Should we apologize for black slave trade,something did by my ancestors 500 years ago?

Answer 1

Why should I apologize for something I did not do? Why should anyone, what meaning would it have anyway? I might as well apologize for the rain yesterday, the storm last week, the hurricane to years ago. While we are on this apology kick why don't we apologize for every crime,murder, war, ever committed.

I do not think an apology is needed, I believe that in the USA our great great grandfathers paid for the miss-dead in blood at places such as Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, Cold Harbor, etc.

I never owned a slave, do not know anyone who does.

Answer 2

An apology would no doubt be pleasing to some but it will not change history.

Here in UK the problem of the Slave Trade is not that the people will not apologise for it. No, it is a lack of knowledge about it.

I have only scratched the surface of the subject of the Slave Trade here in UK. I have found a transcript of a former US Slave's testimony as to what life was really like being a slave in the American cotton fields. This former slave had died aged over 100 in c1949.

I have also found that an area of SE London known as Blackheath [Blackheath Village] was entirely built and financed upon the backs of black slaves. I have also discovered that so widespread was the Slave Trade that even Oliver Cromwell had two slave ships built at Deptford.

I'm still learning about the Slave Trade and Britain's part in it.

One thing which should be noted re the Slave Trade, is that in UK in my generation [born 1941] the subject of the Slave Trade was hardly touched upon in school.

I was made aware of the Slave Trade as a child because I was born and grew up a Methodist and learnt something of men like William Wilberforce who also was a Methodist.

Always remember that History is a foreign place. Although we may apologise for the Slave Trade we, our ancestors, may very well have had nothing to do with it. My race background is Welsh and although it is true that many Welsh did have a hand in the Slave Trade, my own family line never had anything to do with it. We joined the Methodist Movement early, during the lifetime of Rev. John Wesley MA - who by the time of Wm Wilberforce's Bill to abolish the Slave Trade in 1807, was already an old man in his 90s.

My family line is poor and no one in that line ever got above the rank of Private soldier or Labourer. Not even me. We are a working class family and do menial work. I worked most of my life as a cleaner after serving nine years as a Private soldier. My grandfather was briefly a coal miner and a soldier in the Boer War and WW-One. My father was a common Private Soldier in WW2 and a truck driver thereafter. We get by. We do not approve of slavery but there is nothing we can do except protest that it still goes on today and nothing much is being done to put an end to it.

Although Wm. Willberforce's Bill to abolish slavery was passed in the House of Commons in 1807, the Slave Trade continue for more than twenty years thereafter. In c1830 there was an uprising of slaves on the Slave Island of Jamaica. This uprising was put down by the British Army. It was the returning British soldiers and their officers who really started the Emancipation Movement here in UK. They demanded that all slaves be set free. It was this movement which finally put an end to slavery in the British Empire.

Meanwhile in America, it was Welsh money which put a Welshman into the Pesidential race - Abraham Lincoln. The one man who finally put and end to slavery in the US - with a lot of help from fellow Americans and money from abroad. Britons sailed to the US and englisted in the Union Army to fight for the end of slavery and the liberty of all mankind.

Answer 3

If you are referring to Mr Blair's apology regarding the slave trade then I don't think so...its like asking all Germans to apologise for Hitler or all Russians for Stalin! it is a terrible event in history and actually slavery in various forms is continuing today! But we cannot be held responsible so need not apologise!...And I must add that the British public once made aware of how terrible the slaves were treated campaigned for its abolition.I also strongly believe that the people who sold the slaves to the Europeans in the first place were the ones with guilt at there door IE the black gang's who captured the natives for money.To betray your own people like that is a terrible thing to do yet it is a very little mentioned part of the slavery issue.It never fails to amaze me what human beings will do to each other for money,very sad.

Answer 4

An unequivocal yes. First of all, the slave trade hadn't started 500 years ago and was abolished less than 250 years ago in England. It is important for people to be made aware of the injustices carried out by their ancestors. Otherwise fairy tales are established and people get the impression that 'their' country has always behaved correctly.

There should be no shame in this. Mistakes have been made and are still being made. It is noble to admit to them.

When living in Hong Kong, I lent a book about China to an American friend. She was appalled to learn that the USA had also been involved in the Opium Wars. During her education, she had been led to believe that only the British were involved.

Answer 5

As individuals I do not see that ordinary Americans or Europeans should apologise for the slave trade because they did not participate in the trade. Infact they should reject attempts to cloak them with a collective guilt for the crimes of a few of their ancestors.

The key test to whether an institution should "atone" for past misdeeds is if we are still living with the consequences of that misdeed. Therefore, arguing whether Europeans should apologise for the Crusades is farcical: One can hardly argue that the effects of the atrocities committed during the Crusades are still with us today.

To existing institutions that actually supported the Slave Trade like the US government or the Southern states governments, I think an apology would underline its commitment to ""move ahead".

Frankly, an institutional apology is not such a big deal: The Roman Catholic Church has apologised for its treatment of Jews, the Australian government has apologised for its treatment of Aboriginal peoples and South Africa's former aparthied ministers have apologised. Infact, GWB apologised to the people of Senegal during a visit to the Goreé Slave Island.

Answer 6

Someone ie a direct descendant should apologise if they genuinely want to do so in the name of truthfulness, this is also enhanced by the fact that the ancestors are obviously no longer present to apologise themselves. If you are forced to repent then this is the opposite side of being genuine, the apology has no weight. In doing or organising something for pure economic gain, balanced sharply by perceptions of human relations that do not stand the judgement of time in the realms of benevolence and civility, something should be given back to those who had nothing and whom represented wasted lives in the picture of "reality" that history so uniquely provides. I don't feel animosity towards the Japanese nation for their historical relationship with my ancestors in the second world war, but is this right?

Answer 7

As individuals, we have nothing to apologize for. As the government of a country, or as a slave state (as the Commonwealth of Virginia), yes, an apology is in order.

By the way, slaves were brought to the United States from Africa until well into the 19th century--fewer than 200 years ago.

Answer 8

No. People who are around today didn't have anything to do with the slave trade. It doesn't make sense that we apologise on behalf of people who are long dead to black dead people. There's also no point in apologising to living black people as they didn't have to go through it. Overall it would make no sense. It was a terrible and shameful thing but there is no point anyone living today apologising for it.

Answer 9

We should acknowledge slavery and never forget the actions of all peoples involved in the slave trade.

The only problem is; who do 'we' apologise to? Are 'we' qualified/able to apologise for something others committed before 'we' were born?

Rather than argue the point ad infinitum we should ALL concentrate on eradicating the slavery that still exists in many parts of the world today.

Answer 10

ok, this is a question of accepting collective guilt, and it has been debated very much here (I live in a post-war country). it basically about weather or not an entire nation or country can accept the blame for what some of them did. and yes, I feel that they can! of course, many people cannot be blamed personally. but it's not a personal question. an apology is a way of showing that the nation accepts that what it did (under certain leaders) was wrong. it's a first step to "normalising" the relations. so yes, I think YOU should aplogize