The Melchizedek Chronicles – Slavery, the greatest of sins against God – Roots and History of Slavery in America

With the Democratic presidential campaign heading into more debates and the release of information on the 1619 Project at the New York Times, the issue of slavery and reparations is bound to come up so I thought I would report on the history of slavery in America in order to make certain our many candidates have the truth.

In this article I will trace the roots and history of slavery in the U.S. including those responsible for the slave trade in North America.

Long before Columbus ever discovered the Americas slavery was a vital component of society and culture throughout the known world.  In historical Africa slavery was practiced in many different forms.

There was indentured servitude, Debt slavery, enslavement of captives, military slavery, slavery for prostitution criminal slavery.  African slaves were shipped throughout the world well before America was even discovered.

In truth, there were over sixty million slaves taken from Africa.  Of that number, ten to twelve million were sold to slave traders for shipment to the Americas.  Over one million died in captivity in Africa or during the ten-week ship journey to the New World.

Slightly less than ten million made it to the Americas from the first Portuguese shipment of the Atlantic African Slaves between 1503 and 1519, and the end of slavery in America in 1865.

No slaves were sold to the North American colonies until 1619.  Of the ten million arriving in the Americas over the years, the North American colonies of Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and the Dutch received a total of 388,000 slaves, twenty-six percent children, as definitely established in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database.

The same five European empires were in vicious competition to colonize both the Americas and Africa, so led by the Portuguese they established and owned the African Slave Trade in partnership with the African kingdoms.  With the discovery of the Americas in 1492 the Trans-Atlantic African Slave Trade evolved rapidly with shipments to Central and South America where Spain and Portugal had colonies.

By the time North America was first being settled in 1608 the five European empires began diverting some African slaves to North America to service their new colonies.   When the citizens of the thirteen British colonies in North America revolted and defeated the mighty British empire, then adopted a new Constitution in 1789, the new Republic signaled that the African Slave Trade must end.

In 1808 both the US and Britain banned African slave trade.  Individual states banned slavery leading up to the American Civil War in 1860.  By that time America had grown from thirteen states to thirty-three states, and eleven seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy.

Though President Abraham Lincoln ended slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was not until the defeat of the Confederates in 1865 and notification given in the state of Texas, that slavery officially came to an end.

During the period of 1619 when slaves first arrived in North America until the end of slavery and freeing of all slaves in 1865, there were about five million slaves in North America, of which 388,000 came from Africa.  Half of the slaves were men, one third were children, and one eighth were elderly or crippled.

The vast majority of the growth in the number of slaves in North America was primarily natural increase, in which the population of slaves grew an average of 28.7 percent a year from 1790 until 1860.

In the U.S., on average, a slave mother gave birth to between nine and ten children, more than twice the birth rate of the West Indies in Central America.  Throughout most of the New World the European practice of children born to slaves became slaves.

Driven by a huge demand for sugar, cotton and tobacco in Europe, the Southern states became plantation states.   After the US banned African slaves in 1808 the demand for workers on the plantations became so severe that over a million slaves were moved from Northern states to the Southern plantation states.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 there were thirty-three American states.  Eleven seceded from the Union and started their own nation, the Confederacy.  At the time there were about 3.9 million slaves in the US, both the North and the South.  During the Civil War over 500,000 Southern slaves were freed by the Union troops, and all the slaves in America were freed by 1865.

In 1860, the population of the entire Republic was 31.5 million, including 3.9 million Black slaves.  Most were located in fifteen Southern states, of which eleven did secede from the Union.

Ironically, more than seventy-five percent of the Southern population did not own slaves in 1860.

Summary

African slave trade began almost 200 years before America was discovered.

From 1519 until 1860 ninety-seven percent of the African slaves brought to America and sold went to Central and South America, the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, just three percent went to North America.

The African Slave Trade was established by the European empires of Portugal, Britain, France, Spain and the Dutch.

African Trans-Atlantic slave trade was a European undertaking to supply manpower for development of the European colonies in America.

When Americans revolted and defeated the British empire and adopted the US Constitution in 1789, the young nation was surrounded by the British, French and Spanish colonies still in America.

In 1808 the new Republic banned the African Slave Trade to the US.

It took further wars with Britain, 1812, Mexico in 1846-48, and Spain in 1898 to finally free the US from the stranglehold of the remaining European colonies surrounding the Republic.

By 1865 the Confederacy was defeated and the Southern states were reunified into the United States.

From the birth of the nation in 1789 until the 1865 defeat of the Confederacy and freeing of all slaves was a total of seventy-six years.

In other words, it took 400 years to build the system of slavery in the United States and within seventy-six years after becoming a Republic, slavery was abolished and all slaves freed.

Now, there is still much work left to do to bring about the racial equality guaranteed by our Constitution.  Bias and discrimination are among the most difficult of all deadly sins to overcome.

Yet we still faced the power of evil in our history of imposed slavery and were able to stop it, then destroy it, for all time.  At great cost America resisted the dark forces of slavery, the greatest abomination of sin against the Creator, our God.  Of that we should be proud. 

The Melchizedek Chronicles – Slavery, the greatest of sins against God – Roots and History in America

With the Democratic presidential campaign heading into debates the next two days the issue of slavery and reparations is bound to come up so I thought I would report on the history of slavery in America in order to make certain our many candidates have the truth.  In this article I will trace the roots and history of slavery in the U.S. including those responsible for the slave trade in North America.

Long before Columbus ever discovered the Americas slavery was a vital component of society and culture throughout the known world.  In historical Africa slavery was practiced in many different forms.

There was indentured servitude, Debt slavery, enslavement of captives, military slavery, slavery for prostitution criminal slavery.  African slaves were shipped throughout the world well before America was even discovered.

In truth, there were over sixty million slaves taken from Africa.  Of that number, ten to twelve million were sold to slave traders for shipment to the Americas.  Over one million died in captivity in Africa or during the ten-week ship journey to the New World.

Slightly less than ten million made it to the Americas from the first Portuguese shipment of the Atlantic African Slaves between 1503 and 1519, and the end of slavery in America in 1865.

No slaves were sold to the North American colonies until 1619.  Of the ten million arriving in the Americas over the years, the North American colonies of Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and the Dutch received a total of 388,000 slaves, twenty-six percent children, as definitely established in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database.

The same five European empires were in vicious competition to colonize both the Americas and Africa, so led by the Portuguese they established and owned the African Slave Trade in partnership with the African kingdoms.  With the discovery of the Americas in 1492 the Trans-Atlantic African Slave Trade evolved rapidly with shipments to Central and South America where Spain and Portugal had colonies.

By the time North America was first being settled in 1608 the five European empires began diverting some African slaves to North America to service their new colonies.   When the citizens of the thirteen British colonies in North America revolted and defeated the mighty British empire, then adopted a new Constitution in 1789, the new Republic signaled that the African Slave Trade must end.

In 1808 both the US and Britain banned African slave trade.  Individual states banned slavery leading up to the American Civil War in 1860.  By that time America had grown from thirteen states to thirty-three states, and eleven seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy.

Though President Abraham Lincoln ended slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was not until the defeat of the Confederates in 1865 and notification given in the state of Texas, that slavery officially came to an end.

During the period of 1619 when slaves first arrived in North America until the end of slavery and freeing of all slaves in 1865, there were about five million slaves in North America, of which 388,000 came from Africa.  Half of the slaves were men, one third were children, and one eighth were elderly or crippled.

The vast majority of the growth in the number of slaves in North America was primarily natural increase, in which the population of slaves grew an average of 28.7 percent a year from 1790 until 1860.

In the U.S., on average, a slave mother gave birth to between nine and ten children, more than twice the birth rate of the West Indies in Central America.  Throughout most of the New World the European practice of children born to slaves became slaves.

Driven by a huge demand for sugar, cotton and tobacco in Europe, the Southern states became plantation states.   After the US banned African slaves in 1808 the demand for workers on the plantations became so severe that over a million slaves were moved from Northern states to the Southern plantation states.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 there were thirty-three American states.  Eleven seceded from the Union and started their own nation, the Confederacy.  At the time there were about 3.9 million slaves in the US, both the North and the South.  During the Civil War over 500,000 Southern slaves were freed by the Union troops, and all the slaves in America were freed by 1865.

In 1860, the population of the entire Republic was 31.5 million, including 3.9 million Black slaves.  Most were located in fifteen Southern states, of which eleven did secede from the Union.

Ironically, more than seventy-five percent of the Southern population did not own slaves in 1860.

Summary

African slave trade began almost 200 years before America was discovered.

From 1519 until 1860 ninety-seven percent of the African slaves brought to America and sold went to Central and South America, the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, just three percent went to North America.

The African Slave Trade was established by the European empires of Portugal, Britain, France, Spain and the Dutch.

African Trans-Atlantic slave trade was a European undertaking to supply manpower for development of the European colonies in America.

When Americans revolted and defeated the British empire and adopted the US Constitution in 1789, the young nation was surrounded by the British, French and Spanish colonies still in America.

In 1808 the new Republic banned the African Slave Trade to the US.

It took further wars with Britain, 1812, Mexico in 1846-48, and Spain in 1898 to finally free the US from the stranglehold of the remaining European colonies surrounding the Republic.

By 1865 the Confederacy was defeated and the Southern states were reunified into the United States.

From the birth of the nation in 1789 until the 1865 defeat of the Confederacy and freeing of all slaves was a total of seventy-six years.

In other words, it took 400 years to build the system of slavery in the United States and within seventy-six years after becoming a Republic, slavery was abolished and all slaves freed.

Now, there is still much work left to do to bring about the racial equality guaranteed by our Constitution.  Bias and discrimination are among the most difficult of all deadly sins to overcome.

Yet we still faced the power of evil in our history of imposed slavery and were able to stop it, then destroy it, for all time.  At great cost America resisted the dark forces of slavery, the greatest abomination of sin against the Creator, our God.  Of that we should be proud. 

Rio de Janeiro Welcomes Papa Francesco & 3 million Youth to Copacabana Beach Mass

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Under the ever watchful eye of the Christ the Redeemer statue looking down from the mountains surrounding Rio de Janeiro Papa Francesco, Pope Francis, ended World Youth Day with over 3 million of the faithful on the Copacabana Beach.

 

As far as the eye could see there was a mass of humanity, many who camped out on the beach overnight to share this moment with Papa.

 

 

Finally even the western media in the US had to cover the story, I mean three million peaceful people in one place is quite a story in this day and age.  The fact the vast majority were youth makes it a better story.

 

Here in America we get a daily dosage of money, murder, drugs and demons it seems but during his stay in Brazil the past few days  the Pope actually defined the false gods of today and told the youth they must work to stop edifying such idols of evil.

 

 

Pope Francis led his first large mass on Wednesday since returning to his native Latin America, decrying "ephemeral idols" like money and power at Brazil's most revered shrine.

 

"It is true that nowadays, to some extent, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure," he said at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida basilica.

 

 

"Often a growing sense of loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in these ephemeral idols," he said.

 

 

In a meeting with bishops and cardinals from South America he talked about the loss of Catholics in Brazil.

"At times we lose people because they don't understand what we are saying, because we have forgotten the language of simplicity and import an intellectualism foreign to our people," he said. "For ordinary people the mystery enters through the heart."

The pope also warned the bishops against assimilating fashionable values of secular culture.

"People today are attracted by things that are faster and faster: rapid Internet connections, speedy cars and planes, instant relationships," he asked. "Is the church herself caught up in the frantic pursuit of efficiency? Dear brothers, let us recover the calm to be able to walk at the same pace as our pilgrims, keeping alongside them, remaining close to them, enabling them to speak of the disappointments present in their hearts and to let us address them."

Among the pope's specific recommendations for the church in Brazil were deeper engagement by bishops in national debates on such "pressing concerns" as "education, health and social harmony"; and more attention to collegiality within the episcopate, downplaying "central bureaucracy" in favor of "local and regional elements."

He gave special attention to the needs of the Amazon basin, in terms of both ecological protection and the training of indigenous clergy to serve indigenous peoples there.

"'Pastoral care' is nothing other than the exercise of the church's motherhood," the pope said. "She gives birth, suckles, gives growth, corrects, nourishes and leads by the hand.

"So we need a church capable of rediscovering the maternal womb of mercy," he said. "Without mercy we have little chance nowadays of becoming part of a world of 'wounded' persons in need of understanding, forgiveness and love."
 

Pope Francis told leading Latin American bishops that all Catholics must renew the Church with a “missionary spirit,” acknowledging that he and other bishops are “lagging somewhat” in spiritual renewal.

 

“Bishops must be pastors, close to people, fathers and brothers, and gentle, patient and merciful. Men who love poverty,” the Pope said.

 

He praised bishops with “simplicity and austerity of life,” urging them not to act like “princes” or to be “ambitious” in seeking to lead another diocese.

 

Rather, bishops should be “pointing the way” for their people, preventing them from “being scattered” while “ensuring that no one is left behind.” They should be men capable of guarding and protecting their congregation while also instilling hope “so that light will shine in people’s hearts,” the Pope said July 28.

 

 

The Pope criticized pastoral plans that “clearly lack nearness, tenderness, a warm touch” and are incapable of sparking “an encounter with Jesus Christ” and with other people.

 

“Christ’s followers are not individuals caught up in a privatized spirituality, but persons in community, devoting themselves to others,” the Pope said.

 

Pope Francis focused on two challenges to missionary discipleship: the “inner renewal” of the Church and dialogue with the world. He noted the Second Vatican Council’s guidance in engaging modern life.

 

“Responding to the existential issues of people today, especially the young, listening to the language they speak, can lead to a fruitful change, which must take place with the help of the Gospel, the magisterium, and the Church’s social doctrine,” the Pope said.

 

 

He noted the need to engage the many subcultures of the modern city on their own terms.

 

“If we remain within the parameters of our ‘traditional culture,’ which was essentially rural, we will end up nullifying the power of the Holy Spirit,” he warned. “God is everywhere: we have to know how to find him in order to be able to proclaim him in the language of each and every culture; every reality, every language, has its own rhythm.”

 

Pope Francis praised the spread of Bible groups, ecclesial base communities and pastoral councils. He said these advance the responsibility of the laity and help overcome “clericalism.” He particularly praised expressions of popular piety as a “healthy thing” that shows greater lay autonomy.

 

He also warned against several temptations that are false visions of the missionary spirit.

 

He said clericalism, an excessive lay dependence on or privileging of priests, is “a temptation very present in Latin America.”

 

 

“The phenomenon of clericalism explains, in great part, the lack of maturity and Christian freedom in a good part of the Latin American laity,” he said.

 

Both laity and priests take refuge in clericalism “because it is easier,” he lamented. This causes some Catholics to fail to grow in Christian life or to take refuge in ideology.

 

The Pope warned against turning the message of the Gospel into an “ideology,” whether it is “market liberalism” or Marxism.

 

He said the psychology-focused tendencies of some spirituality courses and spiritual retreats reduce the encounter with Jesus Christ to “self-awareness,” a “self-centered approach” that “has nothing to do with the missionary spirit.” He mentioned the new age practice of the Enneagram as one example.

 

 

He criticized the “gnostic solution” of elite groups of “enlightened Catholics” who offer a “higher spirituality.” He said some advocates of ordaining nuns to the priesthood or of giving communion to the divorced and remarried fall into this error.

 

He also warned against the “Pelagian solution” that seeks a “purely disciplinary solution” through “the restoration of outdated manners and forms which, even on the cultural level, are no longer meaningful.”

 

 

Repeating his previous criticisms, he warned against reducing the Church to “the structure of an NGO” focused on quantifiable results, statistics, and a business-like organization. He said some bishops’ conferences open more and more departments that do not help the mission of Church.

 

Concerning the inner renewal of the Church, Pope Francis stressed the need for “pastoral conversion” focused on “Jesus Christ as the bearer of God’s Kingdom” and trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

He posed many questions to the bishops for their own self-examination.

 

He said bishops should ask whether they and their priests are working to ensure that their work is “more pastoral than administrative” and whether they serve “the People of God as a whole” rather than “the Church as an organization.”

 

 

He asked the bishops to examine whether they “manipulate” or “infantilize” the laity.

 

“In practice, do we make the lay faithful sharers in the mission?” he asked.

 

He said bishops should not simply react to complex problems, but should promote opportunities to “manifest God’s mercy.”

 

The Pope concluded with an exhortation: “I beg that we take seriously our calling as servants of the holy and faithful people of God, for this is where authority is exercised and demonstrated: in the ability to serve.”

 

Pope Francis addressed the bishops hours after celebrating Sunday Mass for millions of World Youth Day pilgrims gathered on Rio’s Copacabana Beach.

 

 

In spite of security concerns Papa Francesco has safely returned to Rome.

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A Valentine's Day Message of Hope, Peace and Love

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Happy Valentine's Day

Bonne Saint Valentin

Feliz Día de los Enamorados

Buon San Valentino

Alles Liebe zum Valentinstag!

ハッピー バレンタイン

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The Olympic Gods Smile on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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O sorriso olímpico dos deuses em Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Rio de Janeiro did what Obama could not do, capture the 2016 Olympics, and for the first time South America will host the Olympics games. It was a great victory for the soft spoken committee from Brazil and a tribute to the people of Brazil and South America.



Not even the fleet of jets carrying the celebrities from the USA could stop the move to finally welcome the South American continent into the world community and now the world will get to see and share the rich culture and history of Brazil.




Few people know that more Italians live in Brazil than any other country outside of Italy and more Japanese live in Brazil than any other country than Japan. Yet the long tradition of Brazil remains intact. It is the only non-Hispanic speaking nation in South America with Portuguese the national language.






[Christ the Redeemer statue (Portuguese: O Cristo Redentor) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest art deco statue in the world.[1] The statue stands 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metres (31 ft) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tons (700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a very important symbol of Brazil's Christianity.]




True to it's roots, Brazil has nearly 200 million people and is the largest Catholic nation in the world with 74% of the diverse population being Roman Catholic. The Brazilian football (soccer in the USA) team is ranked number one in the world and the Amazon Rain Forest is one of the environmental wonders of the world.



From a personal standpoint my band, Nashville Bound, enjoys its greatest following on the worldwide internet from the people of Brazil and over the past few years they have been my best fans. Everyone in America should be proud of the success of Brazil in landing the first Olympics Games in history for South America and the people of Chicago could not have lost out to a better nation.




God bless Brazil!
Deus abençoa Brasil!

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