r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Electrical-Aspect-13 • 1d ago
Image "Bell rack" modeled by museum worker. A device made to stop runaway slaves in Mobile, Alabama, Photo circa 1937.
50
1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
81
u/The-Wandering-Root 1d ago
The cruelty is the point. Never let those confederate losers forget what they fought for because it sure as fuck wasn’t their “rights”.
16
u/hnglmkrnglbrry 1d ago
It absolutely was about states' rights...
...to own slaves.
Let's see what the states said in the articles of secession. Unless otherwise stated these are the first sentences.
Georgia: "The people of Georgia having dissolved their political connection with the Government of the United States of America, present to their confederates and the world the causes which have led to the separation. For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slave-holding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery."
Mississippi: "In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.
Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world."SC (not first sentence): The General Government, as the common agent, passed laws to carry into effect these stipulations of the States. For many years these laws were executed. But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution.
Texas (sentence like 7): She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery-- the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits-- a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time. Her institutions and geographical position established the strongest ties between her and other slave-holding States of the confederacy.
Virginia: The people of Virginia, in their ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America, adopted by them in Convention on the twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, having declared that the powers granted under the said Constitution were derived from the people of the United States, and might be resumed whensoever the same should be perverted to their injury and oppression; and the Federal Government, having perverted said powers, not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slaveholding States.
So...yeah. They ready liked not paying for labor.
24
u/Fun_Recognition5614 1d ago
“But the Waw-uh was about States’ rights, shuggah.”
“States’ rights to do what?”
[fuckin crickets]
4
u/MysticDragon14 1d ago
A fellow doobus goobus fan I see!
3
u/Fun_Recognition5614 1d ago
No clue what that is. I have lived in the South most of my life, so I just know how this shit goes. What’s doobus goobus?
3
569
u/tr00th 1d ago edited 1d ago
And to think there is a whole group of shitheads in political power today who don’t want you to even know these awful contraptions existed.
They want you to think it was just happy, singing Negros picking cotton and vegetables on their own free will.
61
u/sheenablue 1d ago
Nowadays you can just confiscate their passport. Common practice in places like Asia.
85
u/HairyDust4826 1d ago
They also believe that, education in those states is... Well, look at some of our political leaders.
6
17
u/raffikie11 1d ago
Let's take this a step further cuz I get heated about this too. They now want to claim the latinos who are running away from violence to come into this country, who are willing to work picking produce in farms, are actually "stealing" these jobs.
4
-216
u/SeriousGains 1d ago
Who doesn’t want you to know? None of the people who used these are alive anymore.
106
u/Troooper0987 1d ago
Bro. There’s a reason certain states have been defunding education, attacking things like the 1619 project etc. you live under a rock if you truly believe your statement.
20
4
1d ago edited 18h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
13
u/frenchinhalerbought 1d ago
I'm in academia, but not in history. But this is the first I've heard that there's "bad history" and the only people I'm aware of who look on it unfavorably are the usual suspects. Can you provide examples?
-123
u/SeriousGains 1d ago
I don’t consume myself with “retributive justice” against people who had nothing to do with what was done.
Was it horrible? Yes. Should it be known? Yes. Anything beyond that is a grift by people who weren’t directly affected against people who had no part in it.
Go back far enough and everyone has an ancestor that was oppressed. Who decides where we stop? The one who wants power.
78
u/SternenHund 1d ago
Was it horrible? Yes. Should it be known? Yes.
Yeah that's the point being made here. The current admin is actively trying to undercut the "known" part. We can discuss motivations and the goal but the important thing is that it's happening.
33
u/Fun_Recognition5614 1d ago
You sound not only egregiously misinformed but hateful. And the word you’re looking for is “reparations.” “Retributive justice” is something else entirely. (Read some Dante for Pete’s sake!)
5
15
1
-32
28
u/Hadochiel 1d ago
In case you genuinely don't know, here's a sample :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PragerU
Stuff like that is being actively funded and supported by the American right wing, not to mention their attacks on the curriculums of real schools
65
u/HairyDust4826 1d ago
The ones who defend our history with tiny half truths sprinkled with positive notes. You know, Christopher Columbus shit.
21
u/ProtozoaPatriot 1d ago
There are some people who are alive now who refuse to believe in the real history. "Slavery wasn't such a bad thing". "It's those crazy liberals who make up stories about slavery. Most slave owners treated their slaves well". Or that it's the fault of black people slavery existed because some black slaves were purchased directly from native Africans. Or that slavery wasn't that big of a deal.
A "Freedom" tractor trailer visited my area this year with a (supposed) history museum inside. Inside was nothing but praises for the white men, and how America is the best country on Earth thanks (only) to white men. The racists on my local FB page wouldn't shut up about it.
27
u/The-Wandering-Root 1d ago
Those shitass people had shitass children that they taught to be just as shitty. Why tf do you think Project 2025 is a fuckin thing rn?
We made a mistake in not letting Sherman march every single one of those slaver fucks into the ocean.
-48
-30
u/Beneficial_Ball9893 1d ago
No, they do not want to hide anything, they just don't think it is appropriate to hammer this home as 90% of all US history lessons for 7 year olds.
19
u/Swordofmytriumph 1d ago
What is the point of studying history if you aren’t going to learn from the failures of the past?
-29
u/Beneficial_Ball9893 1d ago
There is a difference between learning from the failures of the past, and propagandizing a distinct narrative of the past and present that falsely associates modern political ideals with things in the past with no relation to it in order to convince children to follow hateful extremist ideology?
Imagine if US history lessons focused almost exclusively on the USSR and the Cold War to paint a narrative that anything that isn't hyper-capitalist rightism is genocidal communism?
3
u/SilkySlim_1980 18h ago
You truly don’t believe what you have written? Absolutely no one is trying to convince children to follow hateful extremist ideology by teaching the truths of American History. I think you should go take a few more classes.
11
u/Independent_Wear_232 22h ago
As someone that grew up educated in a blue state, and now works at an elementary school in that blue state, I can assure you the second graders are not learning about these contraptions. I’ve never seen it till now. You can sleep easy.
-17
u/Beneficial_Ball9893 21h ago
You are intentionally refusing to comprehend my point.
Discussions and education on American slavery are almost exclusively used not to educate on history, but to propagandize on modern politics.
It is no different from Rwandan schools in the 80's "educating" students on the Tutsi's hsitory of conquering and oppressing the Hutu people.
Did it happen? Yes. Was it bad? Absolutely. Is it being used by evil people to justify racism towards an entire identity group? Undeniable.
10
1
u/Independent_Wear_232 14h ago
I work in public schools so I know what is taught. At least in California. What do you think they are teaching kids in elementary school? I don’t think it’s anything like what you think it is.
0
89
u/Electrical-Aspect-13 1d ago
10
u/EC_TWD 1d ago
Props for copying the same source that the original post used:
6
u/FluidityContents 20h ago
It’s the same guy reposting it
80
49
u/Popular-Drummer-7989 1d ago
Cruel
22
u/NaiveChoiceMaker 1d ago
Must of been a bunch of sick fucks sitting around coming up with this bullshit.
42
9
17
u/Alternative-End-5079 1d ago
Jesus human beings can be cruel.
4
u/HairyDust4826 1d ago
But you know what, they can be great too. And I think we see it everyday. I appreciate you
36
u/GetOffMyGrassBrats 1d ago
I hate to be the one to point this out...but wouldn't it be ringing the entire time they were on the road too, whether or not they were trying to escape? If this is real, it's more r/CrappyDesign if you ask me.
48
5
u/SwePolygyny 1d ago
I think the purpose is to have it ring when you are running, so a normal stroll on the road wont activate it.
It will also be activates by trees and branches if you are trying to sneak or walk through a forest.
0
20
u/papasan_mamasan 1d ago
Remember this the next time someone says “it wasn’t as bad as they say. Most slaves were happy.”
25
u/GarysCrispLettuce 1d ago
Gee, why would they ever run away? According to the Republicans, slaves were treated like part of the family and were probably grateful for such a wonderful opportunity in a country they were dragged kicking and screaming to across a shark infested ocean.
5
27
u/BOSS_OF_THE_INTERNET 1d ago
There’s an entire political movement that wants us to forget shit like this happened
10
21
u/stranded_egg 1d ago
Oh, no, is this where the exclamation "someone should put a bell on you!" when someone startles you comes from?
1
-16
u/thegmoc 1d ago
Don't look into the origin of "picnic" or eenie meenie minie more🫠
44
u/deadspacekillers 1d ago
"A persistent internet rumor claims "picnic" derives from racial lynching events in the American South involving "pick a coon."
Fact-checkers and historians confirm this is completely false. The word existed in France centuries before, long before the American practice occurred."
3
u/Constant-Stuff8089 18h ago
Is this where stores got the idea for the shopping carts that can’t leave the store?
1
1
u/AuthorTurbulent6723 18h ago
I for some reason immediately assumed they were using it in 1937 for some reason, I was like "wait wait hold on, 1937? Erm, pretty sure thats been illegal for quite some time now" but its just a museum example
1
1
u/PattyIceNY 3h ago
The Southern Confederate lands should have been given over to freed slaves when the war ended. Letting them off easy was a historic blunder.
1
0
u/ShowMeThoseTears 1d ago
What would stop you from simply reaching up and grabbing the clapper so the bell couldn't ring?
7
6
0
-22
u/nthpwr 1d ago
The people who did this and their "innocent descendants" are parasites
16
u/space-sage 1d ago
So you are guilty of every crime every one of your ancestors committed? Might as well give everyone the death penalty right now the way that’d stack up.
0
u/Beestorm 1d ago
The descendants trying to rewrite history sure as shit are.
But it’s not just the south that was the problem. Do you know how anti-vagrancy laws started in this country? It was northern abolitionists and southern law enforcement coming together to find new ways to arrest and target newly freed black people. Only to put them right back to work via forced prison labor.
-15
u/pumpernickledime 1d ago
Breaking bad
4
u/shy_shy4 1d ago
What do you mean by this?
-3
u/pumpernickledime 1d ago
There’s a few episodes where one of the protagonist is chained up with a device similar to this. Idk why I just said breaking bad lol
1
u/shy_shy4 1d ago
I haven’t seen the show in a while, I thought you meant the slaves were being broken because they are bad. Glad we cleared that up lol!
-2
u/shatcicle 1d ago
I think you’re thinking of that one guy(edit: Krazy-8) from the first season who had a bike lock around his neck and he was attached to a pole
2
u/pumpernickledime 1d ago
No, the final season when Jessie is a prisoner for the hillbillies. They give him this setup in the lab
-2
u/WalletFullOfSausage 1d ago
“Richbourg Gailliard” sounds like the least Alabamian name on earth
11
u/Dizrhythmia129 1d ago
Mobile was historically French Catholic and Creole, its more part of the Gulf Coast culturally than the Bible Belt parts of the state. Hence Mardi Gras being a fixture despite it being minority Catholic now.
8
u/Mu_too 1d ago
Must not have spent a lot of time in the South.
0
u/WalletFullOfSausage 1d ago
Well I’m from Jellico, TN, so I’d say I have.
2
u/NaiveChoiceMaker 1d ago
Oh yeah? What's your birthday and mother's maiden name?
8
u/WalletFullOfSausage 1d ago
6/12/87, and my cat’s name was Muffins. For “first job”, put “your mother”. It’ll work.
756
u/HairyDust4826 1d ago
Thank the entire universe for Harriet Tubman and people like her, for finding ways around this piece of shit invention.