How Abigail Adams Proves Bill O'Reilly Wrong About Slavery

After Michelle Obama's beautiful speech where she reflected on the remarkable fact that she was part of a African American Family living in the executive mansion. A mansion built by slaves. “I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn,” she said.

In classic conservative action, Bill O'Reilly to down play slavery on his show and mention that slaves were infact "well-fed and had decent lodgings."

As we mentioned, Talking Points Memo, Michelle Obama referenced slaves building the White House in referring to the evolution of America in a positive way. It was a positive comment. The history behind her remark is fascinating. George Washington selected the site in 1791, and as president laid the cornerstone in 1792. Washington was then running the country out of Philadelphia.

Slaves did participate in the construction of the White House. Records show about 400 payments made to slave masters between 1795 and 1801. In addition, free blacks, whites, and immigrants also worked on the massive building. There were no illegal immigrants at that time. If you could make it here, you could stay here.

In 1800, President John Adams took up residence in what was then called the Executive Mansion. It was only later on they named it the White House. But Adams was in there with Abigail, and they were still hammering nails, the construction was still going on.

Slaves that worked there were well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor.

So, Michelle Obama is essentially correct in citing slaves as builders of the White House, but there were others working as well. Got it all? There will be a quiz.

Abigail Adams, Former first lady of John Adams wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

edit on 27-7-2016 by TheAmazingYeti because: I contracted the dumb

Abigail Adams, a slave who lived at the white house during it's construction, actually wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

Abigail Adams was the First Lady. Why do you make things up and post them on the Internet?

Whaddaya think her damn problem was? She was really bad at spelling. Probably stoopid too.

Who cares?

originally posted by: Snarl

Abigail Adams, a slave who lived at the white house during it's construction, actually wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

Abigail Adams was the First Lady. Why do you make things up and post them on the Internet?

Whaddaya think her damn problem was? She was really bad at spelling. Probably stoopid too.

Who cares?

Gah, I'm one too many whiskey's past my bed time. Sorry about that. I sometimes get the dumb.

Bill O'Reilly is a pinhead himself.

originally posted by: TheAmazingYeti

originally posted by: Snarl

Abigail Adams, a slave who lived at the white house during it's construction, actually wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

Abigail Adams was the First Lady. Why do you make things up and post them on the Internet?

Whaddaya think her damn problem was? She was really bad at spelling. Probably stoopid too.

Who cares?

Gah, I'm one too many whiskey's past my bed time. Sorry about that. I sometimes get the dumb.

LOL Too often I do the same. You are granted a pass for the evening.

originally posted by: Snarl

Abigail Adams, a slave who lived at the white house during it's construction, actually wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

Abigail Adams was the First Lady. Why do you make things up and post them on the Internet?

Whaddaya think her damn problem was? She was really bad at spelling. Probably stoopid too.

Who cares?

the average Trump voter.

not the average republican.

Jesus...

a reply to: Snarl

The article is not so clear on that point, though it was the First Lady Abigail Adams. Regardless, what Michelle Obama had to say was true and O'reilly, is a lunatic as usual. I believe, is the point of the thread.

You do know that the Republican party was not formed until the 1850s, right?

Why is republicanism capitalized?

What does that even mean in that context?

Why is "true republicanism" italicized in this alleged source document the Atlantic cites?

founders.archives.gov...

Is Bill O'Reilly an influential individual in some way? I thought he was just a Fox News commentator...like Shaun Hannity.

originally posted by: Deny Arrogance
You do know that the Republican party was not formed until the 1850s, right?

Why is republicanism capitalized?

What does that even mean in that context?

Why is "true republicanism" italicized in this alleged source document the Atlantic cites?

founders.archives.gov...

Republicanism- Wiki

Republicanism is a term, defined by John Adams in 1787 (in regard to the US, it actually dates to greco roman times). The first Republican Party was Jefferson's, founded in 1793.

John Adams in 1787 defined it as "a government, in which all men, rich and poor, magistrates and subjects, officers and people, masters and servants, the first citizen and the last, are equally subject to the laws."[27]

Over the course of history in the US, the values of the Republican Party, or rather the people that stayed in it and the people that left it have changed dramatically several times. Oddly, the Democratic party was first called 'The Grand Old Party'.

So, there is a term here and also a party. Two very different things.

Abigail Adams is using the term as it was curently used when she wrote it.

originally posted by: TheAmazingYeti

originally posted by: Snarl

Abigail Adams, a slave who lived at the white house during it's construction, actually wrote

Two of our hardy N England men would do as much work in a day as the whole 12, but it is true Republicanism that drive the Slaves half fed, and destitute of cloathing, ... to labour, whilst the owner waches about Idle, tho his one Slave is all the property he can boast.

Abigail Adams was the First Lady. Why do you make things up and post them on the Internet?

Whaddaya think her damn problem was? She was really bad at spelling. Probably stoopid too.

Who cares?

Gah, I'm one too many whiskey's past my bed time. Sorry about that. I sometimes get the dumb.

It was a simple mistake. To some it would be obvious the article meant the First lady at the time, to others, it is not real clear who's memoir is being cited.

a reply to: TheAmazingYeti

To be perfectly fair, this doesn't actually prove anything. A personal account does not equate to proof...might want to reflect that in your title; it's a tad misleading...but I personally believe it to be entirely true.

I also personally question the integrity of anyone who suggests that slaves in this country were treated and fed well. They were slaves, not pampered house pets. And, in my opinion, suggesting otherwise is patently ludicrous.

If slavery was such a barrel of fun, then why did they fight so long and so hard to be free? And for that matter, why have slaves in the first place? Why not have willing employees and pay them a salary so they could provide their own food and live in their own houses, since they were held in such loving regard by their owners? No. They were slaves, and they were treated as such. Period.

Having said that however, unless someone alive today was either a slave or a slave owner, it is also patently ludicrous that we continue to beat this same dead horse even now, in the year 2016...and none of us are innocent of doing so. But what so few people seem to see is that we're holding this entire country back with every moment that we fail to learn to let the past stay where it belongs, and pay attention to what is happening right here, right now.

We've got serious issues right now, in the present, which threaten the entirety of our nation; that's all of us, regardless of race, and yet here we stand not only divided, but at the brink of full on war...over something that none of us even had anything to do with in the first place. Just look at how easily we can be provoked, perpetually spoiling for a fight, at each others' throats, while the enemies of this country sit back with their bowls of popcorn and cackle with glee.

That idiot does not care one whit about how slaves were treated. It doesn't matter, either, because that's not the point. He does it to bait people, because he knows it's inflammatory as all hell and will be certain to push those buttons, to fan the flames of hatred and create ever more drama, widening the divide and weakening our nation. He, and other people...from both sides of this issue...are manipulating our emotions for their own personal agenda and we are, predictably, allowing them to suck us right in. It is utter madness that people do not seem to comprehend this.

We're in trouble here...who cares what ridiculous ignorance this silly twat is spouting? He doesn't know jack snip about slavery. He wasn't there. Neither were you. Nor was I. I think I'll take the word of the woman who actually was there as the best evidence of what actually happened back then...and screw what anyone else says who wasn't. Let these people rest in peace, and honor them by coming back together as a united front against the people out there who are actually a threat, who are truly our enemies...they are Legion.

I know it's not that simple, but if we continue to insist on keeping score, on fighting over the past, we are going to have a very bleak future ahead of us. We'll all be slaves, so we can judge for ourselves how well we like it. Then, hundreds of years from now maybe people will still be talking about it. I bet we'll all be in agreement then.

Michelle uses every opportunity to talk about slavery. She isn't a slave-she received every opportunity in her life-so much more than an average American-and still is whining-I can't wait for her to please go away.

Bill O'Reilly is pure a embarrassment-pls make him go away too.

Question, why is it that no one ever tells a Jewish person to forget the Holocaust? Because during WWII, when my grandfather was earning his Purple Heart, back home stateside, Black men were being lynched wholesale. What came from slavery is somewhat residual today. How the f@ck do people just think Black people should just forget about slavery? During slavery, masters would have their way with slave women, and when the slave became pregnant, and had the child, master would send his OWN CHILD into slavery. Ahh, the good old days many long for. Jim Crow was a residual of slavery and my mother remembers the separate fountains, not being able to eat at certain establishments and many more things. The lynchings...I could go on. I've heard first-hand accounts from my grandparents and my paternal granfather had a White grandfather, but he saw the discrimination as well.Lynchings where these animals brought the whole family to witness, even little kids, taking pictures, posing with the hanging, burned, black bodies. So don't ever expect me to forget a damn thing, but I don't dwell on it. Some people act as this $#!t happened during the Stone Age when the police were siccing dogs on Black people and firefighters hosing down black people. That $#!t wasn't a hell of a long time ago. To the poster spouting that crap about no one today knows what happened during slavery, I do. Handwritten memoirs, if you will. How can you tell Blacks to forget slavery when in history class, you're taught that is your claim in history, slavery? Some of you people are a trip.

a reply to: Justso

that little mistake about weather abigail adams was a slave or the first lady, well this is what she wrote to her husband while he was away forming the new government..

The future First Lady wrote in part, “I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

those slaves were freed and given the right to vote before women were, once freed, they had the right to the money they earned to do as they willed, long before women were... they could own things, property....
I don't believe there was that much different between slave and wife at that time.

just a different kind of slavery...

but there are several different ways to look at this..
one could sugar coat it all like o'reilly did claiming it was all well and good, maybe even better than the world we have today with all it's freedom.. heck one can even go further (which I really think some are trying to do) and work to go back to that time when certain subsets of the population didn't enjoy so much freedom and equality.
one could hold resentments and develop a you owe me attitude, in which case you may just find yourself sitting on welfare being taken care of by your new master, the gov't..
or you can take advantage of all that new freedom and opportunity that wasn't open to your ancestors and do something with it!!
I think the first lady said what she said kind of in a celebratory nature, like see how far we've come as a society!!