney, visitors receive a lanyard featuring the image and words of a formerly enslaved child, fostering a personal connection. The plantation also includes a space dedicated to honoring the identities of those who were enslaved. Research by Amy Potter and Derek H. Alderman indicates that the tour guides are knowledgeable about slavery and adept at responding to visitor inquiries.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee, located at the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, provides insight into the Black American experience from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement. The Legacy Museum in Alabama examines systemic inequalities faced by Black individuals throughout history. Other notable institutions, such as The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, The Studio Museum, and The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, showcase artifacts and memorials that highlight the struggles of African Americans.

Recommended Reading

Given the whitewashing of slavery in many textbooks and the impracticality of field trips, exploring well-researched books can illuminate the realities of Black suffering and history.

The Interesting Narrative by Olaudah Equiano is an 18th-century memoir offering a unique perspective on the brutality of slavery from the viewpoint of an enslaved person.

In The Rise of African Slavery in the Americas, David Elitis challenges the notion that the slave trade was solely driven by capitalism, asserting that if profit was the goal, enslaving Africans was the most costly option.

Meanwhile, Robin Law's Ouidah: The Social History of a West African Slaving Port 1727–1892 provides an analysis of the European agenda in Africa that contributed to the slave trade.