6. "You literally just ascribed him innocence " In response to Reply # 5
If I make my car faster tomorrow by stripping out everything that’s a safety feature, then I go out and kill my passengers in a wreck you can’t say ... “well all he wanted to do was make the car faster.”
------ “There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn.” -Albert Camus
7. "No, they taught us he was a great inventor" In response to Reply # 0
They didn't tell us about his politics at all, and they did mention that the cotton gin made conditions worse for slaves because the increase production snowballed and farmers bought more slaves to work the fields picking the cotton.
12. "We were taught he invented to help use fewer enslaved people" In response to Reply # 7 Mon Oct-12-20 06:50 AM by MEAT
Because he was against slavery And that slavery started booming more accidentally And that seems illogical.
This is a random website but it basically reads like our text books and teachings growing up
“ Whitney received a patent for his revolutionary invention on March 14, 1794. Optimistically, he believed his invention, by reducing the need for enslaved labor, would help hasten the end of southern slavery, while making Whitney himself a wealthy man. He was wrong on both counts.”
10. "I grew up in Greensboro, NC. Home of Cone Mills. .... " In response to Reply # 0
he was a pretty big deal....although I don't recall the term altruistic specifically.....I certainly wouldn't be surprised to stumble upon some 1980's Guilford County Public Schools educational material that referred to him in that light...
"Get ready....for your blessing....." "Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79605 posts
Mon Oct-12-20 08:55 AM
16. "No. We were taught about his invention and that was it" In response to Reply # 0
and was real quick.. like “he invented the Cotton gin, ok class...turn to page 220”
I can’t lie, back then I was an angry, medallion wearing, PE listening, Malcolm X autobiography reading... teen. I didn’t want to hear about slavery.. again, in history class”
So I never pressed for more info.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
17. "same as most, some sort of "he was trying to help" narrative" In response to Reply # 0
I didn't really question it and haven't really since. The story was packaged with other historical moments like Marie Curie's pioneering radioactivity research which had largely positive effects during her lifetime but increasingly negative effects in the century that followed and other things I can't specifically remember, attempting to illustrate that knowing our history is important because we can't ever fully predict the future impact of our actions or the things we support/believe in.
21. "I attended Eli Whitney Highschool..." In response to Reply # 18
I went to Eli Whitney Highschool for one year in BK,with JZ, and AZ...we were all in the same shop class (Mr. Coombs), and we aint learn nothiing about Eli Whitney, lol.
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