Identity Crisis
Today we attended the Apgar Family Reunion in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. This was for descendants of the original immigrant who was born about 300 years ago. Anyway, today I learned that New Jersey was a slave state. I learned that the Dutch East Indies Company brought slaves to America. I learned that the Dutch settlers to New York and New Jersey brought slaves up the Raritan River and there were 12,000 slaves in New Jersey and 1200 slaves in the county where the Apgars lived. (Though they were German.) I learned that this immigrant owned 2 slaves!!!! I think I learned that 1/3 to 1/2 of my New Jersey ancestors could have been slave owners!!!!!
I never imagined that I had slave owning ancestors. Never. When people seem to want me to apologize for slavery because I'm white, I claim no responsibility for the whole mess - 'wasn't my people...' Well now I can't think that.
Wow. I'm still in a bit of shock.
I never imagined that I had slave owning ancestors. Never. When people seem to want me to apologize for slavery because I'm white, I claim no responsibility for the whole mess - 'wasn't my people...' Well now I can't think that.
Wow. I'm still in a bit of shock.
posted by Mom and Dad at 6:19 PM
8 Comments:
Becky,
Except for one Yankee from Maine, all my ancestors started in N. Carolina or Virginia, and then moved to Mississippi or Tennessee or Arkansas or Louisiana or Texas. Most all were in slave states, but most were too poor to own slaves themselves. You learn to live with it. The only way I know to make up for our inherited guilt is to vote for Barack Obama (at least for half of him, since the other half is white).
I wouldn't do Barack Obama the injustice of voting for him because of the color of his skin.
I feel compelled to research my families more and do the temple work for these dear people. If they were owned by my ancestors, they are my family too.
Larry - the half of Obama that is black is African, not African-American. For all we know his ancestors could have also owned slaves and even sold them to the slave traders. His white ancestors have just the same chance we do to have owned slaves...
Just a thought.
Mom- that is interesting (and sad). I wonder if there is any way to tell exactly who they owned?
There is. We can find inventory records from the probate (death) records. First is listed property, then animals, then slaves. I'm going to call the woman from the Historical Society that spoke to us and pick her brain.
Recently I studied Jacob 2:18-19. I cross referenced every word. There is a phrase 'liberate the captive,' and it refers to temple work. Maybe for justice I'll do their work first.
There is something about "being punished for our own sins and not for Adam's transgression." I Also see that the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's repented, became the People of Ammon, and supported the cause of Righteousness. This was in one generation. Their sons became obedient warriors who were blessed in battle fighting against the very causes of slavery, not the color of their skin. Maybe you can remember the past and rise above it. I believe that is what Pres. Uchtdorf called honoring the faith of your fathers. I personally feel no guilt for this slavery. All are equal in the sight of God. If I treat others that way and love my brother as myself regardless of race or creed, everyone can be equal to me and I am right in the sight of God (in that aspect at least).
I would suggest studying section 6 of the Preach my Gospel about Christlike attributes if this really bothers you. After all faith brings about repentance, and the first fruits of repentance is baptism for the remission of sins. This faith and repentance are available to all... even me.
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I think the guilt isn't actually because of what happened, but rather for the legacy of what has happened since then.
Yes all people do have "equal opportunity" but in all honesty our family is where it is today at least partially because of where we were put in society. It's harder to see from where we stand (and especially for our generation), but there is a legacy that was created from where people were. The son of a billionaire is unlikely to be broke and, although there are lots of knoble stories to contradict this, poor people tend to have poor children.
In all honesty I think these now unspoken "rules" are being wiped away by the "enlightened" generation of the hippies and even more so by the gen x and gen y kids.
We shouldn't be guilty for our ancestors having owned slaves, but rather that we are not actively working to destroy the legacy of what happened.
Jon & Becky,
Wow! My stab at humor looks pretty lame compared with the deep & responsible thoughts of your whole family. Please forgive me. And might I say I know of no other family so Christlike as yours!
Larry
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