Americas Original Sin

Not all Founding Fathers rested after retirement from the Washington scene.
Benjamin Franklin, the old Founder, retired and became an elder statesman and in his last foray into public policy, he became president of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery and was asked to develop a plan for the introduction of former slaves into American society.

In 1789, on behalf of the society, he wrote the following policy statement with an accompanying plan:

Slavery is such an atrocious debasement of human nature that its very extirpation, if not performed with solicitous care, may sometimes open a source of serious evilsTo instruct, to advise, to qualify those who have been restored to freedom, for the exercise and enjoyment of civil liberties, to promote in them habits of industry, to furnish them with employment suited to their age, sex, talents, and other circumstances, and to procure their children an education calculated for their future situation in life, these are the great outlines of the annexed plan.

The plan had four components, each to be carried out by a committee of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery. The first component was a committee to assist with advice, instructions, and protection from wrongs to the former slaves, concern for their morals and other friendly services. The second was a committee of guardians to facilitate the training and education of children and young people. The third was a committee on education to influence the children to attend the schools already established in this city, or form others with this view. The fourth was a committee of employ, who shall endeavour to procure constant employment for laborers and to help them become apprentices in the skilled trades and also assist in commencing business, such as appears to be qualified for it.

Unfortunately, the United States and its majority citizens did not constitute a comprehensive plan to accommodate former slaves; in fact, we did everything to place obstacles in the life of our African-American brothers and sisters for the next two centuries.

The last chapter of this book gives the only answer which will unburden our nation of the after effects of the peculiar institution. The first 27 chapters relive the journey of generations of African Americans through our American history.