Technically, is there a 100% way to prove black slavery actually existed in America?

Question

Written records can't be 100% reliable, and no one is still alive from that time. Just using slavery as an example. It could be any event from the past where no humans are left that were alive from that time. Kind of makes you think.

Uh, it's not racist. If you read, it was an example.

Answer 1

Just because the people aren't still alive doesn't mean it didn't exist.

And written records can be reliable when there is more than one of them. Ship logs, birth records, family diaries etc.

I know you're trying to be philosohical or something, but honestly it comes off as pretty insensitive.

Answer 2

There are impartial records written at the time that prove slavery existed, like birth certificates, bookkeeping of plantations, genealogies, etc. If your bigger question is how reliable our history is, you could have found a better example than slavery. Slavery did not happen very long ago and it would be impossible for any sane person to refute (however we do have holocaust deniers--WTF?) You might want to ask a historian at your local university. Historians come to a conclusion about what happened in the past based partly on an examination of primary sources. It is all very methodical. Historians don't just make stuff up and hope you're stupid enough to believe it.

Answer 3

You indicate that written records can't be 100% reliable, yet history books are well authenticated sources of information. So are records, annuls, documentation and recordings. What further written proof do you need? There may not be anyone still alive from the days of slavery, but there are thousands, millions, perhaps, who are descendants of slaves, and you can't deny geneology records and ongoing family history.

This brings to mind the fact that many people of this generation and younger deny the existence of the holocaust, that scourge in history of the mass murder of six million Jews, Poles, gypsies and other members of society that the Nazi's deemed unfit to survive. Yeah -- some say that's all a lie. However there are still some survivors of that infamous period who can repudiate that, since they are the ones who actually lived through it.

If you doubt history and written records, what do you believe in? I'm just curious. Acting on the assumption that records are inaccurate, some one could say you were never born, since birth certificates, which are written records, are not 100% reliable.

Answer 4

That is a major danger with all history. Many people now are saying that the holocaust in world war two Germany never happened and that was less than 75 years ago. I think that our only hope of keeping any credible history is to have multiple sources and for all historians to keep records of important events as honest and detailed as possible, but the highly detailed accounts need to be archived somewhere because shorter versions are what will make it into the history books that schools use to educate children. Would you consider oral histories to be more reliable than written ones? Written records are as good as things get, history-wise.
I know a woman who died recently at the age of 89. Her mother had been a slave and she could tell her mother's story. She's gone now.
There are still Jewish people alive who barely escaped from the Nazis. Their generation is getting very old, many of them are already gone. Their story could become lost.
And yet, people still believe documents that are thousands of years old. It is a matter of whether or not the writing says something that people want to hear.

Answer 5

Personally, I don't see this as necessarily a racist question. I appreciate someone who wants proof before he believes something. I would say that most of the books from that era is good evidence. There are certainly archives which detail the numbers and costs etc. Black slavery existed till very modern times by muslims and has only been stamped out recently by the British forcing the ban on them yet there is still some. There are also white slaves. Countries such as Libya and Algeria have lighter skin due to the genetic contribution from these white slaves. This was a continuation from when American whites also took slaves. There are ships still around which were slave ships. I think the stories that were passed from generation to generation is good evidence.There are photos available of slaves. There is the story of Frederick Douglas. How can you prove you exist. What do you need for absolute proof? I don't know.

Answer 6

The way we can tell that something like slavery existed is by first hand accounts of slaves and slave owners. None may me alive today but they were alive decades ago and we do have first hand accounts from them. See someone like Fredrick Douglass.
Another example would be people who suffered the Holocaust many are almost all dead or dead but their stories live on. Eg. Ann Frank's diary shows that it did happen or proof of someone like Elie Wiesel who is still alive today.

Answer 7

Read almost any book of American history and you will read about Slavery. For example, read the book "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." Great book and a great story, true story.

Answer 8

You probably haven't done much research but there are plenty of images and literature professing slavery written by the very same slaveowners!!!!!

Answer 9

well, it is also important to consider that we have so many written documents from so many different sources that are entirely separate as well as artwork and artifacts... so, that is what backs this information up.

Answer 10

maybe no slave is alive today but
who are alive are millions of blacks, where did
they come from, were they accidentally shipwrecked
while cruising around in their yachts from africa?